Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about Federal Policy

A dinosaur still roams the earth: John Forester discusses his discredited anti-bikeway credo

By John Greenfield | Oct 3, 2019 | 165 Comments

The author of "Effective Cycling" and founder of the vehicular cycling movement still insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that bikeways makes cyclists less safe.

26th Street in Chicago's Little Village. Image: Google Street View

How Transportation Advocates Can Be Allies During Immigration Crackdowns

By Lynda Lopez | Jul 22, 2019 | 9 Comments

We can't have truly livable cities if immigrants don’t feel safe walking down the street or riding transit.

Emails Show CDOT Pushed Back on Reilly’s Riverwalk Bike Ban as “Too Extreme”

By John Greenfield | Jul 11, 2019 | 6 Comments

The transportation department rightly argued that the ban would violate the spirit of Chicago's promise to the feds that the riverwalk would be available for bike commuting.

Here’s the Director’s Cut of the “Secret History of the Riverwalk Bike Ban” Article

By John Greenfield | Jun 28, 2019 | 7 Comments

Emails reveal how the threat of a cyclist revolt convinced the city to end the de-facto prohibition. Here's a longer version of John's Reader column with additional quotes from the email trove.

With new Amtrak service to the Quad Cities moving forward, can't you almost taste the Quad Cities-style pizza? Photo: Martha Williams, Time Out Chicago

Federal FAST Act Commitments Secured for Amtrak Route to the Quad Cities, and More

By John Greenfield | Jun 27, 2019 | 1 Comment

Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth got the Federal Railroad Administration to agree to expediting the Quad Cities project, as well as getting other federal officials to renew their commitment to eliminating traffic fatalities.

Scheinfeld on the Chicago Riverwalk. Photo: CDOT

Outgoing Transportation Chief Rebekah Scheinfeld Discusses Her Drama-Free Tenure

By John Greenfield | May 20, 2019 | 11 Comments

While her predecessor Gabe Klein was famous for his bold initiatives, Scheinfeld also accomplished a number of big projects during her time at CDOT.

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