Art Golab reports on Mayor Rahm Emanuel's plan to make Chicago "the bike friendliest city in the country," which the mayor hopes will attract and keep high tech companies and their workers. The best part? The entire city benefits!
Cyclists, rejoice! This past Sunday, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced plans for a network of protected bicycle lanes that he hopes will appeal to local tech company workers who favor cycling over driving and have been fleeing the city for more bicycle-friendly areas. The mayor stated that once the project is completed, he hopes "the type of companies that have been leaving for the coast will stay in the city of Chicago."
The proposed project will include buffered bike lanes and bicycle signals to ensure the utmost safety for cyclists and drivers. Writes Golab, "by the end of the year, Chicago will have 22 miles of protected bike lanes, bringing the total to 33 miles. The cost," according to the city Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein, "is about $140,000 a mile."
Other street infrastructure projects in the works in Chicago include a new "Neighborhood Greenway" on Berteau Avenue Between Lincoln Avenue and Clark Street on the North Side, and a "road diet" expansion of pedestrian and bicycle areas along part of South Chicago Avenue on the South Side.
FULL STORY: More bike lanes planned for city
A Buffer is Better
What's the best street design to keep bicyclists safely out of the door zone? A buffered bike lane beats a conventional bike lane or "wide curb lane" according to a recent study published in TRB, based on observations in Chicago and Cambridge, Mass.
Chicago Sees Record Shared Bike, Scooter Use
Riders took over 11 million bike share and scooter trips in 2024.
Winter Cyclists Test Out New Chicago Bike Lanes
A new protected bike lane in the Logan Square neighborhood is seeing significant use, even in below-freezing temperatures.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
USDOT Revokes Approval for NYC Congestion Pricing
Despite the administration’s stated concern for the “working class,” 85 percent of Manhattan commuters use public transit to enter the city.
Tiny House Villages for Addressing Homelessness: An Interview with Yetimoni Kpeebi
One researcher's perspective on the potential of tiny homes and owner-built housing as one tool to fight the housing crisis.
Preserving Altadena’s Trees: A Community Effort to Save a Fire-Damaged Landscape
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena Green is working to preserve fire-damaged but recoverable trees, advocating for better assessment processes, educating homeowners, and protecting the community’s urban canopy from unnecessary removal.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Investigation Reveals Just How Badly California’s Homeless Shelters are Failing
Fraud, violence, death, and chaos follow a billion dollar investment in a temporary solution that is proving ineffective.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research