COVID-19 and Transportation: The Path We Could Have Taken

We are now in month 7 of the coronavirus pandemic. These are not easy times. People are concerned about their health on multiple levels-physical, emotional, and financial. In the backdrop of the pandemic is environmental breakdown. In many ways coronavirus is a symptom of climate change, one of the greatest challenges humanity is facing.

New York City’s robust 14th St Busway, an example of something that’s easy, quick, and cheap to implement.

Some countries and cities have responded to coronavirus by creating and expanding places for people to practice social distancing- space for open air dining, expanding sidewalks so people have space to safely walk and run, and slowing or eliminating car traffic in order to create safe spaces for walking and biking. New York City and Washington, D.C. decided to increase the amount of bus-only lanes in order to speed up bus service and reduce the amount of time travellers spend on the bus. Chicago has slightly expanded our bus-only lanes by 50% but that’s not all that impressive when you look at the data. Before recently creating temporary “pop-up” bus-only lanes, Chicago had less than 4 miles of bus-only lanes. As a result of so-called expansion, we now have a little under 8 miles of bus-only lanes. While I appreciate some effort to try to reduce travel times on our busiest bus lines, a recent field trip to check out the temporary bus-only lanes on 79th street was quite disappointing. New York City created a network of slow streets. Chicago has created slow streets as well but there is no city-coordinated effort, instead individuals alders must champion bringing one to their wards. If we had a well-funded department of transportation we would have a city-wide network 

As the Assistant Editor for Streetsblog Chicago and someone overall passionate about sustainable transportation and creating more environmentally friendly, equitable, and fun cities, I have kept up with investments other cities and countries have made in walking, biking, and creating more spaces for people during the coronavirus pandemic. Compared to our peer cities, our “investments” to enhance mobility during COVID-19 has been disappointing, to say the least.

I don’t know about you but I’ve noticed a big increase in the amount of people biking on our streets. Many Chicagoans have hesitations about riding buses and trains and have taken to biking as an affordable and coronavirus safe way to get around. Some have turned to biking as a way to stave off boredom and spend quality time with friends and/or family. I crossed paths with a woman riding an E-Divvy at a stop light. She told me she had taken up biking during the pandemic and was overall enjoying it aside from daily close calls with drivers. Our co-founder Kyle Lucas works with many people who live on the South Side who commute to downtown Chicago. He has shared numerous instances of his co-workers having difficulties with transit during the pandemic: buses being full and passing them up causing them to wait even longer for a bus, commutes taking 1-2 hours longer than pre-COVID. We know these are not isolated events. Every day people biking experience preventable close calls and every day our buses are unnecessarily moving at slow speeds.

Here are a few inspiring examples from other cities that have charted a different transportation path during the Coronavirus pandemic:

London's Low Traffic Neighborhoods: Exactly as it sounds, traffic is diverted to streets more appropriate for medium to heavy car traffic which allows residents to walk, run, bike, scoot, and roll on neighborhood streets without fear of being injured or killed by a driver. Wouldn’t it be nice if more children in Chicago were given the opportunity to play on the streets without their parents fearing they will be injured? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could walk, bike, rollerskate, skateboard, scoot, etc on your neighborhood streets without fear an angry driver will ruin your experience? It’s totally possible!

Montreal expanded sidewalks in business districts, near schools and daycare centers, and in areas with high pedestrian traffic. Along with expanding sidewalks, Montreal created a small network of slow streets that prohibited car traffic and allowed for people to walk, scoot, skateboard, and bike in the roadway. 98 miles of safety corridors were created in a month. 

Bogota created 84 kilometers of emergency bike lanes to assist essential workers get around. The lanes were also created to reduce traffic.

Mexico City has created 54 kilometer (33 miles) of bike lanes to facilitate socially distant and sustainable transportation. 

Paris has created 650 km (403 miles) of emergency cycleways to aid Parisians with socially distant and sustainable forms of transportation. In addition to creating more cycleways, Paris is aiming towards becoming a 15 Minute City, a city in which all of your daily needs are accessible within a 15 minute walk or bike ride. Lastly, Paris will be repurposing thousands of on-street car storage spaces into productive uses of land. Residents will be consulted on how they want to repurpose the space. Wouldn’t you love it if the space on your block could be used for something better than storing an empty car for 24 hours of the day? That same space could hold secure parking for multiple bikes and scooters, a composting bin, a bench, a trampoline, a garden, etc. We’ll need your help to make the case to our elected officials that we want to use our streets for more productive purposes. 

Chicago faces many challenges as a result of COVID. We realize city funds are limited at this time but we shouldn’t allow that to get in the way of improving public transportation and creating safe cycling infrastructure. Many individuals and families are experiencing financial hardship and quality affordable transportation, whether it be transit or biking, is a part of relieving financial hardship. Sure plenty of Chicagoans own cars but who's to say they wouldn’t ditch their car for the bus or a bike if we made those options more attractive?

