Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about Austin

Scooters by the statue of Angelina Eberly, who prevented the theft of the Texas archives from Austin in 1842 by firing a cannon at the thieves. Photo: Lynda Lopez

How Will Scooters Function in Chicago? My Trip to Austin, Texas, Offered a Preview

By Lynda Lopez | May 3, 2019 | 11 Comments

Scooters don't seem to be causing major sidewalk clutter or pedestrian safety issues in Austin, but use is largely focused in wealthier, centrally located neighborhoods.

Young people at the Light the Night event in Austin. Photo: CDOT

Vision Zero Chicago Hopes to Engage West Siders in the Traffic Safety Conversation

By Lynda Lopez | Sep 25, 2018 | 1 Comment

"“We can’t go in and shove down people’s throats the idea of traffic safety," says Courtney Kashima, Principal of Muse Community + Design, which is consulting on the project.

The 1600 block of North Central Avenue, looking south. Image: Google Street View

Hit-and-Run Driver Killed Darris Washington, 57, After Shooting

By John Greenfield | Sep 25, 2017 | No Comments

Washington was the 32nd pedestrian fatality of 2017.

Johnel Washington, Killed in Austin by Trucker, Was 3rd On-Street Bike Fatality of 2017

By John Greenfield | Sep 13, 2017 | 2 Comments

Washington was the third person to die while biking on Chicago streets this year.

A meme-worthy image from the Vision Zero plan.

Does Chicago’s Vision Zero Plan Have Enough Teeth to Achieve Its Ambitious Goals?

By John Greenfield | Jul 27, 2017 | 3 Comments

Reducing the number of serious and fatal crashes in the areas that are most impacted by traffic violence, without unfairly targeting neighborhoods of color, is going to require extensive community input and buy-in.

The 300 block of North Latrobe. Image: John Greenfield

Driver Charged in the May 17 Vehicular Homicide of Naisha Weems, 28, in Austin

By John Greenfield | Jun 28, 2017 | 3 Comments

Five days earlier later there had been a nearly identical tragedy in Morgan Park.

Robert Calvin rides in Chicago's Austin neighborhood. During a roughly nine-month period last year police wrote 321 bike citations in Austin but only 30 in majority-white Lakeview. Photo: John Greenfield

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The CPD’s “Biking While Black” Enforcement Practices Have Got to Stop

By John Greenfield | Mar 21, 2017 | 27 Comments

A Chicago Tribune investigation indicates that police are much more likely to ticket people in African-American communities for bike infractions than they are to issue citations to lawbreaking cyclists in mostly white areas. This isn't just illegal and unjust. It also discourages cycling in black neighborhoods.

Walkable retail development would be easier to build under Austin's draft zoning revisions. Photo: Doorsteps

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Austin May Cut Parking Requirements By Nearly 50 Percent

By Angie Schmitt | Mar 1, 2017 | No Comments

Austin is in the process of overhauling its zoning code -- an initiative called CodeNext -- and one of the most promising aspects is a major reduction in parking requirements. If the current draft holds up, the effects on walkability, housing affordability, and water quality could be impressive.

The crash site from the driver's perspective. Image: Goggle Street View

Hit-and-Run Driver Killed Woman Who Had Collapsed in Austin Crosswalk

By John Greenfield | Jan 4, 2017 | No Comments

The case of a 50-year-old woman who collapsed while crossing the street in Austin, and was fatally struck by a driver who fled the scene, appears to be the first pedestrian fatality of 2017.

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How Unrepresentative Is Your Regional Planning Agency?

By Angie Schmitt | Sep 12, 2016 | No Comments

Do the people who make transportation funding decisions in your region represent the people who actually live in your region? After sitting through dozens of meetings presided over by a legion of white men, Texas transportation reformer Jay Crossley wanted to find out. He recently released the first phase of a report on the Austin region’s Capital […]

West Garfield and Austin Got Divvy Bikes Last Week. Will Anyone Use Them?

By John Greenfield | Jun 20, 2016 | 6 Comments

[Last November the Chicago Reader launched a weekly transportation column written by Streetsblog Chicago editor John Greenfield. This partnership allows Streetsblog to extend the reach of our livable streets advocacy. We syndicate a portion of the column on the day it comes out online; you can read the remainder on the Reader’s website or in […]

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