Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about equity

What Will It Take to Build a More Equitable Chicago Bike Network?

By John Greenfield | Sep 24, 2015 | No Comments

Earlier this month, the League of American bicyclists released a report with a method for using Census info and geographic information system data to measure how well bicycle networks serve communities that have the greatest need for better infrastructure. Using Chicago as the case study, the author concluded that the city’s “planned network” of new […]

Awesome 11-Year-Old Defends Road Diet, Calls Out LA’s “Bullying” Drivers

By Joe Linton | Sep 21, 2015 | No Comments

In case you need a reason to feel confident about the next generation of livable streets advocates, check out this viral video of 11-year old Matlock Grossman, standing up for a road diet in his Los Angeles neighborhood. Grossman has been bike commuting since he was seven, and now commutes five miles each way to school. […]

Divvy Membership Skews White and Wealthy, But Hopefully Not for Long

By John Greenfield | Sep 10, 2015 | No Comments

Thanks to member surveys, we’ve known for years that bike-share membership in other cities like Washington, D.C. and Denver has been disproportionately white, male, young, educated, and relatively affluent. Now we have confirmation that the same is true of Divvy’s annual members. However, the Chicago Department of Transportation hopes the Divvy for Everyone (D4E) equity […]

Why Won’t LAB Fix Flawed Report That Says Chicago Bike Plan Is Inequitable?

By John Greenfield | Sep 8, 2015 | 53 Comments

In 2012, the city of Chicago, the Active Transportation Alliance, and hundred of residents made a major effort to ensure the Streets for Cycling Plan 2020 would create a bike network with convenient access for all Chicagoans, regardless of who they are or where they live. The Chicago Department of Transportation held eight public meetings, all over […]

City Launches “Divvy for Everyone” Bike-Share Equity Program

By John Greenfield | Jul 7, 2015 | 9 Comments

About a month ago, the Better Bike Share Partnership announced a $75,000 grant to the city of Chicago to launch the “Divvy for Everyone” campaign, a strategy to increase bike-share access and ridership among low-income residents. At the time, Chicago Department of Transportation officials declined to discuss the details of the program, but BBSP’s grant […]

“Two Wheels, One City” Pledge Is an Invitation to Work for Bike Equity

By John Greenfield | Jun 17, 2015 | No Comments

“We work to create a city of Chicago where no matter who you are or where you live, you are able to enjoy all the benefits biking can offer,” states the Two Wheels, One City Call to Action. This online pledge to build a more diverse local bike culture was released last week by Slow […]

The Divvy Density Dilemma: Are Stations in Low-Income Areas Too Far Apart?

By John Greenfield | May 12, 2015 | 29 Comments

Planning a useful, equitable, and financially sustainable bike-sharing system in a big, diverse city like Chicago is no easy task. You have a finite budget, and therefore a limited number of cycles and docking stations to work with. You want to provide access to the system for as many people as possible, and you’re certain […]

CDOT’s Sean Wiedel Provides an Update on Divvy Installation, Equity Efforts

By John Greenfield | Apr 24, 2015 | 6 Comments

“With all the challenges we’ve had with the equipment supplier, it’s gratifying to finally see the new Divvy stations on the ground,” said Chicago Department of Transportation assistant commissioner Sean Wiedel regarding the city’s current bike-share expansion. “People are obviously clamoring for Divvy, so it’s exciting to be able to meet that demand.” CDOT began installing […]

Courtney Cobbs Comments on the CTA

By John Greenfield | Feb 12, 2015 | 3 Comments

[This piece originally ran in Checkerboard City, John’s column in Newcity magazine, which hits the streets on Wednesday evenings.] Social worker and transit fan Courtney Cobbs moved to our city from Little Rock, Arkansas, in 2013, partly because she wanted to be able to live car-free. She has posted some thought-provoking comments on Streetsblog Chicago […]

Why I Fight: How Biking Saved My Life and Can Help Other Black Chicagoans

By Olatunji Oboi Reed | Jan 7, 2015 | 11 Comments

[Streetsblog invited Olatunji Oboi Reed, president of Slow Roll Chicago, to share his perspective on our city’s bicycle equity challenges.] Let me explain why I’m aggressively advocating for bike equity in Chicago. About ten years ago, when I was 30 years old, I took an extended medical leave from my job at Citibank when work, […]

Why Don’t the South and West Sides Have a Fair Share of Bike Facilities?

By John Greenfield | Dec 23, 2014 | 23 Comments

Black bike advocates Oboi Reed, Peter Taylor, and Shawn Conley recently started an important conversation about the need for more bike resources in low-income African American communities on Chicago’s South and West Sides. At a recent Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Council meeting, they presented an open letter to the city, state, and local advocacy groups, asking […]

Advocates Request a Fair Share of Bike Resources for Black Communities

By John Greenfield | Dec 19, 2014 | 35 Comments

A group of African-American bike advocates says they want to do whatever it takes to make sure more black Chicagoans have a chance to enjoy the health, economic, and social benefits of cycling. They’ve called for the city and state, as well as other advocacy groups, to commit to a more equitable distribution of bike […]

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