Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about State Policy

Chicago Should Take Over the North Lake Shore Drive Redesign Project

By Steven Vance | Dec 17, 2015 | 32 Comments

Last week, the Illinois Department of Transportation hosted the first public meeting on the North Lake Shore Drive reconstruction project in almost a year and a half. This state-jurisdiction road, which is located entirely within the city limits, currently restricts access to our lakefront. And since CTA “express” buses are forced to share travel lanes with cars, […]

IDOT Provides an Update on the North Lake Shore Drive Reconstruction Study

By Jessica Papanek | Dec 15, 2015 | 55 Comments

Starting in 2013, the Illinois and Chicago transportation department have hosted a series of public meetings on the North Lake Shore Drive reconstruction study, dubbed “Redefine the Drive.” At a hearing in July 2014, planners introduced Chicagoans to the project’s latest purpose and needs statement (essentially a mission statement), while also asking attendees to chime in with […]

IDOT Discusses the Future of Protected Bike Lanes on State Routes

By John Greenfield | Dec 10, 2015 | 8 Comments

The ribbon cutting for the Clybourn Avenue curb-protected bike lanes in Old Town on November 20 was a Kumbaya moment for the city and state transportation departments after years of conflict over protected lanes. Soon after Chicago Department of Transportation opened the city’s first protect lane on Kinzie Street in July 201 the Illinois Department […]

CNT: Funding Not Spent According to Community Plans Has Less Impact

By Steven Vance | Dec 4, 2015 | 1 Comment

The Center for Neighborhood Technology, a local community planning think tank, said that municipalities and public agencies are failing to follow their own plans. They’re investing public funds for the region in economic development and transportation projects in undeveloped areas or away from train stations. CNT wrote in their new report, “Putting Places First,” that money is instead spent […]

How Quinn Staffer Sean O’Shea Blocked Chicago’s Protected Bike Lane Efforts

By John Greenfield | Dec 2, 2015 | 2 Comments

[The Chicago Reader recently launched a new weekly transportation column written by Streetsblog Chicago editor John Greenfield. This partnership will allow Streetsblog to extend the reach of our livable streets advocacy. We’ll be syndicating a portion of the column on the day it comes out online; you can read the remainder on the Reader’s website […]

The ‘L’ Reduces Congestion on Highways More Than Widening Would

By Steven Vance | Nov 24, 2015 | 13 Comments

Yesterday, a road construction lobbying group tricked many local publications into promoting their highway expansion agenda. In what’s become a common strategy for the road-building industry, the American Highway Users Alliance conducted a study called “Unclogging America’s Arteries 2015,” which reported that traffic congestion is really bad and, of course, adding more capacity for cars is the […]

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