Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about CDOT

Wicker Park Bus Stop Hasn’t Been ADA Accessible for Months

By Steven Vance | Sep 19, 2014 | 2 Comments

For the past three months, #56 Milwaukee bus drivers have had a tough time picking up passengers, especially those with disabilities, from a temporary bus stop in the heart of Wicker Park. The bus stop was formerly located on the northwest leg of the bustling junction of Milwaukee, North, and Damen, in front of a […]

Lagging Left Turns Would Improve Crosswalk Safety at Complex Intersections

By Steven Vance | Sep 16, 2014 | 19 Comments

When left turn signals are installed, they typically turn green at the start of a street’s green phase. However, simply reversing that order and putting left turns at the end of the green phase could reduce conflicts between turning cars and people walking in the same direction. As left turn signals have been installed at […]

Archer Avenue Motorists Upset They Can’t Drive as Fast as They Want

By Steven Vance | Sep 12, 2014 | 99 Comments

Some motorists are complaining about a new speed camera along the busy 3200 block of Archer Avenue in McKinley Park. The accusations of a “speed trap” focus on the camera’s location, which is not immediately adjacent to the small park that, under Chicago’s “safety zones” rules, justifies the camera’s placement. But the camera is located […]

“Walk To Transit” Targets 20 CTA Stations For Quick Safety Fixes

By Steven Vance | Aug 20, 2014 | 11 Comments

A new “Walk To Transit” initiative by the Chicago Department of Transportation will target 20 CTA stations for a slew of simple pedestrian infrastructure upgrades. People walking to several Blue Line stations on the west side and along Milwaukee Avenue, along with stations on the south and north sides, will see safety and usability improvements like re-striped […]

Speed Camera Cut Dangerous Speeding Next to Senn Park By 73%

By Steven Vance | Aug 18, 2014 | 34 Comments

Fast times on Ridge Avenue, in front of Senn High School, are now over: The speed camera that CDOT installed in front of Senn Park has sharply cut the number of speeders cruising at a dangerous 40+ mph. Right after the camera was first installed, roughly seven out of 1,000 drivers received an official mailed warning […]

Pedestrian Fatality Tracker: More Deaths This Year Than Last

By Steven Vance | Aug 15, 2014 | 24 Comments

More people were killed while walking in Chicago in the first seven months of this year, compared to the same time period last year. Chicago transportation commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld pointed out to the Mayor’s Pedestrian Advisory Council last week that “this is the first increase since 2009.” 21 people on foot died in car crashes […]

Study: To Keep Bicyclists Outside the Door Zone, You Need a Buffer

By Steven Vance | Jul 29, 2014 | 42 Comments

A new study has found that buffered bike lanes are better than conventional bike lanes when it comes to encouraging bicyclists to ride outside the door zone. The study draws its conclusion, in part, based on a test done with bike lanes in Chicago. The study, recently published by the Transportation Research Board, concludes that […]

Central Loop BRT Will Skimp On Key “Rapid” Features

By Steven Vance | Jul 23, 2014 | 31 Comments

The Central Loop Bus Rapid Transit project will launch without key features that distinguish BRT from conventional bus service. The busways, which the Chicago Department of Transportation will begin building later this year, will include most of BRT’s concrete features, like high-level bus-boarding platforms and dedicated lanes. These features will undoubtedly speed up six Chicago […]

“Everything’s On The Table” For North Lake Shore Drive, So Share Your Ideas

By Jessica Papanek | Jul 16, 2014 | 7 Comments

Last week, city and state planners opened a call to the public to suggest potential elements for the North Lake Shore Drive reconstruction study, which they’re call “Redefine the Drive.” Almost a year ago, the Illinois and Chicago Departments of Transportation hosted a series of public meetings to gauge public support and solicit volunteers to join […]

Streeterville Residents Redefine Their Own Bit of Lake Shore Drive

By Steven Vance | Jul 10, 2014 | 21 Comments

John Krause isn’t the only north lakefront resident who realizes that the Illinois Department of Transportation’s “Redefine The Drive” reconstruction of North Lake Shore Drive is a chance to reinvent how the city meets the shore and the street. In a bid to add more green space in Streeterville, a high-rise downtown neighborhood with with just […]

CDOT Aims to Install Over 1,000 Bike Parking Spaces in 2014

By Steven Vance | Jun 25, 2014 | 13 Comments

The new Chicago Department of Transportation bike parking program manager, Kathleen Murphy, described the upcoming summer and fall installation season during the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Council meeting two weeks ago. She outlined three initiatives that will get over a thousand new bicycle parking spaces installed on sidewalks and roadways. Murphy is continuing the city’s long-standing program […]

No Central Loop BRT in 2014 as CDOT Delays Launch Indefinitely

By Steven Vance | Jun 24, 2014 | 31 Comments

Construction delays have pushed back the Central Loop BRT project, from a projected 2014 start until next year or even later. The causes of the setback remain troublingly vague, and there is no clear timetable for the improvements proposed for four downtown streets, which are supposed to speed up six Chicago Transit Authority bus routes with a combined […]

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