Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Chicago

Is the Livability Movement Doomed to Homogeneity? The CDC Says No.

By Tanya Snyder | Jan 13, 2011 | No Comments

The first time Adolfo Hernandez went to the National Bike Summit, he got a sense of just how monochromatic the livability movement can be. “I think there were about 300 or 400 people,” he said. “And really, I could count on one hand people I thought were people of color.” Hernandez is the director of […]

Cities Learn From Chicago Parking Meter Debacle. Did Goldsmith?

By Noah Kazis | Nov 17, 2010 | 10 Comments

When Chicago Mayor Richard Daley announced that he was striking a deal to privatize his city’s 36,000 parking meters, it was a golden opportunity for transportation reform. If all went well, the deal could have cleared a political path for higher peak-hour meter rates, curbing double-parking and congestion-causing cruising. But Chicago managed to completely bungle […]

It’s Official: Chicago Parking Privatization a Massive Rip-Off

By John Kaehny | Nov 20, 2009 | 45 Comments

City parking meters are a gold mine, and in Chicago, Morgan Stanley is rolling in parking riches. Secret company documents leaked to reporters show the company will rake in a 70 percent profit margin this year from its $1.15 billion, 75-year lease of Chicago’s parking meters. This profit is on top of the millions Morgan […]

Chicago Police Say It Loud: Bikes Belong

By Brad Aaron | Sep 10, 2009 | 9 Comments

Traffic Enforcement for Bicyclist Safety from Chicago Bicycle Program on Vimeo. This amazing video, via Chicago Bicycle Advocate, was produced for the Chicago Police Department to educate drivers, cyclists and officers on traffic laws pertaining to bikes. Considering the consistent disregard and hostility projected by New York’s Finest, that such videos exist (San Francisco has […]

Chicago Pays the Price for Parking Privatization

By John Kaehny | Jun 17, 2009 | 19 Comments

It appears Chicago politicians who privatized city parking meter operations traded short-term political gain for long-term fiscal pain. Photo: Best Recession Ever Chicago may have left as much as $974 million on the table under the terms of last year’s agreement with Morgan Stanley. A June report from the city inspector general [PDF] blasted the […]

Streetfilms: Luxe Bike Parking in Chicago

By Brad Aaron | May 21, 2009 | 21 Comments

Continuing the Streetfilms tour of envy-inspiring bike parking garages, Clarence Eckerson files this report from the McDonald’s Cycling Center in Chicago’s Millennium Park, operated by Bike and Roll on behalf of the city. Says Clarence: It’s enough to make bike commuters in many cities drool. The center boasts state-of-the-art showering facilities, secure bicycle parking for […]

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