We want to hear from you! In what ways would you want to see Chicago improve the sustainable transportation landscape?

A Better Lakeshore Drive is Possible

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is soliciting citizen feedback on plans to redesign the Northern portion of Lakeshore Drive by holding small group meetings tomorrow (October 13, 2020) and Wednesday (October 14, 2020). We need people to attend to tell them that the premise of the project is flawed and that Chicagoans deserve better than repeating 20th century planning mistakes. In case you’re unaware, IDOT wants to widen Lakeshore Drive re-establish it as a freeway for generations to comet. They are begrudgingly considering mild improvements to speed up buses that use Lakeshore Drive, but have made no commitments.

If you attend one of these meetings and want to provide feedback, here are some things to consider:

1. It’s inappropriate to rebuild 20th century infrastructure that we know harms our environment, increases the risk of crashes, and cuts off access to our city’s greatest asset.

2. The premise of “redefining” the drive is a lie. Simply continuing to have LSD function as a freeway is not “redefining” the drive. IDOT and CDOT are ignoring their own data that shows 60% of people who drive on LSD would take other means if they were reliable. The potential for more people to utilize the bus in itself invalidates the need for a highway.

3. Every survey the project puts out prioritizes the needs of drivers and are impossible for non-drivers to answer accurately and honestly. IDOT is continuing to make moving cars it’s priority, not people. Buses carry a lot more passengers than cars and it’s past time to prioritize the movement of people over the movement of cars.

4. Share with them successful projects that provide precedent! There has been a wave of U.S. and international cities choosing to redevelop their urban highways into a more productive use of space, a space for people to safely walk, roll, bike, and board speedy transit. Are you a fan of Boston’s Big Dig? What about the transformation of the Embarcadero in San Francisco? Maybe the recent restoration of the canal in Utrecht!

If you can make it to one of the meetings, let us know! We’d love to chat with you about what you can bring up and what we can advocate for.

Better Streets Chicago Starts with a Just Chicago

Better Streets Chicago was founded to empower everyday Chicagoans to advocate for a more just and sustainable transportation environment. Right now, as a city, we’re really grappling with that “just” part.

Photo shared with permission - Credit: Alex Knowbody (Instagram)

Let us be perfectly clear: Better Streets Chicago stands in solidarity with the protesters and advocates demanding an end to police violence against Black people – because Black Lives Matter. Our streets will never truly be better if they are not better for every person, of every race, in every neighborhood of our city. If we are to have better streets, the fight doesn’t stop when police brutality directed at Black people ends. We cannot win the fight if we do not listen to and invest in Black communities and give Black people the support and resources needed to help them not only survive, but to thrive. Non-Black people must let Black people lead the way, amplifying their voices and supporting their needs while also working independently to help stop the many (and often subtle) ways racism shows up in our world.

Most of you are still getting to know Better Streets Chicago, as our organization was only formed this year and we are still in our infancy. In the lead up to our launch, a frequent conversation amongst our co-founders was around our commitment to making sure we found ways for everyone to share the needs of their communities and make change – including predominantly Black areas that have been historically left out of streets and transportation-planning conversations in Chicago. We are committed to boosting and supporting the transportation needs of these communities.

One of the many pedestrian crossings in the Loop that were raised on Saturday, May 30, severely limiting the movement of people in and out of the Loop. (via @TylerLaRiviere)

This weekend, our city and our nation have witnessed unrest unlike what many of us have ever known. The cries for justice are deafening, and the effects of injustice have been made clear. We have been appalled both by the brutality against Black people and the city’s handling of the protesting this weekend.

What is just about shutting down an entire public transportation network (in addition to the Divvy bike share network) with less than two hours notice, as the city did on Sunday evening?

(Via @cta)

Or trapping protesters in the Loop without access to transit and only one pedestrian river crossing – while giving less than twenty minutes’ notice of a curfew – as  the city did on Saturday evening?

(Via @chicago)

In addition to the impact this dangerous and unnecessary closure of transit and exit paths had on the protesters, it’s important to remember that essential workers and people relying on transit for essential trips (let’s not forget that CTA ridership is primarily low-income and non-white) were also negatively impacted by these hastily made service stoppages. The largest area of stoppages (prior to the full shutdown) was on the South Side.

We expect much more from Chicago. We’re glad the service cuts are ending, but they never should have happened. We need a commitment from the mayor to seek alternatives going forward.

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We challenge our white neighbors to consider the many ways in which Black people are still systematically deprived of the same “luxuries” white people and their communities often enjoy, from sufficient and safe public transportation access to the ability to go for a jog down their street without being murdered simply because of their race. We also challenge others to consider the ways in which they may have played a role in maintaining racial divides, whether knowingly or not. 

