Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about Kyle Whitehead

Trump's budget would abolish the U.S. DOT's New Starts grant program, which would probably kill Chicago's plan to extend the Red Line south to 130th Street. Image: CTA

Blood on the Tracks: Trump’s Budget Would Be Disastrous for Chicago Transit

By John Greenfield | Mar 29, 2017 | 6 Comments

Local leaders say many planned improvements would be almost impossible to pay for without help from the feds, so we're going to have to fight this anti-urban budget with everything we've got.

Rauner's proposed tower would soar 115 stories, higher than the Sears Tower. Image: Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill

What Would Replacing the Thompson Center With a Skyscraper Mean for the CTA?

By John Greenfield | Feb 2, 2017 | 5 Comments

Governor Bruce Rauner is hellbent on selling off the state office building. He's proposed replacing it with a 115-story tower, but advocates want a guarantee that the Clark/Lake station won't be negatively impacted.

Can We Ensure That More Traffic Enforcement Doesn’t Lead to More Profiling?

By John Greenfield | Jan 18, 2017 | 4 Comments

The issue is complicated by the fact that Chicago's underserved neighborhoods seem to be disproportionately impacted by serious and fatal crashes.

Active Trans Wins $150K Grant to Help Accelerate Slow Chicago Bus Service

By John Greenfield | Oct 4, 2016 | 5 Comments

There was some good news for Chicago straphangers last week. TransitCenter, a New York-based foundation dedicated to improving urban mobility, awarded 16 grants, totaling more than $17 million, to civic organizations, universities, and municipalities, and the Active Transportation Alliance was one of the winners. The Active Trans proposal, called Speeding Up Chicago’s Buses, involves working […]

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 […]

“Gray Line” Advocate Mike Payne Wants Rapid Service on Metra Electric Line

By Steven Vance | Feb 17, 2016 | 15 Comments

The idea of Metra running its Hyde Park and South Chicago-bound Electric District line more like a CTA ‘L’ line may be gaining traction. If so, much of the credit goes to advocate Mike Payne, who has been tirelessly promoting the concept online and at public meetings. He calls this proposed rapid transit service as […]

Active Trans Wants Candidates to Commit to Working for Safer Streets

By Steven Vance | Jan 7, 2015 | 1 Comment

The Active Transportation Alliance released its 2015 election platform last week [PDF], featuring strategies to improve walking, biking, and transit in the region that they want candidates in the municipal elections to endorse. The Active Transportation Platform focuses on creating safer streets and providing better infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders. The group hopes […]