CHICAGO (AP) — Downtown Chicago has its first two-way bike route with dedicated traffic signals.

The bike lanes opened on Friday along Dearborn Street through the city's Loop neighborhood. The Chicago Department of Transportation says it constructed about 30 miles of new bicycle lanes across the city throughout the year. Officials say they've also upgraded an additional nine miles of older bicycle lanes with new paint.

Sections of some of the bicycle lanes are protected with barriers or buffers. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says having bicycle lanes is important to quality of life in Chicago. The mayor wants Chicago to have 100 miles of bicycle lanes during his term in office.