Local Businesses

Unsurprisingly, the tragic second surge of COVID-19 cases in the late fall and the associated drop in business activity led to an overall reduction in downtown commuting in November.

We should have sympathy for merchants who are struggling. But when they blame car-free streets for their financial woes, it's best to take that with a grain of salt.

On January 1 the price of annual full-price memberships will go up from the current $99 to $108. Single rides will also see a price hike, from $3 to $3.30.

Instead of telling residents to stay home except for essential trips and never hang out with friends, while keeping gyms, bars and restaurants open, the city should educate people about safe socializing and make outdoor dining and drinking safer.

The land just north of the Blue Line stop would be a good location for dense transit-oriented development with affordable units, but instead it may get a car-wash and a drive-through cafe.

After the initial euphoria of Saturday's election result wore off, Streetsblog Chicago reached out to local transportation leaders to get their take on what the Biden-Harris administration will mean for sustainable transportation, based on the candidates' platform and statements. We also asked these experts and advocates, as well as our readers, what they'd like to see the federal government do for transportation in the coming years, keeping in mind the current economic headwinds.

Here's a look at new kinds of outdoor dining, including greenhouses and domes, and the winners of the city's outdoor dining contest.

This week Bike Lane Uprising released a smartphone app, available for Android and iOS devices, for filing bikeway blockage reports.

It turns out that the bureaucratic hoops aren't especially onerous, and they're a relative bargain thanks to the city waiving some of the associated fees.