The trustees of Winnetka probably did not realize it, but with little fanfare or celebration they unleashed a revolution last October.
“There’s precedent for this,” says Randy Neufeld, executive director of the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, a not-for-profit advocacy group. “Evanston closed Sheridan Road to cyclists in ’58. We’re opposed to all bike bans, but, in their defense, Evanston at least takes cycling seriously. They’ve created well-maintained alternative routes. It’s not a situation like this, where they simply ban bikes and hope they go away.”
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“So far the response has been great,” says Neufeld. “It’s the biggest issue in the biking community. The League of American Wheelmen and the Bikecentennial have done mailings about it. We’ve got a rally coming up featuring Lon Haldeman, one of the fastest cross-country cyclists in the world. I think he rode across the country in less than nine days.
Neufeld, an easygoing bearded fellow of 28 who lives in Lakeview, has a background in political activism. For the last two years, he has worked in several north-side campaigns, including Ron Sable’s close but unsuccessful run for alderman last year in Chicago’s 44th Ward.
“Our biggest problem is fund-raising. Our budget is about $20,000 and we make most of our money from dues. It’s $12 for an individual and $18 for a family. Right now we have 300 individual members; we hope to have 1,000 by the end of the year. We also have 14 businesses, and 10 public agencies–for instance, the Chicago Botanic Garden–and 12 bicycle clubs who are group members. Some of the clubs have a lot of members, though that doesn’t mean all of these individuals are dues-paying members of the Federation. But that’s what we’re aiming for.”
Police Chief Timm sees it differently.
Most bike accidents would be eliminated, cyclists insist, if the police enforced the law.
