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Instead of discussing what Chicago can do to protect vulnerable road users like Violet Harris from reckless drivers, the Tribune lays blame on e-scooters
The death of Violet Harris, 15, is the story of a hit-and-run, probably wrong-way, driver fatally striking a vulnerable road user on an e-scooter, and failing to render aid.
March 26, 2026
Exit interview with former 47th Ward COS Josh Mark: For bike and bus upgrades to be successful, “they need to be thorough and complete.”
Recently, Josh Mark stepped down as chief of staff for the 47th Ward, represented by Ald. Matt Martin. The North Side district contains parts of North Center, Lincoln Square, Uptown, and Lakeview, and Martin is one of Chicago's most sustainable transportation-friendly City Council members. Many walking, biking, transit, and equitable TOD projects have happened in the ward since he took office in May 2019. Especially in recent years when Mark served as COS, he's been a key lieutenant to the alder who helped get those things done.
March 19, 2026
Is SBC “importing support” for the Archer traffic safety project? And Ald. Ramirez says most of the Complete Streets work be finished this spring.
It seems like the average SBC reader was amused by my nickname for "the mostly right-leaning folks using weekly anti-Archer [Avenue traffic safety] project protests as a political hook": "The Make Archer Great Again" (MAGA) posse.
March 16, 2026
Archer Guardians anti-Safe Streets protesters turned today’s Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee meeting into a campaign stop
As you might expect thanks to yesterday's gorgeous weather, the vibe was good at the 13th round of weekly dueling rallies for and against the Archer Avenue traffic safety project rallies in Brighton Park in the 12th Ward. Or at least that was the case according to proponent Alfredo Villadares Jr., who's lived just south of the project area in Gage Park for 37 years.
March 10, 2026
Don’t “Roger that”! A sustainable transportation advocate accidentally crashed Roger Romanelli’s anti-Grand Safe Streets Project press conference
Fulton Market Association Executive Director Roger Romanelli is well-known to longtime Streetsblog Chicago readers as a resident of suburban Hillside who often intervenes in urban sustainable transportation matters. He's usually on the wrong side of these issues, with a decidely car-centric point of view. Most notoriously, his tireless lobbying against the City's Ashland bus rapid transit proposal helped get that project shelved.
March 5, 2026
In December I asked Archer project opponent Claudia Zuno if she was seeking office. “No I’m not.” Last week she announced her alder campaign.
Update 2/26/26, noon: On Facebook, a reader commented, "I don't even see how [opposition to Safe Streets and support for Trumpism] are connected." My response: "The Archer situation is clearly an example of right-leaning organizations and politicians like Urban Center and Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) taking advantage of (understandable) discontent over a Complete Streets project to try to win a sympathetic City Council seat. We're trying to shine light on this problematic strategy before it becomes a citywide issue, which would have a negative impact on politics, as well as traffic safety."
February 26, 2026
It’s a shame about Ray: Ald. Raymond Lopez parachutes into committee meeting to rant against Archer project, Complete Streets in general
By Austin Busch
February 10, 2026
Round 7 of Archer rallies: Video proves that, like NBC, ABC made a conscious decision to omit project boosters from its coverage of NIMBYs
Do you remember what I said last week about the recent competing weekly rallies of opponents and supporters of the Archer Avenue traffic safety project in Brighton Park?
January 20, 2026
Round 6 of the Archer Avenue rallies: A closer look at Archer and Kedzie, and Urban Center’s previously disgraced CEO chimes in on our Facebook post.
Still more television silence from NBC Chicago
January 14, 2026
Round 5 of the dueling Archer Avenue rallies, plus ex-alder George Cardenas enters the chat with a windshield POV
I've reported on most of the Monday evening dueling anti- and pro- Archer Avenue traffic safety project rallies over the past month or so. But I took a break from showing up on Monday, December 29, when the fourth of the competing demonstration sessions took place, in front of Ald. Julia Ramirez's 12th Ward office, 3868 S. Archer Ave.
January 6, 2026
