Following community advocacy and urgent calls for safety improvements—sparked by the tragic death of a 16-year-old cyclist—the city has officially completed a brand-new, bike-friendly "neighborhood greenway" on Long Avenue between Belmont Avenue and Irving Park Road.
This milelong stretch directly connects the Belmont Cragin and Portage Park neighborhoods, transforming a historically stressful road into a safer space for everyone.
What’s New on Long Avenue?
To slow down vehicles and protect people walking and biking, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) added several key safety features:
- Lower Speed Limit: The speed limit is now reduced to a safer 20 mph.
- Shorter Crosswalks: New curb extensions were added to shorten the distance pedestrians have to walk across the street.
- Speed Humps: Physical speed humps were installed to naturally deter reckless speeding.
- Traffic Filtering: Two new one-way sections were introduced to stop drivers from cutting through the neighborhood and instead guide traffic toward Addison Street.
Why These Changes Matter
The city's Transportation Department designed this greenway to create a low-stress environment for cyclists, pedestrians, and local drivers. Beyond making the area safer for families and kids heading to local parks, the upgrades successfully prevent drivers from treating the residential street as a high-speed shortcut.
You can read more about the project, view maps, and check community metrics on the official City of Chicago Long Avenue Project Page.