{"id":849010,"date":"2026-06-06T18:16:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T18:16:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/849010\/"},"modified":"2026-06-06T18:16:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T18:16:19","slug":"after-driver-doored-cdot-planner-riley-oneil-35-on-bike-in-bridgeport-causing-his-death-advocates-demand-city-install-protected-lanes-to-prevent-such-killings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/849010\/","title":{"rendered":"After driver doored CDOT planner Riley O’Neil, 35, on bike in Bridgeport, causing his death, advocates demand City install protected lanes to prevent such killings"},"content":{"rendered":"

Update 6\/6\/26, 9:15 AM:<\/strong> CDOT Planner David Powe shared the name of the dooring victim, CDOT Complete Streets Planner + Project Manager Riley O\u2019Neil,<\/a> 35. We\u2019ve edited this article accordingly. During this difficult time, our thoughts are with O\u2019Neil\u2019s loved ones, the CDOT Complete Streets team, and other advocates who knew him.<\/p>\n

\n

CDOT lost the best of our team yesterday. We’re heartbroken.In memory of Riley O’Neil, please refer to these bike racks as “Riley Racks”. He led Chicago’s bike parking program for several years. Our hearts are broken, but we want to make sure his legacy lives on \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udeb2Please spread the word<\/p>\n

\u2014 David Powe (@davidpowe.bsky.social)<\/a> 2026-06-06T13:11:10.968Z<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Powe posted the following statement, \u201cPlease help us honor a Chicago bike advocate by calling these \u2018Riley Racks,’\u201d<\/a> on Reddit this morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cYesterday, CDOT lost one of the best people I\u2019ve ever known.<\/p>\n

Riley O\u2019Neil led Chicago\u2019s bike parking program for several years and completely transformed it. More recently, he was helping lead both CDOT\u2019s school zone safety work and bus priority projects. He cared deeply about making biking, rolling, walking, and riding better for everyone.<\/p>\n

But what I\u2019ll remember most is his passion. Riley could get anyone excited about making Chicago better. He never met a person he couldn\u2019t immediately connect with. His enthusiasm and love for bikes, transit, infrastructure, and public service was contagious.<\/p>\n

In his memory, CDOT is going to start referring to these bike racks as\u00a0\u201cRiley Racks.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u2019d appreciate everyone\u2019s help carrying his legacy forward. If you see one of these racks around Chicago, call it a Riley Rack.<\/p>\n

Our hearts are broken, but we want to make sure Riley\u2019s legacy lives on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo via the Reddit post.<\/a><\/p>\n

Tragically, this afternoon a car driver doored CDOT Complete Streets Planner + Project Manager Riley O\u2019Neil,<\/a> 35 as he rode his bike in Bridgeport, causing him to strike the door and be thrown in front of a large semi-truck, whose driver fatally struck him.<\/p>\n

According to the initial police report, on Friday, June 5 around 4:40 p.m., O\u2019Neil was struck in traffic in the 3200 block of South Halsted Street. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The drivers stayed on the scene.<\/p>\n

The Chicago Tribune reported<\/a> that a Chicago Police Department source and a bystander said O\u2019Neil was pedaling north before the collision. The driver of a white sedan opened their door into the non-protected, paint-only bike lane. The victim tried to steer out of the way but hit the door and fell into the street, where the truck ran over him.<\/p>\n

\"\"Riding an e- scooter in the Halsted Street protected bike lanes on Halsted Street between Harrison Street and Roosevelt Road, next to the University of Illinois Chicago, looking south. Photo: John Greenfield<\/p>\n

O\u2019Neill\u2019s tragic death might have been prevented if the bike lanes on this segment of Halsted were located curbside, with the parking lane to the left of the bikeway, with concrete protection.<\/p>\n

\"\"Posts<\/a> by the Chicago, Bike Grid Now!<\/a> advocacy group this evening.<\/p>\n

A couple miles southwest on Archer Avenue in Brighton Park, politically motivated protesters,<\/a> including a 12th Ward alder candidate, have been demonstrating every week for the last six months, demanding that the City remove concrete-protected bike lanes.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Post<\/a> by Streetsblog Chicago contributor Steven Lucy<\/a> this evening.<\/p>\n

Lucy added,<\/a> \u201cApparently the cyclist who was killed worked for the Chicago Department of Transportation, the department responsible for the extremely dangerous bike lane implementation.\u201d I\u2019ve heard from another source that the victim has a CDOT connection.<\/p>\n

