Take it to the bridge! Car-free Cortland span was activated by live bands during Bike Grid’s “The People’s Bridge” happening

“Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind”

– “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkel, 1970

Thanks in part to yesterday’s terrific Chicago weather, “The People’s Bridge” event organized by the grassroots group, Chicago, Bike Grid Now!, drew some 200 people for live music on the Cortland Street Bridge, where motorized vehicles are currently banned. The purpose of the gathering was to support permanently pedestrianizing the historic span, which at present is a popular commuting route for folks on foot, bikes, and e-scooters.

In case you haven’t been following the recent Cortland commotion, recently some Chicagoans who drive and their City Council representatives have been upset because the bridge, which debuted in 1902, isn’t currently open for crosstown car and truck trips. Located on what’s essentially a side street, the span has been closed to motor vehicles since September 2025. Last August, the Chicago Department of Transportation announced that the structure could no longer safely carry heavy traffic, and it was unclear when it would reopen to drivers.

Local alders Brian Hopkins (2nd), Scott Waguespack (32nd), and Timmy Knudsen (43rd) responded by sponsoring an ordinance to pull the structure’s landmark status so that the span could be fixed more quickly, or completely replaced. But last Tuesday at the City Council’s Zoning Committee meeting, Ald. Hopkins said CDOT chief William Cheaks promised him the bridge repairs will be done by the end of 2028, and therefore Hopkins delayed the vote, Block Club Chicago reported.

However, as Streetsblog previously discussed, many residents view the bridge’s current status as a feature, not a defect, and they want to see it stay car-free forever, perhaps with a separate span for motorists built next to it. That’s what “The People’s Bridge” party was all about.

The program included the acts Ovef Ow (“an art-punk/new wave band”), Hard Femme (I didn’t find a bio, but they reminded me of the Velvet Underground and Belle and Sebastian, in a good way), Paper Cardinal (“blending metal, punk, post-metal, and progressive metal”), and Scrappy Rat Band (“a unique brand of punk rock-infused old-timey music”).

Chicago bridge historian Mitchell Tratchenberg was scheduled to talk about the origins of the Cortland structure, but unfortunately was unable to attend. However, Chris Gentry, a Bike Grid steering committee member, gave a similar presentation.

The organizers brought temporary furniture to the shingdig, which actually took place on the pedestrianized roadway just east of the span. The area was also enlivened by graffiti art, and a colorful polka-dot street treatment – see an aerial view here. The latter reminded me of a similar road design that was in place for a few years at the nearby intersection of Wrightwood, Southport, and Lincoln avenues in Lakeview, nicknamed “The Lincoln Hub,” until complaints from neighbors led to its removal.

Here are remarks from a few of the attendees. “We’re throwing ‘The People’s Bridge’ concert, taking over the Cortland Street Bridge, with four bands playing all afternoon,” said Alyssa Edes, an organizer on the CBGN! steering committee. “As you can see, people are out here enjoying this public space. The purpose of the show is to really draw attention to the fact that this is a kind of bike-and-pedestrian-oriented bridge that happened by a happy accident, because it has been closed for 13 months to cars. This is the kind of thing that people want, and that people need, in order to have a safer connected route east-west in this area.”

“We live around the corner and just love having Cortland open to bike riders and pedestrians, and not for cars,” said Sam Brunson, a law professor at Loyola University. “And it’s really fun to hear live music outside on a Sunday afternoon.” He added that he particularly enjoyed the Scrappy Rat Band. “They were kind of a ’40s throwback with banjo, a couple of horns, and a washboard.”

“I’m here for the music and, of course, the Cortland Bridge,” said Gil Campos, a Southwest Side bike advocate. Along with Gage Park Cyclist’s Alfredo Valladares Jr., Campos co-organized six months of counter-protests in response to weekly, politically motivated, demonstrations against the Archer Avenue traffic safety project in Brighton Park, where he was born and raised.

“We use the Cortland Bridge all the time to cross over from The 606 [aka the Bloomingdale Trail] to the lakefront,” Campos added. “And I saw Bike Grid posted that they were going to be having music and celebrating, and pushing towards making it more pedestrian- and bike-friendly, so here I am – biked up here from the South Side. There’s a bunch of happy faces here, good vibes, and great music.”

Here are videos of some the music acts that performed.

And here are a few more images of the festivities, shared on the Chicago, Bike Grid Now! Bluesky account.

Here’s hoping that we see some more fabulous events on the now-people-friendly Cortland Bridge before it’s turned back over to drivers – if that ever happens!

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