Jane Brunson loves to ride her bike, but she's now putting her bike away for awhile after being clipped by a vehicle Wednesday morning.
“A car that was next to me started turning toward me, presumably to fly around the car in front of it, that was trying to turn left,” Brunson explained. “The edge of the moving car hit my arm and it freaked me out, because I was trapped between these two cars.”
Sam Brunson got the terrified phone call from his daughter. He's now calling on the city to do more to protect its young bicyclists, including installing protected bike lanes around CPS schools.
“In CPS high schools, they come from everywhere and my daughter was on a bike,“ he said.
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This isn't the teen's first close call. Last year, Jane was clipped while riding on Chicago Avenue, trying to get to work.
For this to happen again, less than a year later, is mentally scarring. She is concerned for cyclists citywide.
“I really want there to be protected bike lanes, like not just a line on the ground because cars can drive over those so easy,” she said.
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According to CDOT, by the end of 2022, Chicago will have 45 miles of protected bike lanes. The majority will have concrete barriers. The specific area where Jane was clipped in Old Town is not part of that plan, but she is pushing lawmakers to do more to protect non-motorists as they move around the city.
