McDonald's Cycle Center

McDonald's Cycle Center
Opposing stone entrances saying "McDonald's Cycle Center" and "Millennium Park" in front of parked bicycles and a two-story glass building
Front of McDonald's Cycle Center
McDonald's Cycle Center is located in Central Chicago
McDonald's Cycle Center
Location within the Chicago Loop area
McDonald's Cycle Center is located in Illinois
McDonald's Cycle Center
McDonald's Cycle Center (Illinois)
McDonald's Cycle Center is located in the United States
McDonald's Cycle Center
McDonald's Cycle Center (the United States)
Former namesMillennium Park Bike Station
General information
Location239 East Randolph Street, Chicago
Coordinates41°53′2″N 87°37′15″W / 41.88389°N 87.62083°W / 41.88389; -87.62083
CompletedJune 2004
Technical details
Floor count2
Floor area16,448 square feet (1,528.1 m2)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Muller&Muller, Ltd.
Structural engineerRuben J. Baer Associates
Other designersCalor Design Group (mech engineers)
Main contractorFHP Tectonics (Paschen)

McDonald's Cycle Center (formerly Millennium Park Bike Station)[1] is a facility for a Chicago Police Department Bike Patrol Group in the northeast corner of Millennium Park in the Loop community area of Chicago, in the U.S. state of Illinois. It was formerly a bicycle station for public use. The city of Chicago built the center at the intersection of East Randolph Street and Columbus Drive, and opened it July 2004. Since June 2006, it had been sponsored by McDonald's and several other partners, including city departments and bicycle advocacy organizations.[2][3] The bike station, which formerly served bicycle commuters and utility cyclists, provided lockers, showers, a snack bar with outdoor summer seating, bike repair, bike rental and 300 bicycle parking spaces as of 2004. The Cycle Center was accessible by membership and day pass.[4] It also accommodated runners and inline skaters,[5][6] but now is exclusively used by a Chicago Police Department Bike Patrol Group.[7][8]

Planning for the Cycle Center was part of the larger "Bike 2010 Plan", in which the city aimed to make itself more accommodating to bicycle commuters. This plan (now replaced by the "Bike 2015 Plan")[9] included provisions for front-mounted two-bike carriers on Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) buses, permitting bikes to be carried on Chicago 'L' trains, installing numerous bike racks and creating bicycle lanes in streets throughout the city.[10] Additionally, the Chicago metropolitan area's other mass transit providers, Metra and Pace, have developed increased bike accessibility.[11] Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley was an advocate of the plan, noting it was also an environmentally friendly effort to cut down on traffic.[10][12] McDonald's controversially claimed that, since it was providing a healthier menu and fostering grade school physical education in an effort to help its customers improve their health, sponsoring bicycle and exercise activity in the park augments the company's other initiatives.[1]

Environmentalists, urban planners and cycling enthusiasts around the world expressed interest in the Cycle Center, and wanted to emulate what they saw as a success story in urban planning and transit-oriented development.[2][13][14][15] Pro-cycling and environmentalist journalists in publications well beyond the Chicago metropolitan area described the Cycle Center as exemplary, impressive, unique and ground-breaking.[2][13]

  1. ^ a b Deardorff, Julie (June 18, 2006). "If McDonald's is serious, menu needs a makeover". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c Brettman, Allan (June 23, 2005). "Official Recruits Portland To Build Bike Center". The Oregonian. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
  3. ^ "Art & Architecture: McDonald's Cycle Center". City of Chicago. Archived from the original on May 28, 2008. Retrieved June 8, 2008.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gig was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference DONMPBS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference MPBSOVCO was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Kamin, Blair (July 18, 2004). "Bicycle Station – *** – Near Randolph and Columbus Drives – Muller & Muller, Chicago". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 8, 2008.
  8. ^ "Confirmed: Millennium Park bike station will now only serve cops instead of commuters - Streetsblog Chicago". March 24, 2023.
  9. ^ "Bike 2015 Plan". Mayor Richard M. Daley and the Chicago Bicycle Program. Archived from the original on June 28, 2009. Retrieved July 27, 2009.
  10. ^ a b Washburn, Gary (June 13, 2003). "Bike depot plan may turn commute into easy ride". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 8, 2008.
  11. ^ "Local Digest". Daily Southtown. October 24, 2005. Retrieved June 8, 2008.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Mtsbc was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference BsiWCssTtw was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference Wiw was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference BFLOITC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).