Courtney Cobbs
Recent Posts
Transit shutdowns, which hurt vulnerable people the most, are not a public safety solution
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The nationwide protests that started this weekend were born out of anger regarding systemic racism. Unfortunately in response to these protests, Mayor Lightfoot has that transit austerity is the best response.
Oakland’s Warren Logan on pursuing racial equity within a mobility framework
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Warren Logan, policy director of mobility and interagency relations for the mayor’s office of Oakland, which in April became the first city to launch “Slow Streets,” has been at the forefront of the movement to create more space for safe, socially-distanced transportation and recreation during COVID-19. I first heard about Warren in an August 2019 […]
How do we make sure that open streets are truly open for everyone?
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A discussion hosted by The Untokening collective looked at why over-policing and other social justice issues must be
considered when planning walk/bike interventions during the pandemic.
How Montreal, Milan, and D.C. have made more space for walk/bike/transit during COVID
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While Chicago has been shutting down trails, other cities have been using innovative strategies to make room for socially-distanced transportation and physical activity.
Creating a Body-Inclusive Cycling Community
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A person's body size or weight has no bearing on their worth as a human being. Bike culture should reflect that.
Ahmaud Arbery’s death, mobility justice, and the open streets debate
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For Black and Brown people to feel completely safe walking, biking, or just existing in public space, we need to make fundamental changes in the way our society is structured.
Friends of the Parks discusses the need for green space during COVID-19 and beyond
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Executive director Juanita Irizarry says she would have preferred a more nuanced approach to park closures, and sees the pandemic as an opportunity to advance the discussion of park equity.
ATA drops opposition to open streets, but its lukewarm new stance is still disappointing
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While the Active Transportation Alliance says it's "excited" by the global open streets movement, it passes the buck on actually advocating it, and provides a long list of potential downsides.
Chicago must act now to prevent a post-COVID spike in driving and crashes
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We need to make walking, biking, and transit safer and more appealing, or we're going to see an increase in driving, congestion, pollution and crashes once the Stay at Home order is lifted.
Providing bikes and emergency protected lanes on the South Side would help stop the spread
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Giving people affordable or free bike access, and safe biking routes that parallel bus lines, would allow them to avoid viral exposure on transit and de-crowd buses for the remaining passengers.
A tale of two Chicagos: The South and West sides have different pandemic priorities than the North Side
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There are multiple reasons why open street may not be a pressing concern for Black and Latinx Chicago residents during the pandemic, but it can be part of the solution for improving access to open space.
Increased walk/bike during the pandemic is an opportunity to improve our streets
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While Chicago has been closing trails and parks in response to crowding during the pandemic, we should be opening streets to make room for safe, socially-distanced recreation.