Humboldt Park

2015 had a tragic start for the family of Aimer Robledo, a Humboldt Park man who was killed by a hit-and-run driver as he rode his bike home in the early hours of New Year’s Day.

The Bloomingdale Trail is attracting new investment along its length, including the construction of new multi-family and single-family housing. The blocks bracketing the multi-use path and adjacent parks (collectively known as the 606) saw less construction than their wider neighborhoods during the 2008-2009 recession -- but now construction is picking up. Investors and developers are confidently saying that the 606 will not just be a great amenity for their customers, but a crucial transportation link as well.

The 2700 Block of West North Avenue.

I don't remember the first time I met Carmelita Sams, the well-loved bike mechanic and instructor who recently passed away, but I do remember one of the last times I saw her. Carmelita was a volunteer at West Town Bikes, a bike education center in Humboldt Park, as well as the only female staffer at its attached shop, Ciclo Urbano. In July I organized Cargo Bike Roll Call at West Town. It was a chilly afternoon and I told her I was cold. She offered to run home and get one of her son's sweatshirts for me, and came back with a double XL bright orange hoodie that fit me perfectly.

Pavement markings installed in 2012 in the Humboldt Park neighborhood to designate bike lanes and "Children’s Safety Zones" are quickly disappearing, less than six months after installation.

Earlier this week, the Chicago Tribune published an analysis of Chicago traffic crash data, finding that "from 2007 through 2011, nearly 1,700 youths, ages 5 to 18, were struck by vehicles in Chicago within about a block of a school." Half of all pedestrian injuries to children occur near schools, and it's great to have the local press draw attention to the problem. The next step is to start thinking about how to make entire routes to school safer for walking and biking.