Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about Federal Policy

Pete Buttigieg campaigning in Chicago last January. Image: ABC7 Chicago

Biden picks Buttigieg for USDOT chief over Emanuel, who would have been a divisive choice

By John Greenfield | Dec 15, 2020 | No Comments

Some might not be overjoyed about Buttigieg as the next transportation chief, but I'd argue that we, especially Chicagoans, could have done a lot worse.

Fighting for funding: ATA gathers leaders across sectors to discuss future of transit

By Sharon Hoyer | Dec 15, 2020 | No Comments

The Active Transportation Alliance gathered seven leaders in transportation advocacy, legislation, management, and labor to discuss the financial crisis facing transit systems nationwide as the pandemic rages on.

Why the history of racism in transportation enforcement and planning still matters today

By Courtney Cobbs | Dec 14, 2020 | No Comments

Mobility justice advocates discussed how the past must inform efforts to address present-day transportation inequities.

Emanuel test rides a Divvy bike at Chicago's Daley Plaza. Photo: John Greenfield

Free advice to Biden: Do yourself a favor and don’t hire Rahm Emanuel as USDOT chief

By John Greenfield | Nov 30, 2020 | No Comments

Announcing Emanuel as your choice would almost certainly fill the streets of Chicago with hundreds or thousands of justifiably angry protesters. You really don't want to kick off your administration that way.

The RTA board meeting was just like this, if you replace Ben Affleck, Bruce Willis & Liv Tyler with Dorval Carter, Jim Derwinski, and Rocky Donahue.

Transit agencies discuss plans for possible “Armageddon” funding scenario

By Igor Studenkov | Nov 25, 2020 | No Comments

“In the previous [2008] doomsday budget, our deficit was in the neighborhood of $100 million,” CTA president Dorval Carter said. “This is Armageddon-type stuff."

What if drivers had to pay a small fee to enter the loop, and we reinvested that money in transit? Image: Google Maps

Ald. Martin floated the idea of downtown congestion pricing during budget talks

By John Greenfield | Nov 24, 2020 | No Comments

Who knows, with enough political support for this idea to reduce congestion and pollution and plug the budget hole, maybe we can get congestion pricing approved in the 2022 budget.

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