John Greenfield
In addition to editing Streetsblog Chicago, John writes the transportation column for the Chicago Reader weekly paper. A Chicagoan since 1989, he enjoys exploring the city on foot, bike, bus, and 'L' train.
Recent Posts
The CTA is finally going to protect bus drivers and riders with rear-door boarding
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The agency will also allow drivers to switch to drop-off-only mode when their buses start getting crowded.
Police must enforce the Stay at Home order fairly, without racial double-standards
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It makes sense for police to intervene when dangerously violating the pandemic rules. But we must make sure they're not unfairly targeting people of color for enforcement.
Eyes on the Street: Crowded sidewalks and half-empty parking lanes in Andersonville
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The sidewalks on Clark Street are too narrow to allow for social distancing, but the parking lanes are lightly used right now. Let's turn one of them into pedestrian space.
Let’s fence off empty parking lanes to make room for safe walking and running
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Sidewalks are crowded nowadays, but parking lanes were empty. Let's turn parking lanes into pedestrian space.
An update from Pace on its COVID-19 Response
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The agency is deploying more buses on high-ridership routes to prevent dangerous crowding, and providing thermometers to bus drivers so they can take their temperatures before shifts.
What workers, including healthcare professionals, are saying about Lakefront Trail ban
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"I take the bike path daily to work at a hospital. Now instead I have to take less safe streets."
Lightfoot endangers CTA workers and riders by stalling on pandemic safety measures
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Waiving fares bus fares and requiring rear-door boarding would reduce drivers' exposure to COVID-19. And more service is needed to prevent dangerous crowding.
Despite safety challenges during the pandemic, Chicago bike shops keep rolling
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Bike stores are limiting customer access, doing work by appointment, and taking time-consuming steps to sanitize cycles.
Nice work Chicago! Thankfully Critical Mass didn’t happen Friday, but #CoronaMass did.
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It's great that nobody showed up for Critical Mass. Our city needs every bike advocate we can get, so we can't afford to lose any of them to COVID-19.
The Low-Stress Lakefront Pandemic Cycling Route
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As long as the entire Lakefront Trail is closed due to crowding concerns, rather than cursing the darkness, let's light a candle with this alternative route.
Closing trails during pandemic, without opening streets, is misguided and inequitable
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If the closures are going remain in effect, the mayor should at least follow New York's lead by creating more space for safe, socially-distanced recreation elsewhere.
Please don’t ride in Critical Mass tomorrow. Do your own #CoronaMass instead.
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Instead of doing the group ride, take a solo excursion or ride with household members or a friend or two, and share photos on social media with the hashtag #CoronaMass.