18th Street

An old editor of mine at the Chicago Reader gave me a good writing tip: "Let chronology work for you." With that advice in mind, let me share some info about the 18th Street protected bike lane debacle on the Near South Side, in the order that it's been revealed.

After Time Out magazine highlighted the roadway's cachet, CTA and the local alder discuss new Pink Line station art and an upcoming nearby Neighborhood Greenway.

Architecture student Thomas Ferrer was critically injured in the crash. Now 25th Ward residents want to spread the word about the need for safer streets.

The South Loop-focused blog Sloopin reported last month that more residents in the Prairie District are using the Metra Electric service's 18th Street station to catch a fast, on-time ride into the East Loop. A trip from 18th Street to Van Buren or Millennium Stations costs $2.75 and takes 10-15 minutes. A similar ride on the Chicago Transit Authority's 3-King Drive bus would take over 20 minutes and cost $2.00, and no CTA rail stations are currently within walking distance.