Click here for Bicycle License Registration
River Forest Bicycle Licenses are free and do not need to be renewed – it is good for as long you have your bike. Click here and register your bike today!
Click here to read the Proclamation Designating May as National Bike Month!
Bicycle Plan Approved
At its meeting on July 22, 2019, the Village Board of Trustees adopted River Forest's first Bicycle Plan, which was funded by a grant through the Cook County Department of Transportation. Developed over the past year by the River Forest Biking Task Force, the Plan incorporates transportation recommendations from the Village's Comprehensive Plan. It utilizes bicycle crash data, survey responses, and community and Task Force input to map preferred routes for bike lanes, marked shared lanes, and signed posted routes. The Plan connects bicyclists to trails and major destinations and promotes bicycle safety.
Plan Implementation
Implementation of the initial phase of the plan began in April of 2021 and involved the installation of bike lane signs, bicycle crossing signs, turn and decision signs. This project also includes the installation of thermoplastic pavement markings including bike lane symbols, arrows, and shared lane markings.
One of the features of the bicycle plan is the introduction of marked shared lanes. These can be seen on streets with “sharrow” (bicycle symbol and double chevron) markings. The "sharrow" markings will go on streets that are appropriate for joint use by motorized traffic and bicycles but where there is insufficient width to provide bicycle lanes due to on-street parking. They are located within the vehicular travel lane to guide bicyclists to the most visible location to ride with moving traffic that is outside of the door-zone of parked cars.
Some of the Benefits of Marked Shared Lane Guidance:
- Creates a shared travel environment on streets with insufficient width for bicycle lanes
- Raises awareness of potential presence of bicyclists
- Positions riders in most visible location to motorists while avoiding door zone of parking lane
- Connects gaps where obstructions or turn lanes interrupt continuity of bicycle lanes or paths
- Provides directional guidance
- Reduces incidents of sidewalk riding
Additional resources: