Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about Chicago Tribune

There's no need for drivers to use Cornell or Marquette (southernmost east-west street in Jackson Park) to continue south on Stony Island. The Obama Library will be located on the patch of land currently occupied by a running track and baseball diamonds. Image: Google Maps

Why Pedestrianizing Jackson Park Roads Won’t Cause Carmaggedon

By John Greenfield | Feb 1, 2017 | 18 Comments

The Chicago Tribune recently reported that the Obama Foundation has proposed pedestrianizing stretches of the highway-like roads that run through Jackson Park, the future home of Barack Obama’s presidential library, to create a museum campus. The tone of the article, and quotes from some community members, suggest that this change would cause strangle transportation on […]

The one state of the union where rational cycling is legal.

A Dud of a Tribune Editorial About Spud State-Style Stopping

By John Greenfield | Dec 16, 2016 | 3 Comments

The Trib says legalizing the Idaho stop would make our streets more chaotic and dangerous.

Bicyclists treating stoplights like stop signs, and stop signs like yield signs, is a ubiquitous and harmless practice. Photo: John Greenfield

“Idaho Stop” in the Name of Love: DePaul Study Endorses Rational Cycling

By John Greenfield | Dec 12, 2016 | 7 Comments

The Chicago Tribune is such a reliable source of flat-earth rants about biking, that it’s truly a pleasure when they publish some sensible words about cycling. Recently most of the paper’s intelligent coverage of bike issues has come from transportation reporter Mary Wisniewski, who commutes on two wheels herself. An example was this morning’s balanced […]

Days After Drivers Kill and Maim Cyclists, Trib Op-Ed Calls for Bike Crackdown

By John Greenfield | Oct 4, 2016 | 8 Comments

After Anastasia Kondrasheva, 23, was fatally struck on her bicycle by a right-turning truck driver in Roscoe Village on September 26, the Tribune ran an editorial noting that this tragedy should remind motorists to watch out for bikes on the road. This reflects the paper’s evolving coverage of traffic safety issues, which has generally improved during […]

Sorry Tribune, the Transportation Lock Box Isn’t a Scam, It’s a Necessity

By John Greenfield | Sep 16, 2016 | 12 Comments

When it comes to opinion pieces about transportation issues, the Chicago Tribune has been publishing some doozies this month. First, in the wake of four bike fatalities allegedly caused by reckless drivers, an editorial in the paper advised cyclists to ride more carefully. Next they ran an op-ed from noted anti-bike crank John McCarron bemoaning […]

The Rant is Due: Yet Another Anti-Bike Screed From the Trib’s John McCarron

By John Greenfield | Sep 10, 2016 | 13 Comments

So far this has been a banner month for the Chicago Tribune when it comes to publishing tone-deaf commentary about bicycling. On September 1, in response to four recent cycling deaths allegedly caused by reckless drivers, the Trib ran an editorial that put the onus on bike riders to be “particularly cautious” in order to […]

Reckless Drivers Kill Four Cyclists, Trib Warns Bike Riders to Be More Careful

By John Greenfield | Sep 2, 2016 | 22 Comments

Yesterday, in response to four recent Chicago bike fatalities apparently caused by reckless drivers, the Tribune ran a well-meaning but wrongheaded editorial that largely puts the onus for creating safer streets on people who bike. It’s clear the editorial writer or writers were moved by the deaths of Blaine Klingenberg, Virginia Murray, Lisa Kuivinen, and […]

Please Stop Using Blaine Klingenberg’s Death as an Excuse to Shame Cyclists

By John Greenfield | Jun 18, 2016 | 13 Comments

Family and friends, and the Chicago bike courier community, are mourning the death of Blaine Klingenberg, 29, who was fatally struck on his bike by a tour bus driver Wednesday evening at Oak Street and Michigan Avenue. Meanwhile online commenters are heartlessly ridiculing the victim, arguing that he foolishly brought on his own demise. Even mainstream […]

Marilyn Katz Uses Yesterday’s Tragedy as an Opportunity to Scold Bicyclists

By John Greenfield | Jun 16, 2016 | 40 Comments

For a person who makes a living doing PR, Marilyn Katz, head of River North-based MK communications, sure has trouble getting her facts straight. In the wake of the tragic death of bike courier Blaine Klingenberg, 29, fatally struck yesterday evening by a tour bus driver at Oak and Michigan, Katz fired off an inaccurate […]

Other Reasons Why The 606 Gets More Ridership Than the Major Taylor Trail

By John Greenfield | May 11, 2016 | 5 Comments

The Chicago Tribune’s new transportation columnist Mary Wisniewski, a former Sun-Times transportation reporter, is off to a good start. She’s written a number of article that show an interest in promoting sustainable transportation, rather than the windshield perspective that has been all-to-common in the mainstream media. For example, her articles about bicycling have asked *what* […]

Silly Tribune, Speed Cameras Aren’t Just for Kids — They Make Everyone Safer

By John Greenfield | Nov 25, 2015 | 61 Comments

[Today the Chicago Reader launched a new weekly transportation column written by Streetsblog Chicago editor John Greenfield. This partnership will allow Streetsblog to extend the reach of our livable streets advocacy. We’ll be syndicating a portion of the column on the day it comes out online; you can read the remainder on the Reader’s website […]

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