Like many small cities and Chicago suburbs, Evanston is considered relatively bike-friendly. Biking is a part of everyday life, with social groups centered around the sport, dedicated lanes and infrastructure throughout the city, students commuting to school and residents using bikes as a practical mode of transportation.
Many cyclists attribute Evanston’s biking accessibility to its layout. The city has an extensive network of bike lanes and shared roads and has added protected bike lanes in busy areas like Dodge Avenue and Sheridan Road. According to the Evanston RoundTable, earlier this year, Evanston received $3 million in funding dedicated to bike infrastructure.
Children and teenagers are frequent users of bikes, and biking to school is popular among students at ETHS. The city of Evanston has worked with the school to provide bike racks near entrances, further encouraging students to bike.
“I believe Evanston is very good at supporting bikers and making them feel safe,” said freshman Hannah Ngola. “ETHS is considerate of students’ needs, and there are plenty of bike racks around school.”
Evanston’s commitment to biking extends beyond infrastructure. The city is partnering with Evanston Transit Alliance and Chicago Family Biking/Evanston Kidical Mass through October to host monthly bike rides free to Evanston residents. There are two rides each month, one for adults and one for families or younger kids. These local organizations aim to “empower families to bike by providing education, organizing community building events and advocating for safer streets.”
Supporting this culture, several community-owned businesses also cater to cyclists. Mack’s Bike and Goods, Wheel and Sprocket and Bucephalus Bikes are just a few examples.
Many students choose biking as their mode of transportation because of its environmental benefits.
“Biking is eco-friendly,” said sophomore Stella Lucks. “With the state of the world we are living in, we need to do all that we can to manage the problem.”
Of course, some challenges still remain. Not all streets have bike lanes, and harsh winter weather can make riding hard. But, the city is steadily investing in improvements.
Many Evanston residents, including students, rely on biking in their daily lives, pointing to a strong future for the city’s biking culture.
