Thankfully, nowadays space for social distancing is not such an urgent need. But many residents appreciated the Slow Streets, so CDOT has brought back some of them, and is piloting a couple new ones.
To secure the future of transit in Chicago, we need to update the zoning code to allow two-flats and low-rise apartments near transit in neighborhoods across the city.
Since May 1, overall ridership has increased by than 20 percent, and in June, weekday average ridership was more than 600,000, over double the ridership during the darkest days of COVID-19.
The All-Day Pass was originally only meant to last a few weeks, but it's been hugely popular. According to the railroad, about a third of all riders currently use it.
Union Pacific's refusal to collect fares during COVID cost Metra some $1M a month, but it opened up new options for affordable – or free – transit exploration.
ATA provides its assessment of the 2020 Slow Streets program, which made room for safe, socially-distanced walking and biking during the COVID-19 pandemic.