Streetsblog has asked the department if they have more information about the case. This post will be updated as more facts come to light.<\/p>\n

Update 6\/6\/26, 1:30 PM:<\/strong> Bike Lane Uprising posted that they know the identity of the victim. This information will not be made public by the Cook County medical examiner\u2019s office before their family is notified.<\/p>\n

Fatality Tracker: 2026 Chicago pedestrian and bicyclist deaths on surface streets<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pedestrian: 12<\/p>\n

Bicycle or e-scooter: 5<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

2026 Chicago pedestrian fatalities<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 On Wednesday, January 7, around 8:44 a.m., a 42-year-old woman driving an SUV\u00a0fatally struck a man, 64,<\/a>\u00a0crossing at 9498 S. Lafayette Ave. in Roseland.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0On Monday, February 16, around 4:12 p.m., a 37-year-old female truck driver\u00a0struck and killed a woman, 63,<\/a>\u00a0in the 7200 block of West Bryn Mawr Avenue in Norwood Park.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0On Tuesday, March 3, around 6:15 PM, an SUV driver, 70,\u00a0fatally struck a female pedestrian<\/a>\u00a0in the 4000 block of West Foster Avenue in the North Park neighborhood.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0On Wednesday, March 11, sometime before 10 p.m., a hit-and-run driver\u00a0fatally struck a woman, 32,<\/a>\u00a0in the 2100 block of East 83rd Street in South Chicago.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0On Friday, March 13, at around 12:06 p.m., the left-turning driver of a large vehicle\u00a0fatally struck a pedestrian in a crosswalk<\/a>\u00a0at 3960 W. 26th St. in Little Village.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0On Sunday, April 12, around 9 p.m., a 17-year-old girl driving an SUV\u00a0fatally struck a Fontella Wyatt, 43,<\/a>\u00a0crossing Ogden Avenue at Ashland Avenue on the Near West Side.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0On Sunday, April 19, at about 9:30 p.m., a hit-and-run pickup truck driver\u00a0struck and killed Minerva Martinez, 65,<\/a>\u00a0in a crosswalk at Belmont and Central avenues in Belmont Cragin.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0On Monday, April 20, around 6 p.m., a semi-truck driver\u00a0fatally struck Autumn Perez, 29,<\/a>\u00a0at 6341 S. Western Ave. in Chicago Lawn.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0On Saturday, May 2, around 2:40 a.m., after an argument, a driver\u00a0fatally struck a man, 65,<\/a>\u00a0standing on the sidewalk on the 5000 block of S. Western Ave. in Gage Park, and then fled the scene.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0On Tuesday, May 12, Enrique Nieto was changing a flat car tire in the street on the 6800 block of South Pulaski Road when\u00a0an SUV driver fatally struck him<\/a>\u00a0and fled the scene.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0On Thursday, May 14, a hit-and-run sedan driver\u00a0fatally struck a man, 36,<\/a>\u00a0near 87th Street and Ashland Avenue\u00a0in Auburn Gresham.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0On Saturday, May 23, around 5:15 p.m., a driver, 35,\u00a0fatally struck Illeana Crisanto, 62,<\/a>\u00a0near Belmont and Kilbourn avenues, on the border of Irving Park and Hermosa.<\/p>\n

2026 Chicago bicycle and e-scooter fatalities<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 On Thursday, January 24, around 8:20 p.m., the 33-year-old male driver of a Toyota\u00a0fatally struck Roman Havelka, 63,<\/a>\u00a0on a bicycle in the 8600 block of West Irving Park Road.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0On Saturday, March 21,\u00a0 around 8:30 p.m., a hit-and-run driver\u00a0fatally struck Violet Harris, 15,<\/a>\u00a0on an e-scooter in the 2800 block of East 77th Street in South Shore.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0On Sunday, April 5, around 1:20 a.m., a speeding, hit-and-run SUV driver\u00a0fatally struck Damian Gomez, 18,<\/a>\u00a0on a bicycle at 63rd Street and Kedzie Avenue in Chicago Lawn.<\/p>\n

\u2022 On Friday, April 24, around 4:15 p.m., a Jeep driver\u00a0struck and killed e-scooter rider Astrid Carrillo Noguera, 17,<\/a>\u00a0near 3340 S. King Dr. in the Douglas community.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0On Friday, June 5, around 4:40 p.m., a car driver opened their door on CDOT Planner Riley O\u2019Neil, 35,<\/a> causing him to clip the door and be thrown in front of a truck and fatally struck.<\/p>\n

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