Biking after the snow

Dearborn cycle track, in the heart of Chicago's Loop, on a cold Sunday morning, February 2, 2014.

I spent an early Sunday morning cycling through Chicago's loop on a DivyBike, the city's bikeshare system. As you can imagine, I dressed for warmth with temperatures in the teens.  I found the DivyBike system easy to use and the bike comfortable, its reasonably thick tires cutting through several slushy areas easily.  

A day after a snowstorm canceled 350 flights in and out of Chicago, the city kept the Dearborn cycle track (touted as "best in the country") sufficiently free of snow and ice, aside from a couple treacherous spots on the bridge over the Chicago River.  The city has a camera traffic detection system, which gave me priority over motorists to lessen conflicts.  Green bicycle signals allowed me to proceed straight before a red arrow changed to green for turning motorists.  

Within blocks, few driveways create conflict points, which the City painted green to alert both motorists and bicyclists.  At no point was I concerned about my visibility to motorists. Overall, it's a comfortable facility--despite the frigid air and snow.