Chicago Public Schools

The four awardees from across the city includes crossing guards from the Logan Square, Gage Park, Washington Park, and Lincoln Park neighborhoods.

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.

I’m sure state representative Mary Flowers, a South Side Democrat, had the best of intentions in pushing for new legislation requiring the school system to provide free bus service for students who currently walk to school along Safe Passages routes. The bill passed the Illinois House 73-39 on Thursday and now moves on to the Senate, the Sun-Times reported. However, it’s not clear this would be a wise policy.

[This article also appeared in print in Checkerboard City, John Greenfield's transportation column in Newcity magazine, which hits the streets on Wednesday evenings.]