Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about Rebekah Scheinfeld

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 […]

3 Big CDOT Projects Have Been Postponed, But the Delays Are Reasonable

By John Greenfield | Jul 18, 2014 | 46 Comments

In early June, I dubbed this the Summer of the Big Projects. The Chicago Department of Transportation was planning to start construction on, and/or complete, a slew of major infrastructure jobs this year. Now it seems more like the Summer of the Big Postponements. Over the last month, we’ve gotten word that three major initiatives […]

CDOT & CPD Launch Annual Crosswalk Safety Stings

By John Greenfield | Jul 1, 2014 | 16 Comments

You might have noticed many square, black bases bolted in the center of Chicago streets, which held “Stop for Pedestrians” signs before they were taken out by motorists. These testify to the fact that many local drivers don’t operate safely around crosswalks. In an attempt to change that behavior, the Chicago Department of Transportation and […]

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 […]

Scheinfeld Lauds Chicago’s Bike Gains at Rally; Pedicabbers Protest

By John Greenfield | Jun 20, 2014 | No Comments

Despite the gloomy weather this morning, hundreds of people pedaled to Daley Plaza for the annual Bike to Work Rally, where city officials provided an update on Chicago cycling initiatives. Among the cyclists were pedicabbers defying the city’s recently enacted ban on rush-hour pedicab use in the Loop to protest the ordinance but, happily, no […]

Scheinfeld Talks About Divvy, PBLs, Traffic Cams, and Long Term Goals

By John Greenfield | May 23, 2014 | 2 Comments

In this final installment of my interview with Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld, we talked about the Divvy expansion, traffic cameras, protected bike lanes, and her overall goals as CDOT chief. Read the first and second parts of the interview here and here. John Greenfield: We’re slated to get 175 more Divvy stations […]

CDOT Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld Discusses the Loop BRT Project

By John Greenfield | May 21, 2014 | 31 Comments

I recently sat down with Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld to discuss the city’s efforts to create safer, more efficient conditions for walking, transit and biking. We’ll be publishing the interview in a few installments, starting with this conversation about plans for bus rapid transit in the Loop. John Greenfield: What’s going on […]

Business Owners on Elston Won’t Fight Buffered Bike Lanes

By John Greenfield | Apr 8, 2014 | 18 Comments

It’s official: business owners along the Elston industrial corridor are giving up their fight against better bike lanes on the street. In December, when Chicago Department of Transportation staff discussed plans for buffered bike lanes on Elston between North and Webster at a meeting hosted by the North Branch Works industrial council, there was stiff […]

CDOT Is Moving Forward With Buffered Bike Lanes on Elston

By John Greenfield | Mar 31, 2014 | 13 Comments

It’s good to see that new Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld is standing her ground on the Elston bike lane issue. In December, when CDOT staffers discussed plans for buffered bike lanes on Elston between North and Webster at a meeting hosted by the North Branch Works industrial council, there was stiff resistance […]

City Breaks Ground on the Long-Awaited Navy Pier Flyover

By John Greenfield | Mar 18, 2014 | 49 Comments

After more than a decade of planning, the Chicago Department of Transportation finally kicked off work on the Navy Pier Flyover, a $60 million project that will solve the problem of the dangerous bottleneck at the center of the 18.5-mile Lakefront Trail. “We at the city have discussed this, we have debated it, we have […]

Mayor’s Pedestrian Advisory Council Should Be More Than an Info Session

By Daniel Ronan | Feb 11, 2014 | 7 Comments

I recently moved to the Windy City from Portland, Oregon, where I had served as a member of the Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee at the state level for bike and pedestrian issues. So I came into last Wednesday’s meeting of the Mayor’s Pedestrian Advisory Council excited to hear the breadth and depth of pedestrian advocacy […]

Emanuel Appoints CTA’s Chief Planning Officer to Be New CDOT Chief

By John Greenfield | Dec 31, 2013 | 15 Comments

It looks like the next Chicago Department of Transportation commissioner will be following in Gabe Klein’s progressive footsteps. This morning the mayor’s office announced that Rahm Emanuel has selected Rebekah Scheinfeld, the CTA’s chief planning officer, to fill the vacancy, pending city council approval. While some of CDOT’s previous commissioners seemed fairly indifferent to public […]

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