The Law Offices of James M. Freeman, P.C.

Last night Mayor Daley's Bicycling Ambassadors and CPD officers from the 14th district, gave away headlights to cyclists in an effort to educate them about the law with respect to lights and reflectors.  Under Illinois and Chicago law a white headlight and red rear reflector (or red taillight) are required when riding a bicycle at night.  Lucky cyclists that happened to be traveling through the intersection of Milwaukee and Logan were given a headlight and to

If you are injured on CTA property or as a result of CTA negligence you should be aware that CTA has special treatment under Illinois law.  A lawsuit against the CTA has certain differences from a suit involving only private parties.  Inidents occuring prior to June 1, 2009 are subject to special notice requirements, and all actions against the CTA are subject to a shortened statute of limitations.

John Greenfield has rocked the boat again with his recent article in New City.  Greenfield, a former C-DOT/CBF consultant, suggests several reasons why Chicago is falling behind other bicycle friendly cities.  He contends that there is a general stagnation of new ideas from the City with respect to bicycle initiatives and infrastructure. 

The Chicago Department of Transportation has posted a training video for Chicago police officers created in partnership with the Chicago Police Department. This is a great step in the right direction, and hopefully it will have some positive effects on the way officers deal with bicycle/auto collisions.

Jerome wrote:

As the weather turns warm the bike rack outside my downtown office building is literally teaming with bikes. Lately there have been a couple scooters parked at the bike rack. One typically has a note stuck to it that quotes a law that seems to allow scooters to use bike racks. Today I noticed that the scooter had been ticketed despite the note. Is it legal for scooters to lock to bike racks?

Thanks,
Jerome

Many suburbs require cyclists to ride single file. Although Illinois Law allows that cyclists may ride two abreast, municipalities can pass their own restrictions regarding the operation of bicycles within their city limits. Accordingly, in Chicago, and many suburbs cyclists are required to ride single file.

Most Chicago cyclists know that a white headlight and red rear reflector are required under Illinois State Law and the Chicago Municipal Ordinance. While Illinois State law does not specifically require a red rear light, many municipalities do require red taillights. Municipalities can require bicyclists to use equipment in addition to that which is required under Illinois Law, so if you are caught in such a municipality without required equipment you may be cited for a violation of the municipal code.

While there is no statewide helmet law, many municipalities have municipal ordinances requiring helmets. If you are riding through any city with a helmet law and you have no helmet you risk being charged and convicted of a helmet violation. You should be aware of local helmet laws to avoid any trouble.

In Chicago there is a requirement that bicycle messengers have a helmet and safety vest: