Chicago

Holidays and Winter Weather Remind Drivers to be Cautious on the Roads

December 8, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

This year, while Americans around the country were preparing for Thanksgiving and the festivities that accompany lengthy travel times, dreaded late-night drives, and full stomachs, we were all reminded just how busy our lives can get and the chaos that ensues when we are all trying to do the same thing and get to the same place. According to AAA, the expectation this year was that 55 million vehicles were set to hit the road, traveling more than 50 miles for the holiday. That is quite the number and goes to show how reliant our culture is on the ability to travel to visit our family, friends, and loved ones.

Besides stating the obvious that 55 million drivers on the roads present serious traffic concerns and safety violations, we wanted to bring attention to the fact that throughout the United States, especially in the Midwest, weather concerns present a serious issue that unfortunately cannot go unnoticed. It is true, Chicago and the rest of the Midwest get freezing cold. We experience brutal snowstorms, yet we somehow find ways to hit the roads and make certain that we get to where we are going. However, what we often don’t think about is the fact that these severe changes in weather present far more serious issues underneath the pavement that should make us worried about more than just the road being “clear.” We have written countless times about how potholes form due to cold weather and snow atop the roads, leaving many drivers unaware that even driving over one could potentially result in a blown out tire or the inability to properly turn. These are the types of issues we want to ensure all Americans are aware of because they truly come out of nowhere.

Chicago has recently announced that it is doing what it can to address issues involving potholes, going as far as conducting Blitz Days that serve as days dedicated for only refilling potholes throughout the city. While that may seem excessive, the reality is that Chicago has issues with road infrastructure throughout the entire city. You may be asking, so what, these issues are common and happen throughout the whole country. While it is true that potholes are common, other parts of the United States do not experience the snowstorms and inclement weather that we do. Sure, hitting a pothole is tough and may result in as little as a damaged tire; however, what occurs when you throw a snowstorm or the common “snow day” on top of that incident. You very well could be left waiting on the side of the road, or worse placing others in danger by continuing to drive with a damaged tire. That’s what this serves as. A simple reminder that while the pothole you attempt to avoid is an issue the city needs to address; you are responsible for how you drive after passing over such obstacles on the road.

With us now being in the thick of Holiday season, remember that the traffic and road chaos will only increase. Sure, the more traffic there is, the slower we are driving, but it has been shown time and again that more traffic results in far more dangerous roads. Again, this may be common sense, but it’s true that these road dangers go unnoticed. Remember, we are responsible for how we drive on the roads, even after a slight “hiccup” such as running over a pothole occurs. Do your neighbor a favor and be extra cautious. When you have 55 million drivers on the road, it’s the best you can do.

Chicago Transit 2020 Budget Announced–What Upgrades are in Store for the City?

November 19, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

CHICAGO — The Chicago Transit Authority has proposed its operating budget of $1.57 million for 2020, which will luckily call for no service cuts or fare increases.

The budget, announced late last month, will use tens of millions of dollars to modernize Chicago’s public transit infrastructure and will aim to make for an overall better commute experience for all city travelers.

The proposed $5.1 billion five-year budget for 2020 to 2024 will also include a monumental funding plan for the passage of the State of Illinois’ Rebuild Illinois capital bill from June of this year.

It will also continue more than $8 billion of historic transit investment that has been started, completed or announced since 2011. These particular projects include: rehabilitating rail stations and implementing new ones, expanding public arts, rail and bus modernization, rail slow zone removal, and new technology additions. This work will aim to increase reliability, reduce commute times, improve safety, and strengthen the transit experience for all customers.

“Public transportation is the great connector of Chicago, and this city has a fundamental obligation to ensure all residents of all communities have access to affordable, accessible and equitable transportation options,” said Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot as the new CTA budget was revealed. “I’m proud to say this budget reflects not only our priorities, but most importantly our values.”

According to the CTA, public transportation usage has dropped significantly in recent years. To gain more riders, the CTA plans to upgrade rail stations and improve the system’s reliability and quality of service.

“Despite continued cuts by the state legislature to the CTA operating funds,” said CTA President Dorval Carter, “we are grateful to Mayor Lightfoot and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker for fighting to finally provide CTA with a capital program that will help improve and modernize our infrastructure.”

From this budget, the CTA will invest $310 million into the $2.3 billion Red Line rail route extension project, which will work to extend the Red Line–which connects Chicago’s north side and south side to the Loop business district–south by 5.3 miles. The Red Line Extension project will also include four new and fully accessible stations at 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue and 130th Street.

These funds are the largest contribution the CTA has ever committed towards the RLE project, and be funneled into the new engineering and design work needed in order for it to receive federal funding.

The 2020 budget will also fund $78 million for the All Stations Accessibility Program, a plan to make all CTA rail stations completely vertically accessible. This plan was announced by President Carter in 2018 and is the first blueprint of its kind that aims to modernize rail stations that are currently non-vertically accessible. The plan will improve 42 of Chicago’s rail stations in this manner and will also upgrade elevator systems to align with the renovations.

For the first time in a decade, CTA received an extremely significant funding commitment in 2019 for a State capital plan, which came in the Rebuild Illinois bill.

This capital bill will give CTA $1.2 billion in bond funding through the next five years, and includes $141.5 million in proposed projects–implementing an overhaul of the Cottage Grove Green Line station and the first phase of the Red and Purple Modernization Program, which broke ground this fall and will include a rail bypass to meet future capacity requirements and will rebuild four Red Line Stations.

