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Last Thursday, the Chicago Mobility Collaborative, a public forum series about sustainable transportation hosted by the Chicago Department of Transportation, held its first meeting of the year at Avondale-Logandale School, 3212 W George St. The theme of the discussion was "enhancing community," and the panel featured heavy hitters in local government and mobility justice advocacy. They made it clear that communities are affected by several intersecting issues: transportation, public health, arts, and – particularly in Logan Square where displacement due to gentrification is a central concern – housing.
The meeting was facilitated by the community group Palenque LSNA, formerly Logan Square Neighborhood Association. It opened with a conversation with the six panelists. These included local Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th), who is about to leave his post to take an appointment as head of the Park District; Department of Housing Commissioner Lissette Casteñeda; Association House of Chicago CEO and President Juan Carlos Linareso; Urban Gateways CEO Leslé Honoré; Arely Barrera, a youth leader at Palenque LSNA; and Elevated Chicago Executive Director Juan Sebastian Arias.
Palenque LSNA Housing Organizer Traolach O’Sullivan kicked off the discussion by asking the panelists for their vision of an equitable city. Ald. Ramirez-Rosa said his vision entailed driving funds to historically disinvested communities. As an example, he cited the construction of the Eisenhower Expressway, which decimated West Side neighborhoods in the mid-20th Century. "We need to address that harm," he said.
Casteñeda said equity means offering residents choice. As an example of equitable development, she mentioned the new Encuentro Square building at the west end of the Bloomingdale Trail / The 606 in Logan Square, with 89 units, all affordable.
Linares emphasized the importance of inclusion during the planning process for new developments, such as involving marginalized youth and adults with developmental disabilities. He argued that the spike in housing costs that occurred along the Bloomingdale after the elevated linear park opened in 2015 was a result of non-equitable planning. "You’ve heard the phrase, 'If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu,'" he said. "We weren’t at the table." Linares said the affordable, sustainably designed Tierra Linda apartments, developed by LUCHA and located along the trail, are an example of "equity in action."
Arias stated that the Elevated Chicago vision of an equitable city is one where every Chicagoan can live in a healthy, walkable, vibrant neighborhood with access to public transit. "We believe in the importance of public transit to get you to employment opportunities, to get you to healthcare, to get you somewhere you can have some fun," he said. "You have to have safe and walkable streets. You also need to be able to afford to live in those neighborhoods. If you have to drive 20 minutes to a grocery store, that’s not mobility justice."
Barrera also emphasized the importance of youth representation in decision making. "Young people experience the inequities of our city and have ideas about what can be different," she said, adding that young people rely on public transportation to get to school, activities, and to socialize.
Honoré spoke of the importance of the arts for vibrant communities. "It’s not enough to say our community has affordable housing or available transit," she said. "Our communities deserve to have art that reminds us of where we’ve come from and where we’re going."
O’Sullivan’s other questions for the panel centered around housing, intersectionality of issues, and what the Trump Administration's attack on DEI means for their work. All the panelists who spoke about the latter acknowledged the stress that federal funding uncertainly is putting on their organizations, and the importance of local-level collaboration to keep their work moving forward.
Linares said Association House has already lost a grant but that he’s "never been more excited about what I do." Casteñeda said, "This is what keeps me up at night" – significant funding for the City's housing department comes from the feds – but that she's been reassured "by what I’ve found in City government in terms of willingness to work together in this difficult time."
After the panel discussion, attendees could visit one of four breakout discussion tables. Topics included Transit and Better Streets for Buses, focused on the new bus priority corridors and the potential impact of the impending $770 million total regional transit budget gap. Another table covered expansion and electrification of the Divvy bike share program. A discussion of the "Safe Travel for All Plan," hosted by the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways, focused on how to reduce roadway barriers for people on foot and bikes. And there was a table about the new plaza currently under construction at the intersection of Logan and Kedzie boulevards and Milwaukee avenue in Logan Square.
At the Divvy table, CDOT Coordinating Planner Kyle Peppindiscussed new stations capable of charging electric Divvy bikes and scooters. He clarified that the small solar array on most Divvy stations only powers the kiosk and bike locking function. The recharging stations are a relatively new technology that CDOT is in the process of expanding citywide.
There are currently two types of Divvy recharging stations. There's the solar-powered variety – one can be found at Wentworth and Cermak avenues in Chinatown – and the more common trenched electrified stations, with buried power lines that connect the station to the electrical grid. There are currently 28 trenched electrified stations across the city, with more on the way. Peppin said electrified stations provide savings on labor and emissions, reducing the need for staff to drive a van full of charged batteries around town to replace depleted ones on bikes.
CDOT's goal is to have four Divvy stations – of any type – per square mile, so most residents can reach a station within a five-block walk. Peppin discussed the criteria for locating stations. The priority is to install them near bikeways, popular destinations, transit stations, health centers, City Colleges, commercial corridors, schools, and parks.
Conversation at the table was thoughtful. One attendee asked how the focus on electrification would impact the classic, and lower-priced, non-electric blue bike availability. Peppin stated that the electric stations hold blue bikes as well as e-bikes and e-scooters. One attendee who came from the Jefferson Park neighborhood said they rely on Divvy to get from the Blue Line home, due to infrequent CTA bus service. They encouraged CDOT to look at CTA service frequency, and how Divvy can help meet the needs of people on the Northwest Side who don’t have cars.
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