Policy & Planning

The announcement at the top of this month’s recovery report from the Chicago Loop Alliance, which tracks pedestrian levels, transportation use and office and hotel occupancy, is a gradual return of life downtown. The Loop Alliance’s eighteen pedestrian counters situated along State Street from Wacker to Ida B. Wells logged over one million people per week on the street for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.

The increased investment in walking, biking, and transit is great, but these investments are at risk of being outweighed by an increase in roadway expansion.

The Altenheim Line could spur development in North Lawndale. But residents are worried it could also lead to displacement.

It would be great if this approach of creating a cohesive, useful bike network all at once was implemented in every Chicago community that currently lacks one.

We should reverse the down-zonings that have rendered much of the city unaffordable and exclusionary.

Launching a free fares pilot for schoolchildren would be a great way to start improving transportation equity in Chicago, helping us catch up with peer cities that are way ahead of us in that department.

"We really need to work together and build trust so people can work together to build a broader coalition."

If we really want to see the rapid development of bus lanes, or a protected bike lane network, or wider sidewalks, or pedestrian plazas, then we must also understand parking needs and manage parking more intelligently.

Surely we shouldn't have to wait that long after a senior is killed for the city to fix an intersection. And it would be far better to make safety upgrades to pedestrian crossings before tragedy strikes.