Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about safety

Scooters near the Kedzie Pink Line stop in North Lawndale. Photo: Jeff Zoline

Main finding of Chicago’s dockless scooter pilot: “We need to do another pilot”

By John Greenfield | Jan 29, 2020 | No Comments

The study also found there were 192 reported scooter injuries in four months, and 34 percent of online survey respondents said they used the devices to go to or from transit.

The death of Angie Monroy was a reminder that gun violence is a mobility justice issue

By Lynda Lopez | Dec 17, 2019 | No Comments

As transit and mobility advocates, we need to talk more openly about violence on our streets and how it intersects with our work.

The aftermath of a side-impact crash. Image: Wikipedia

If Illinois bans red light cameras, Springfield lawmakers will have blood on their hands

By John Greenfield | Oct 18, 2019 | No Comments

Bills have been introduced in Springfield to ban the cams statewide, but data from cities that have banned automated enforcement show significant increases in serious and fatal crashes.

What Can We Do to Make Dockless Electric Scooters Safer?

By John Greenfield | Aug 30, 2019 | 9 Comments

Rentable dockless electric scooters have about nine times the fatality rate of bike-share.

Cyclists on Dickens Avenue in Lincoln Park. Photo: John Greenfield

Cyclephobia: Fears of Reckless Bike Riders May Be Overblown, but Empathy Is Still Needed

By John Greenfield | Aug 8, 2019 | 15 Comments

Reckless driving is an exponentially bigger threat, but a person with a disability's stories of being struck by sidewalk riders is a reminder that bike-pedestrian crashes are no laughing matter either.

A scooter rider (not Lynda) on Milwaukee Avenue in River North. Photo: John Greenfield

My Experiences Test-Riding Scooters in Chicago

By Lynda Lopez | Jul 8, 2019 | 12 Comments

Streetsblog reporter Lynda Lopez gives the new technology a spin and says smoother-riding devices, and more education and outreach are needed.

The June 10 crash near the Diversey bridge. Photo: Jeff Linder via Twitter

Guardrails Installed on South Lakefront; 2nd Crash in 2 Weeks Reported Near Diversey

By John Greenfield | Jul 3, 2019 | 6 Comments

The park district says railing have been installed 41st Street and the point, but after two recent crashes near Diversey advocates say more protection is needed near the North Side as well.

An Update on Chicago Scooter Injuries During the first 2 Weeks of the Pilot

By John Greenfield and Igor Studenkov | Jul 3, 2019 | 6 Comments

There have been at least 21 injury crashes, or about one case per 5,714 trips, a similar rate as in Austin, Texas.

Proper scooter protocol, from the city of Chicago's new scooter flyer.

Ready or Not, 10 Different Scooter Companies Hit the Streets Starting Saturday

By John Greenfield | Jun 11, 2019 | 21 Comments

Will the scooters be an asset to Chicago's sustainable transportation network, or will they introduce a new set of dangers and annoyances to urban life? Only time will tell.

Been in a Crash? Active Trans’ Crash Support Website Can Help

By Lynda Lopez | Jun 4, 2019 | No Comments

About ten years ago, the Active Transportation Alliance launched its Crash Support Helpline to provide support and resources to people who have just experienced a crash on foot or by bike. According to deputy director Melody Geraci, it was established in response to a steady flow of calls to the office from people who had […]

A mural honoring Marlen Ochoa-Lopez in Pilsen. Photo: Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune

Why Violence Against Women on the South and West Sides Is a Mobility Justice Issue

By Lynda Lopez | May 23, 2019 | 11 Comments

The murder of Marlen Ochoa-Lopez, and other recent missing-person cases, have made women walking and riding transit in lower-income communities of color feel less safe.

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