Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about South Shore Line

Carrying bikes aboard a Metra train. Photo: Andrew St. Paul, Out Our Front Door

The Chicago Region’s Bike-Friendly Rail Service Makes Car-Free Camping a Breeze

By John Greenfield | Jun 8, 2017 | 4 Comments

Our wide-ranging and bicycle-friendly rail system offers multiple options for taking a train out to the exurbs and then pedaling a few miles to a forest preserve, natural area, or state park.

The South Shore Line Is Adding Weekday Bike Service. Will Anyone Use It?

By John Greenfield | Dec 28, 2016 | 1 Comment

The early-morning and late-afternoon weekday trains aren't going to be useful for most commutes or excursions, so it's likely these runs won’t see many bikes.

Why Is the South Shore’s Bike Program Getting Limited Use? It’s the Service.

By John Greenfield | Nov 11, 2016 | 19 Comments

In yesterday’s Tribune, an official from the South Shore Line commuter rail system, which runs from downtown Chicago to South Bend, Indiana, said that the line’s bikes-on-board program got less use than hoped for in its first season. “We were probably looking for more people to take advantage of it,” said John Parsons, the railroad’s […]

South Shore Line Launches Long-Awaited Bikes-on-Board Pilot Program

By Steven Vance | Apr 5, 2016 | No Comments

The South Shore Line, a commuter train service between Chicago and northern Indiana, started its weekend-only bikes-on-train pilot last Saturday. Alex Elich, a reporter with the WSBT radio station, demonstrated how to use the racks that hold the bike steady on the train. The Northern Indiana Commuter Transit District, the agency that runs the South Shore, […]

Once Again, the South Shore Line Is Standing in the Way of Bike Progress

By John Greenfield | Feb 11, 2016 | 3 Comments

Last August, the board of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transit District did the right thing by voting to dramatically reduce the wait until customers are allowed to bring bikes on South Shore Line trains. While NICTD had previously been talking about delaying the bikes-on-board pilot until 2021, they instead agreed to test the program this […]

2015 Was a Great Year for Chicago Transportation and Public Spaces

By John Greenfield | Dec 28, 2015 | No Comments

[The Chicago Reader recently launched a new weekly transportation column written by Streetsblog Chicago editor John Greenfield. This partnership will allow Streetsblog to extend the reach of our livable streets advocacy. We’ll be syndicating a portion of the column on the day it comes out online; you can read the remainder on the Reader’s website […]

The 6-Year Wait for Bikes on the South Shore Has Been Reduced to 9 Months

By Steven Vance | Aug 6, 2015 | 5 Comments

Last week, the board of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transit District voted to dramatically reduce the wait time for a bikes-on-board pilot for South Shore Line trains. A consultant had previously recommended delaying the trial until 2021, when new cars might be added to the system, allowing older cars to be modified to accommodate bikes. […]

The South Shore Line Expects You to Wait Six Years for Bike Access

By Steven Vance | Jun 22, 2015 | 8 Comments

Update: NICTD responded to our request for comment after publication and we will post a follow up story on Tuesday. Eager to bring your bike on a South Shore Line train to visit Notre Dame University, commute from Northwest Indiana to Chicago, or take a spin around the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore? You may well be […]

Leave Traffic Behind With These 6 Car-Free, Carefree Beach Trips

By John Greenfield | Aug 13, 2014 | 24 Comments

If, like me, you optimistically view the summer as lasting until September 22, we’ve got more than five more weeks of beach season left. Still, time is running out for fun in the sun, so you should make a beeline for the shoreline as soon as possible. While people often gripe that Chicago has limited […]

South Shore Line Looks Into Accommodating Bikes on Trains

By Steven Vance | May 15, 2013 | 5 Comments

Two weeks ago, at a friend’s suggestion, I started a petition to lobby the South Shore Line to allow bicycles on trains, which currently has 125 signers. Our motivation was mostly selfish: We want to be able to travel to the Dunes National Lakeshore and other places in northwest Indiana with our bikes. So I […]