Month: June 2016

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Better street design and getting more people on bikes -- not blind faith in helmets -- are the keys to making cycling safer, recent research has shown.

It was a bit of a nail-biter, but thanks to the generosity of sponsors, advertisers, and loyal readers like you, yesterday Streetsblog Chicago raised the $50K needed to win the $25K challenge grant graciously offered by The Chicago Community Trust. By the time the clock struck midnight last night, we had raised $50,470, for a total of $75,470. That’s enough money for Steven Vance and I to bring you another year of the sustainable transportation and livable streets reporting and advocacy that readers have once again demonstrated that they value.

There’s a rush in cities to apply new transportation technologies like ride-sharing apps and real-time transit data, as exemplified by U.S. DOT’s $50 million “Smart City Challenge,” which is currently down to seven finalists. Public and private entities in Columbus, for example, recently pledged $90 million to help advance the city’s bid to U.S. DOT. But are cities well-equipped to navigate the landscape of tech contractors and make interventions that actually improve people’s lives?

The Chicago Transit Authority plans to test off-board fare collection – where riders pay on the sidewalk before boarding the bus – in an unexpected location. Previously, the CTA and the Chicago Department of Transportation announced they would pilot prepaid fare collection at the Dearborn/Madison station on Loop Link. Instead, the first off-board fare collection will be tested in Avondale on the northwest side.

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It’s been very humbling to see, for the second year in a row, the outpouring of support from hundreds of loyal Streetsblog Chicago readers, as well as advertisers and sponsors, as part of the effort to win the challenge grant from The Chicago Community Trust. With everybody pitching in to help, it’s kind of like the digital equivalent of an Amish barn raising. (Stay tuned for more about the Amish, and their bicycling habits, later this week.)

A San Francisco developer made headlines a few weeks ago when it offered tenants $100 a month toward Uber and BART in an attempt to reduce the usage of on-site parking.

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