Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Lake Shore Drive will shut down for cars and trucks Sunday morning for Bike the Drive, where the city’s marquee roadway will be taken over by bikes. Riders can pedal a 30-mile loop from Bryn Mawr Avenue on the north to 57th Street on the south, with rest stops along the way and a post-ride festival in Butler Field at Grant Park.
Those who track their mileage on their smartphones, can receive a medal for completing all 30 miles. The ride will go rain or shine, so check the weather before you leave home.
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The drive will begin to reopen to automobile traffic at 10:30 a.m.
- Date: Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022 (rain or shine).
- Official start: 6:30 a.m. (organizers recommend starting by 8 a.m.; DuSable Lake Shore Drive will be closed to traffic at 6 a.m.)
- Location: Starting location is 235 S. Columbus Dr., Chicago. Route is on DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
[ From 2021: Lake Shore Drive renamed for Jean Baptiste Point DuSable ]
- Route: From Bryn Mawr Avenue south to the Museum of Science and Industry (57th Street).
- Distance: Up to 30 miles.
- Cost: $60 for adults ($70 day of the event); $18 for riders 17 years of age or younger. A 30-mile challenge medal ($15), VIP status ($50) and pancake breakfast ($12) are available for additional fees. Click here to register online. All participants will be emailed print-at-home rider numbers, which include a T-shirt voucher (unless declined) and other rider information.
- Bryn Mawr Avenue: Entry, rest stop and turnaround.
- Fullerton Avenue: Entry, checkpoint and turnaround.
- Jackson and Columbus drives (Grant Park): Start/finish line and rest stop.
- Oakwood Boulevard: Entry, checkpoint and turnaround.
- Museum of Science and Industry (57th Street): Entry, rest stop and turnaround.
- 6:30 a.m.: Official start. DuSable Lake Shore Drive opens to bicyclists.
- 10:30 a.m.: Closures begin. (Bicyclists may no longer enter DuSable Lake Shore Drive at Jackson.)
- 10:30-10:45 a.m.: Checkpoints redirected. (Riders will be redirected to the post-ride festival at Oakwood or Fullerton checkpoints.)
- 10:45-11:15 a.m.: Rolling closures. (Riders will be guided off DuSable Lake Shore Drive onto the Lakefront Trail.)
- 11:30-Noon: Car traffic reintroduced to DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
- By bike: If arriving after 6 a.m., then cross under Lake Shore Drive at Randolph Street or at the Museum Campus and ride on Columbus Drive if starting in Grant Park. Bicyclists will not be allowed to cross over DuSable Lake Shore Drive at Monroe Street, Jackson Drive or Balbo Drive.
- Public transit: Chicago Transit Authority is relaxing its two-bike-per-car policy until 2 p.m. the day of the event. Bikes are also allowed on Metra.
- By car: Soldier Field’s North Garage charges $25 for those who enter before 10 a.m. Millennium Park Lakeside Garage offers parking for $13 when bought online before the event. Parking at the Museum of Science and Industry is $22 for nonmembers.
- Helmet: It’s required.
- Printed version of e-ticket: It’s also required. Cut number strip off the e-ticket and tape or staple it to your handle bars to show at checkpoints — at Fullerton Avenue and Oakwood Boulevard — and rest stops. Here are directions on how to affix your rider number to your bike.
- Water bottle and sunscreen.
- Bike lock: If you choose not to use the complimentary bike valet at the post-ride festival.
- Bike lights: It will be dark outside until sunrise at 6:19 a.m.
- Bryn Mawr Avenue: Northernmost rest stop.
- Butler Field at Grant Park: Central rest stop.
- Museum of Science and Industry (57th Street): Southernmost rest stop.
- Later start time: 6:30 a.m.
- Color-coded emergency alert flag system: Will be displayed along the course and in the festival. In case of emergencies, riders are encouraged to call 911. For non-emergencies during the event, call 312-216-0464.
- Mass text messaging platform: Text BIKETHEDRIVE to 52886 to receive important and/or emergency notices.
Don’t have your own bicycle? Bike rentals are available from the event’s partners. Divvy bikes are permitted at the event, but users will incur overtime fees if a Divvy bike is used for more than 30 minutes without re-docking.
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Sources: Bike the Drive, Active Transportation Alliance, Chicago Tribune reporting
