CHICAGO — Chicago may consider building a floating bike path along the edge of the Chicago River in an effort to become the most ‘bike-friendly city’ in the U.S. <br /> <br />Known as the RiverRide, the proposed bike path would float on the Chicago River between Horner and Ping Tom Parks, according to architecture firm Second Shore, which proposed the idea. <br /> <br />The bike path is built on steel-reinforced concrete pontoons, which are secured with pilings driven in the riverbed. Each 82-foot long by 12-foot wide segment is equipped with solar panels to generate power for lighting. More segments can be connected to extend the path. <br /> <br />The path is also embedded with a heating conduit to prevent icing on the surface. It also has retractable awnings that can roll out to shelter riders from rain and snow. <br /> <br />Each mile of the bike path might cost between $5 to $10 million. According to Co.Exist, Second Shore hopes a half mile of the bike path will be built in a pilot project by the summer of 2017.
