Woman struck by bike on lakefront path cheers news of safer lanes

Megan Williams broke into tears when she checked her Facebook account Tuesday night and saw a news story a friend had posted.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, with a $12 million donation from billionaire hedge-fund philanthropist Ken Griffin, planned to create separate lanes for bike traffic and everyone else along the entirety of the lakefront path.

The news, first reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, came 27 months after a speeding cyclist plowed into Williams as she jogged on the path.

She woke up in a hospital with a fractured skull — no memory of the collision.

Her boyfriend was holding her hand when she awoke. Her parents, all nerves, didn’t say a word to each other as they drove to the hospital from Milwaukee.

In the ensuing weeks, as the swelling and bruising faded, and it became clear the part of her brain that allows Williams to earn a living as an accountant was not damaged, she became concerned about others who might suffer the same, or worse, fates.

A few months later, she spoke to the Sun-Times about her struggles. And she partnered with the Active Transportation Alliance — a nonprofit that promotes green transportation — to put a face and voice on a dangerous issue that has long plagued users of the lakefront path.

Up to 100,000 people a day flock to the path on summer weekends.

Williams, now 29, was by Emanuel’s side when he held a news conference last spring to announce plans to separate seven miles of the path.

And she took a taxi to the South Side news conference Tuesday to see Emanuel officially announce plans to separate the remaining 11 miles of the path.

“This is probably the best holiday present I could have asked for,” said Williams, who still wonders if the occasional loss of balance while riding an L train, or the headaches she sometimes gets, are lingering effects of the crash.

The $12 million donation from Griffin came after a recent lunch with Emanuel. Griffin’s philanthropic causes are usually related to the arts, but the donation was not too far afield. Griffin is a cyclist who uses the lakefront path. And through his Chicago-based hedge fund company, Citadel, he sponsors a professional cycling team.

He thanked Williams for her advocacy on Wednesday at the announcement, held in the Ellis Park Arts and Recreation Center, 3520 S. Cottage Grove Ave.

The cyclist who clobbered her never reached out to check on Williams, which irks her to this day. But she’s glad that instead of focusing on that, she instead poured her energy into effecting change.

“And the accident made me realize how much I loved my boyfriend and was the catalyst to us getting engaged. And it saved us the awkwardness of having to formally introduce our parents,” said Williams.

“They met in the hospital room, which I don’t remember because I was unconscious or too drugged out to realize what was happening.”

Emanuel asked Williams if she’d be up for a run on the lakefront path when construction is complete.

She accepted.

“Now I’ll be able to go out and feel safe running,” she said, while nervously acknowledging a whole other reality: “Now,” she added, “I’ll have to get back into running shape.”

A sideshow emerged at Wednesday’s news conference when Griffin — Illinois’ wealthiest person — was asked about his dual allegiance as a political donor to Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican, and Emanuel, a Democrat.

“I’ll be really clear on this. I’m a proud supporter of the governor. And I’m a proud supporter of our mayor. Two great men. They don’t always agree. But we need great leaders to get through the problems we face as a state.”

As Griffin exited amid questions from other reporters, Emanuel said, “See ya, Ken.”

“See, ya,” Griffin said with one foot out the door.