Bus Transit

To solve the "first and last mile problem," there's no substitute for walkability.

According to South Side bike advocates, illegal parking in the bicycle lanes on South Shore Drive isn’t just making the bikeways impassible, it’s also obstructing CTA buses and private cars.

As part of an amendment to the Chicago Transit Authority’s contract with its advertising concessionaire Intersection, which has exclusive ad rights on all CTA vehicles and real estate, 130 more digital displays are coming to ‘L’ stations, bringing the total number to more than 400, the transit agency announced today. The screens, which display Train Tracker arrival info and service alerts, as well as advertisements, will be installed at no cost to the CTA and will generate revenue as part of a profit-sharing deal.

West Coast cities have made non-payment a fineable offense, rather than a misdemeanor. Chicago criminal justice reform advocates say we should do that here as well, because being short a couple of dollars for a CTA train or bus ride shouldn't result in a criminal record.

Dozens of transit projects across the nation -- as well as walking and biking projects that count on funds from the TIGER program -- are under threat unless Congress scraps the hardline budget outline proposed by the White House. Transportation for America is urging people to contact their representatives and oppose the cuts.

A presentation at last week’s Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Council meeting indicates that the city has made some progress on the plan and we should be seeing the fruits of their labor soon.

Chicago would be wise to emulate Bogotá's extensive TransMilenio bus rapid transit system and the Sunday Ciclovía or "cycleway" program, which opens a roughly 75-mile network of streets for car-free recreation and draws some two million people each week.

The Wicker Park-Bucktown business improvement district wants to widen the sidewalk to create more pedestrian space across from the Polish Triangle.

It's encouraging to hear that all the candidates are generally in favor of improving walking, biking, and transit, but some had more to say about the subject than others.