Leslie Hairston

Once the sun comes out, we'll surely see lots of people, including plenty of families and kids, enjoying these safer, traffic calmed streets again.

The Obama center should improve the Jackson Park green space and pedestrian and bike access within the park. But it's a shame that LSD and Stony Island had to be widened as part of the bargain.

This loop is perfect for local residents who'd like to get physical activity by walking or jogging laps, and a good set-up for children and families to go on bike rides.

Meanwhile a new Reuters report shows that although Uber claimed it opposed the tax for equity reasons, it quietly raised price on UberPool in Chicago this year, which is disproportionately used by lower-income residents.

The driver who opened their door in cyclist Luster Jackson's path was not cited.

Local aldermen say they were concerned about preserving parking for private cars, but advocates say the South Side needs more mobility options for the many residents who don't own them.

It was no surprise that read that Hairston opposes pedestrianizing streets in Jackson Park. She’s shown time and time again that she prioritizes easy driving above all other transportation modes.

[The Chicago Reader recently launched a new weekly transportation column written by Streetsblog Chicago editor John Greenfield. This partnership allows Streetsblog to extend the reach of our livable streets advocacy. We syndicate a portion of the column on the day it comes out online; you can read the remainder on the Reader’s website or in print. The paper hits the streets on Thursdays.]

As we recently reported, 5th Ward Alderman Leslie Hairston experimented with participatory budgeting process in 2013 but won’t be holding a PB election this year. However, it turns out that Hairston will still allow constituents to have some input on how the ward’s $1.3 million in discretionary “menu” funding is spent. Last year, only about one in 500 ward residents  voted in the budgeting election.