Residents interested in biking on the Southwest Side are invited to a community bike ride and safety workshop scheduled for Saturday, April 15. The event will highlight new protected bike lanes on South Archer Avenue and offer cycling safety demonstrations.
The event aims to promote safe cycling practices and introduce neighbors to recent improvements in local infrastructure. Organizers hope that by participating, residents will become more familiar with the area’s protected bike lanes and learn essential bicycle maintenance skills.
According to organizers, the free, family-friendly event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., beginning at Palace Hall at 4604 S. Archer Ave. Groups of six to eight riders will cycle along a loop using the Archer Avenue protected bike lane between Drake and Sacramento avenues. City officials and local organizations will provide demonstrations on bicycle safety, basic mechanical checks, and flat tire repairs. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own bikes and helmets; more than a dozen Divvy bikes will also be available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis.
The workshop is organized by Alderman Julia Ramirez’s office (12th Ward), the Chicago Department of Transportation, Working Bikes, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, and Active Transportation Alliance. For additional information about the event or future rides, residents can contact the 12th Ward Office at 773-475-6738 or ward12@cityofchicago.org.
In addition to Saturday’s activities, weekly group rides led by Southwest Collective are scheduled every Saturday in May starting at McKinley Park (South Archer Avenue and West 37th Street). These rides aim to further encourage community engagement with new cycling infrastructure.
Recent changes along Archer Avenue have drawn both support for improved pedestrian safety features—such as concrete islands and curb extensions—and criticism from some neighbors who argue that these upgrades create traffic congestion. According to Block Club Chicago reporting last year, Archer and Kedzie avenues accounted for over half of all serious pedestrian or cyclist injuries or fatalities in Brighton Park between June 2024 and June 2025.
The importance of safe streets was underscored just last week when an 18-year-old cyclist was fatally struck in a hit-and-run incident south of Brighton Park.
