Steven Vance
Transportation planner and advocate. Steven also created Chicago Cityscape, a site that tracks neighborhood developments across the city.
Recent Posts
Metra board chooses new modern passenger rail cars to replace 1950s “Gallery” cars
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Metra has selected a new passenger coach design that will eventually replace the current "Gallery" cars.
3-cent gas tax hike wouldn’t impact drivers much, but taking $16M from CTA is wrong
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Included in Mayor Lightfoot's proposed budget are two transportation-related tax changes, one that would make driving a little more expensive, but another that would reduce funding for transit.
Lyft launched a new Super PAC to prevent Illinois gig workers from getting employee benefits
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After Lyft and other companies overturned California legislation that classified ride-hail drivers as employees, it's now setting its sights on the Prairie State with a $534K Super PAC.
Eyes on the Street: City installs Bloomingdale Trail alternative Slow Streets route
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There's doesn't seem to have been much outreach about the project, so expect a few grumbles from motorists. But once people start enjoying the corridor, criticisms should fade.
Eyes on the Street: The North/Damen/Milwaukee slip lane removal is now permanent
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CDOT has made the slip lane removal at the the south side of Wicker Park's usually-bustling North/Damen/Milwaukee intersection permanent.
Your suspicion is right: People have been speeding more during Stay at Home
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Chicago speed camera data shows that more tickets were issued during a three-week period during Stay at Home than at any other time in more than a year.
Database documents cities that are repurposing car space during the pandemic
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During the pandemic, cities are recognizing it makes sense to take road space away from cars and give it to people.
Building a Metra infill station in Humboldt Park would create job, housing opportunities
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New infill stations in Chicago neighborhoods like Humboldt could take advantage of the Metra's regional reach, and fill in gaps in CTA service.
The folly of the Jane Byrne Interchange spaghetti bowl expansion keeps getting worse
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The cost of the project has ballooned to a quarter-billion dollars more than the initial cost estimates, and it's almost 4.5 years behind schedule.
What’s your Metra railcar redesign wish list?
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Metra wants to know what amenities, like tray tables, dimmable lights, and USB chargers, are most important to customers. But Streetsblog's Steven Vance says bolder design changes are needed.
Logan affordable TOD got key approvals, flack from NIMBYs, at Plan Commission hearing
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While opponents said the land would be more valuable as a parking lot or a market-rate development, proponents stressed the value of keeping Logan Square economiclly diverse.
Don’t let competition between agencies and politicians block better South Side transit
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Chicago mayor Lightfoot said she's against a proposal by Cook County, backed by her old rival Toni Preckwinkle, that would lower Metra fares and increase service, on the grounds that it would hurt the CTA.