Cycling advocates urge Evanston council to install physical protections after Chicago fatality
June 09, 2026 | Evanston, Cook County, Illinois
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Several Evanston residents used the public-comment period at the June 8 meeting to press the council for physical bike-lane protections after a fatal bicycle crash in Chicago.
Scott Roberts opened public comment with a detailed account of the crash that killed bicycle activist Riley O'Neal in Chicago and submitted photos and a video showing painted lanes blocked by parked vehicles. He urged the council to install bollards and permanent protected lanes rather than rely on painted markings or fines. "Painted bike lanes don't stop anything," Roberts said, describing parked vehicles and loading trucks regularly blocking the lane on Church Street.
Gay Boyce told the council she and her seventh-grade son ride throughout Evanston and credited physical barriers in Fountain Square with preventing a potential injury when a truck struck the protective bollards. She argued for rapid, low-cost interventions—cones, jersey barriers or permanent bollards—especially on downtown corridors and at locations with heavy loading activity.
Other commenters, including Elliot Oats, supported physical barriers for prevention rather than relying on police enforcement. The council did not take immediate action on the requests during the meeting; staff and council members acknowledged the concerns and referred these points to relevant staff for consideration during construction planning and street-design work.
No city ordinance or funding appropriation was adopted at the meeting; residents asked the council to prioritize protected infrastructure in upcoming CIP and construction decisions.
Scott Roberts opened public comment with a detailed account of the crash that killed bicycle activist Riley O'Neal in Chicago and submitted photos and a video showing painted lanes blocked by parked vehicles. He urged the council to install bollards and permanent protected lanes rather than rely on painted markings or fines. "Painted bike lanes don't stop anything," Roberts said, describing parked vehicles and loading trucks regularly blocking the lane on Church Street.
Gay Boyce told the council she and her seventh-grade son ride throughout Evanston and credited physical barriers in Fountain Square with preventing a potential injury when a truck struck the protective bollards. She argued for rapid, low-cost interventions—cones, jersey barriers or permanent bollards—especially on downtown corridors and at locations with heavy loading activity.
Other commenters, including Elliot Oats, supported physical barriers for prevention rather than relying on police enforcement. The council did not take immediate action on the requests during the meeting; staff and council members acknowledged the concerns and referred these points to relevant staff for consideration during construction planning and street-design work.
No city ordinance or funding appropriation was adopted at the meeting; residents asked the council to prioritize protected infrastructure in upcoming CIP and construction decisions.
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