There are many ways that white people can play a part in moving us closer to a society that truly demonstrates Black lives matter. Protesting on the streets is just one of many ways you can contribute. If you’re looking for other concrete actions you can take, we recommend starting with 26 Ways to Be in the Struggle Beyond the Streets.

Finally, we challenge any person with the financial means to support organizations in Chicago that lift Black voices and fight for justice, both during recent events and in the on-going fight for equality. Below are just a few of the many organizations that can use your support. This list is only a start, and we hope you’ll take the time to learn more about these and other organizations that are actively fighting the racist systems harming our Black communities.

Assata’s Daughters

Black Lives Matter Chicago

Chicago Community Bond Fund

Chicago Freedom School

My Block, My Hood, My City

The Triibe

Dear Mayor Lightfoot and Commissioner Biagi…

Our city and state have taken drastic and emergency measures to curb the spread of coronavirus. Governor Pritzker stated when presenting his roadmap for reopening Illinois, “We have to figure out how to live with COVID-19 until it can be vanquished – and to do so in a way that best supports our residents’ health and our healthcare systems, and saves the most lives.” With that in mind, we must make immediate changes to ensure people can maintain proper distancing while making essential trips and going outside to exercise their bodies or their minds. As Chicago progresses through its phases of reopening, this space will become even more imperative.

We’re urging Mayor Lightfoot and Commissioner Biagi to take seriously the needs of Chicagoans to be able to be outside, to be able to walk and bike and roll to the bus and work and store and park — wherever they need to go — and maintain a safe distance from each other and from cars. We ask that they and the Department of Planning and Development work with community groups, the Mayor’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committees, and alderpeople to create a connected city-wide network of safe and open streets.

Safe and open streets are critical for the safety of Chicagoans, including:

• Pedestrians who have found that the city’s narrow sidewalks make it impossible to distance themselves from others, facing a dangerous choice: break social distancing on sidewalks, or move to the streets and risk being struck by a vehicle.

• Bike riders who must share the streets with fewer, but — as CDOT has confirmed — more reckless drivers. Chicago’s two primary separated bike routes are closed, and the city’s largely disjointed and dangerous network of bike lanes put bike riders at a greater risk of being hit by a car.

• Transit riders who find themselves on crowded buses and trains, putting them at heightened risk of COVID-19 transmission, but have no safe and affordable alternative to get to essential jobs or run essential errands.

Thankfully, safe and open streets can be achieved in Chicago in many ways, including:

• Using quick-build methods to widen sidewalks and create pilot bikeways on streets with excess vehicle lanes.

• Closing some streets to through-traffic.

• Proactively building physically protected bike lanes that mirror high ridership bus routes to provide a safe way for Chicagoans who are able to bike to access groceries, essential services, providing more space for those who rely on buses to do the same.

• Reopen our Lakefront Trail and parks, restoring an important North-South cycling corridor and giving Chicagoans more ways to connect with nature.

• Using friendly, non-police staff to encourage people to practice social distancing in high-traffic areas and parks.

Returning to pre-COVID-19 transit ridership levels will take time, as fears of crowded spaces and continued work from home policies persist. As businesses reopen and Chicagoans begin to leave their homes more often (especially with warmer weather) we’ll need an alternative to mass transit. We fear that as the city begins to re-open, the current state of our infrastructure will encourage more people to drive than ever before, putting lives at risk due to heightened pollution (particularly for communities in proximity to highways) – a factor linked to worse outcomes for COVID-19 patients – and increasing the likelihood of pedestrians and cyclists being hit by cars.

It’s time Chicago utilizes its space effectively and prioritizes space for people. Cities like Minneapolis, New York City, Oakland, Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City, Louisville, and Milwaukee — not to mention others across the world — have opened their streets for their residents. Chicago must follow suit quickly to create streets that reflect the times we are in.

What is Better Streets Chicago?

Founded in 2020, Better Streets Chicago is the result of everyday people looking for new ways to advocate for better walking, biking, and transit infrastructure. We’re looking to form a coalition of people across this great city who are ready and willing to roll up their sleeves, get creative, and get to work to seek meaningful change.

• Do you dream of a Chicago with safer walking and biking infrastructure?

• Are you sick of the bus getting stuck in traffic?

• Are you frustrated by the slow pace and high cost of infrastructure improvements?

Join us as we create better and safer transportation infrastructure in Chicago! 

We firmly believe that change doesn't always require big budgets and distant timelines. Using a combination of incremental tactical urbanism, rider outreach and relationship building with local leaders, we plan to prove that improved transit infrastructure can be more easily accomplished, more popular with the public and more affordable than the city believes.

Looking to get involved?

Those looking to help make Chicago’s streets better along with us can get started by joining our email list to get updates about what we’re working on and ways to help, as well as following us on Twitter and Facebook.