City officials are considering a new network of bike lanes in Portage Park and are seeking input from residents before moving forward.
The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) has outlined a plan for the Portage Park Neighborhood Bike Network. The proposal features bike lanes on Central Avenue between Addison Street and Lawrence Avenue, Laramie Avenue from Addison Street to Sunnyside Avenue, and Montrose Avenue from Narragansett Avenue to Central Avenue. Additionally, five neighborhood greenways—routes with traffic-calming measures and bike-related pavement markings—are proposed for Sunnyside, Berteau, Melvina, Menard, and Long avenues.
To discuss the project and gather feedback, CDOT will host an open house at 6 p.m. on March 5 at the Portage Park Senior Center at 4001 N. Long Ave. Residents can RSVP online and are encouraged to participate in a survey about the project through March 15.
Amanda Woodall of CDOT’s Complete Streets division explained the project’s goal: “to provide safe, family-friendly options for people to reach their local destinations through a connected network of bike routes within the neighborhood.”
Kindy Kruller, who is part of Portage Park Safe Streets—a group focused on traffic safety—expressed support for the initiative. “A welcome investment in our community,” she said regarding the proposed lanes.
Kruller bikes with her children in the area and noted concerns about driver behavior, including speeding and failure to observe stop signs. She referenced recent incidents involving cyclists: last summer two cyclists were hit by drivers on Long Avenue after which CDOT added speed humps, painted bike lanes, and partial one-way designations as safety measures. In February 2024, 18-year-old cyclist Ernesto Vargas was critically injured at Long Avenue and Grace Street; months earlier, 16-year-old Josh Anleu died after being struck by a driver who ran a stop sign at another nearby intersection.
In addition to these measures for cyclists’ safety, CDOT has also worked on pedestrian improvements around Portage Park Elementary School by installing raised crosswalks, curb extensions at several intersections near the school, and speed bumps on surrounding streets.
With more young families moving into Portage Park—and numerous parks and schools nearby—Kruller stressed that pedestrian safety is increasingly important.
She also stated that before adding new bike lanes CDOT would review all affected roads for needed repairs: “Yes, it’s a bike lane plan, but the treatment that the intersections and roads will receive will really benefit everyone.”
Kruller added that these changes would enhance connectivity across Chicago’s Northwest Side. Efforts are underway locally to establish two rails-to-trails projects: The Weber Spur trail—which would traverse North Park as well as several other neighborhoods—and The Crosstown Trail running through Old Irving Park down to Hermosa via Portage Park.
“It just seems like such a great next step for our community,” Kruller said.
