The Logan Boulevard bike lane between Rockwell Street and Diversey Parkway. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]

As the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) prepares to add 150 miles of new bikeways in the next several years, the department’s Complete Streets director took questions from alderpeople on a City Council panel Wednesday on CDOT’s plan to improve safety of cyclists and citywide bike friendliness. 

CDOT Complete Streets Director David Smith sat for a subject matter hearing on the Chicago Cycling Strategy during Wednesday morning’s Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety meeting. The Chicago Cycling Strategy is a document released by CDOT last year that outlines ways to prioritize neighborhood connectivity and rider safety as the department plans to add new bikeways and upgrade existing lanes with better protection infrastructure.

“What we have seen in Chicago, and what we've seen in cities across the world, is that when we design our streets and adopt policies that prioritize those most vulnerable, we improve the safety and accessibility for everybody using the street,” Smith said.