“Bikeway Hearing Parking Lot”: Talking with folks from the massive crowd outside and inside the Portage Park Neighborhood Bike Network meeting
When I rolled up solo to yesterday's Portage Park Senior Center for the community meeting on the Chicago Department of Transportation's neighborhood local bikeway network proposal, there was a long line of people snaking out the door. To be honest, due to the organized opposition we've seen recently to traffic safety projects on Archer Avenue in Brighton Park, and Grand Avenue in West Town, I was a little apprehensive.
March 6, 2026
Today’s Headlines for Friday, March 6
• "Funeral Services for Rev. Jesse Jackson Will Be Accessible by Public Transit" (CTA)
March 6, 2026
Don’t “Roger that”! A sustainable transportation advocate accidentally crashed Roger Romanelli’s anti-Grand Safe Streets Project press conference
Fulton Market Association Executive Director Roger Romanelli is well-known to longtime Streetsblog Chicago readers as a resident of suburban Hillside who often intervenes in urban sustainable transportation matters. He's usually on the wrong side of these issues, with a decidely car-centric point of view. Most notoriously, his tireless lobbying against the City's Ashland bus rapid transit proposal helped get that project shelved.
March 5, 2026
Today’s Headlines for Thursday, March 5
• Ashland BRT foe Roger Romanelli got cold feet and moved his protest against the GRand Avenue Safe Streets project to yesterday, so no bike ride there today.
March 5, 2026
SUV driver fatally struck a female pedestrian Tuesday evening near Gompers Park
Note: While this is the first pedestrian or bike fatality I've seen in news reports in 2026, it appears there were some other crash deaths this year that haven't been reported yet. Streetsblog Chicago will provide an update on these cases soon.
March 4, 2026
Today’s Headlines for Wednesday, March 4
• An SUV driver, 70, fatally struck a female pedestrian Tuesday around 6:15 PM in the 4000 block of West Foster Avenue in the North Park neighborhood (CBS)
March 4, 2026
After drivers struck 2 bike and scooter riders on Archer in less than a month, project foes absurdly claim half-done, car-clogged “bike lanes didn’t help”
On much of the project area, posts, paint and new curbs haven't been added yet to help keep drivers – such as the protesters – out of the future curbside bikeways.
March 4, 2026
Today’s Headlines for Tuesday, March 3
• "Chicago on shortlist for 2028 Democratic National Convention" (Crain's)
March 3, 2026
Today’s Headlines for Monday, March 2
• The Illinois General Assembly improved transit last October. Can they take similar bold action to improve walking and biking? (Active Trans)
March 2, 2026
Today’s Headlines for Friday, February 27
• Active Trans: "We need a strong robotaxi policy for Illinois"
February 27, 2026