Op-Ed: Put Chicago on a Road Diet

"The city should consider road diets for all streets with excess car capacity, although they're not always politically easy," writes John Greenfield.

1 minute read

December 23, 2014, 7:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell

"If we want to fight congestion, improve air quality and make our city safer, more prosperous and more livable, we need to get serious about replacing as many car trips as possible with train, bus, bicycle and walking trips," according to a post by John Greenfield for Crain's Chicago Business.

Greenfield bases his argument on the successful early returns form road diets around the city that reconfigured four-lane roads to "two travel lanes and a turn lane, plus bike lanes and wider sidewalks." According to Greenfield, "It's worked on streets like South Chicago Street, 55th Street, Broadway and Lawrence Avenue."

Greenfield provides plenty of data to build a rational case in support of road diets, especially of the variety that will be required for BRT plans in downtown and on Ashland Avenue.

FULL STORY: Let's eliminate the biggest problem on Chicago's streets: Cars

Thursday, December 18, 2014 in Crain's Chicago Business

Land Use Transportation Illinois Chicago Road Diets Bus Rapid Transit Multi-modalism Ashland BRT View More

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