Technology

More bikes, with electrical assist, at cheaper rates, seems to be resulting in more rides.

If you appreciate the convenience of using ride-share occasionally, but don't like what the technology is doing to the taxi industry, the Curb app offers an alternative to Uber and Lyft.

City officials asked Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Council meeting attendees what questions they'd like posed to potential DoBi vendors.

Equiticity's Oboi Reed argues that dockless bikes, including e-bikes, are an ideal way to get people excited about biking in underserved communities.

The project's request for qualifications identifies three possible routes and four potential stations.

Some say it will be a boon for Chicago, others say it will be a boondoggle.

Local computer programmer Steve Luker is creating to create a new app to identify and eliminate all the major bumps, cracks, and missing curb ramps on sidewalks, as well as missing sidewalks, in the Chicago area. While these flaws are an annoyance for everyone, they can be significant barriers for people with disabilities. This issue is personal for Luker, who has cerebral palsy and uses an electric wheelchair to get around. He lives in the northwest suburbs and takes transit to various offices around the region, so sidewalk issues make it more difficult for him to access job sites.

Earlier this month, the CTA, Metra, and Pace announced that they are delaying the launch of the Ventra mobile app from this spring until this fall, and that an independent civic app testing group will help vet it. Contrary to what Chicago Tribune transportation writer Jon Hilkevitch wrote, that's not a sign that there are "undisclosed issues" with the technology. Rather, it shows that the transit agencies are being careful to thoroughly test the app before releasing it to the public. Given the rocky launch of the Ventra card two years ago, that's a wise strategy.

Imagine this scenario: You're running late to catch Metra's UP-North Line to Rogers Park and, because the trains run so infrequently, you really need to make this run. You don't have a 10-ride ticket in your wallet, the line for a ticket agent is too long, there are no vending machines at Ogilvie Transportation Center, and the conductors will charge you a $3 surcharge (soon to be $5) if you buy a ticket from them.