Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about Policy & Planning

Proposed routes for the Crosstown Expressway. The image on the left was the layout protesters fought against. Images: Chicago Tribune via transportation historian Andrew Plummer

Remember the Crosstown? Here’s the story of Chicago’s successful 1970s freeway revolt

By Mary Wisniewski | Jul 12, 2021 | No Comments

The Crosstown plan threatened to ram a multi-lane highway through the heart of the city, but fired-up residents helped stop it.

CDOT commissioner Gia Biagi and 24th Ward alderman Michael Scott ride electric Divvy bikes on Douglas Boulevard in North Lawndale during the ribbon-cutting event. Photo: CDOT

Divvy kicks off West Side expansion with 3,500 bikes, 107 “e-station” parking areas

By Cameron Bolton | Jul 9, 2021 | No Comments

When the expansion is completed, the Divvy system will include 16,500 bikes and more than 800 stations.

A bus on the Loop Link corridor on Washington Street. Photo: John Greenfield

The CTA touts a ridership rebound with 56% increase since start of 2021

By John Greenfield | Jul 9, 2021 | No Comments

Since May 1, overall ridership has increased by than 20 percent, and in June, weekday average ridership was more than 600,000, over double the ridership during the darkest days of COVID-19.

A new elevator just south of Lake Street will make it easier to transfer between the Loop 'L' lines and the Red Line subway.

CDOT: Direct State/Lake – Red transfer was “impossible,” but wheelchair access will improve

By John Greenfield | Jul 8, 2021 | No Comments

The project includes two new elevators that will make the wheelchair transfer more convenient than it otherwise would be.

San Francisco's Embarcadero was formerly occupied by a double-decker highway, but converted to a boulevard after the highway was damaged by an earthquake. Author Michael Podgers argues that this example suggests eight-lane DuSable Drive could be converted to a surface boulevard with four travel lanes with no negative effects on mobility.

Bus lanes aren’t enough: We must transform DuSable Drive into a multimodal boulevard

By Michael Podgers | Jul 7, 2021 | No Comments

We need to reclaim our lakefront and turn it into the truly spectacular green space we deserve. We need to remove the highway through our parks.

The Englewood Mental Health Center, located near the Halsted Green Line station. Image: Google Maps

If you want a safer transit system, support better mental health services

By John Greenfield | Jul 6, 2021 | No Comments

Providing all citizens with adequate mental health support is crucial for creating a safer, more peaceful city.

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