Additional projects from 2020 funding will include 20 new electric buses, Blue Line O’Hare Branch traction power upgrades, Blue Line station and signal improvements, and 10 new prototypes of the 7000-series railcar, the transit system’s newest generation railcar.

The 2020 budget also includes over $26 million in cost savings and operational efficiencies such as the hiring freeze, which is projected to affect at least 200 positions–an increase of 50 from 2019. The savings will also lock power costs in at historically low prices.

CTA has continued to be negatively impacted by operating fund cuts by the State of Illinois, President Carter said. “CTA losses since the state cut our operating funds will total $180 million through 2020. We continue to call for the restoration of full operating funding for this agency so that we may better serve our customers.”

Alderman Hopkins Pushes Toward a Plan to Rebuild Lake Shore Drive

November 10, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

CHICAGO – Alderman Brian Hopkins (2nd) is currently pressuring the city to start massive movement on its long-awaited plan of adding new parkland off of Lake Shore Drive, as well as implementing a solution to an inefficient lakefront intersection at Chicago Avenue.

Hopkins is working toward a resolution that would completely rebuild–not just repave–The Drive and add 70 acres of parkland to its east.

It would also aim to expand Oak Street Beach.

Hopkins’ ward covers the stretch from the Downtown lakefront to Bucktown. Regarding his proposals, he has been requesting support from Governor J.B. Pritzker.

“The $45 billion capital bill is out there,” Hopkins explained. “And we don’t know what that’s going to be spent on. I’m pushing for this plan to finally come to fruition and get it off the drawing board.”

The alderman is also asking for a resolution to the inconvenient traffic backups caused at the Lake Shore Drive/Chicago Avenue intersection, where eastbound vehicles traveling from Streeterville make for an excessively long red light wait time in all four directions, while cars only get a few seconds to move once the light finally turns green.

“If you were a traffic engineer,” Hopkins said, “you would be fired for proposing this today. It’s just that bad.”

The resolution would also work to create a path allowing Chicago Avenue traffic to pass over Lake Shore Drive, along with with on-ramps and off-ramps to make for easier maneuvers on and off of The Drive–which would ideally no longer back up traffic.

“We really have no choice,” explained Hopkins. “We have to do something. Lake Shore Drive is crumbling. It needs to be replaced. The roadbed is beyond its useful service life. And as long as we’re rebuilding Lake Shore Drive, I think it would be a tragic waste of opportunity if we don’t also expand the parkland there.”

As of now, Lake Shore Drive has sparse greenery and boasts mostly concrete walkways and bike lanes on its sides. Hopkins’ plan would include new landfill to expand into the lake for additional parkland along the roadway.

The Drive is also under constant threat of flooding by Lake Michigan.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot has been working to add Jersey barriers to hold back rising water along the lake, but Hopkins believes this is impractical.

“It’s not going to work,” Hopkins told the City Club of Chicago late last month. “The types of erosion we’re seeing through climate change, fluctuating lake levels…we can’t get out of the way of this with Jersey walls. We have to rebuild Lake Shore Drive.”

Hopkins is waiting for much more momentum to come with the new administration in Springfield.

His project would also put into place a long-running campaign to fix Lake Shore Drive’s S-shaped curve around Oak Street Beach. This development aligns with Meigs Field’s conversion to a Northerly Island nature preservation, as well as with Downtown’s Museum Campus completion that sits just off of The Drive.

Chicago architect Daniel Burnham, who helped to write the “Plan of Chicago” in 1909, deemed the city’s shoreline “forever open, clear and free,” which has been publicly mandated since 1836.

18 years ago, a group of cyclists established the Campaign for a Free and Clear Lakefront in honor of Burnham’s vision–they wanted the city to remove Lake Shore Drive entirely and return it to its origins as a grassy park space. In their eyes, such a large separation between Chicagoans and Lake Michigan was in direct violation of Burnham’s ideals.

It seems they weren’t far off base.

The ‘North Lake Shore Drive project,’ has been a collaboration between the Chicago and Illinois departments of transportation, the Chicago Park District, the Federal Highway Administration, and various neighborhood groups since 2013.

Safer and more efficient roadways, a renovated drive, and new parklands are possible, but these improvements will need backing, funding, and teamwork between government groups and Chicago locals.

Alderman Hopkins’ fight is a powerful reminder of the reimagining that is needed for Lake Shore Drive–better parks and more beach space are what will allow Chicago’s lakefront to remain a scenic legacy. It won’t be enough just to prevent it from falling apart.

Chicago Uses Largest Number of Controversial Red-Light Cameras

November 8, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

CHICAGO – The city of Chicago is leading the game in generating revenue from red-light cameras. Currently, we have implemented more red-light cameras–and brought in more money from them–than any other major city in America.

No other urban area can even compare to Chicago’s 309 red-light cameras. When the traffic resource was at its peak, there were nearly 400.

Only four of the 10 biggest U.S. cities presently operate these cameras–New York City, Philadelphia and Phoenix are the others. However, they fall far behind the Second City. NYC has 164 of the traffic control devices; Philadelphia has 30, and Phoenix just 12.

For reference, the town of Gurnee, Illinois has 15.

Because Chicago is so camera-happy, the city’s revenue has increased exponentially, amassing $719.7 million since 2008 from red-light cameras alone–twice the revenue in half the time of New York’s $286.7 million since 1994.

While the cameras may be an enormous source of city funds, they are frustratingly costly for drivers, and have been proven to create opportunity for government corruption and distrust.

Multiple government groups across Illinois have been found to continue contracting with Redflex Traffic Systems Inc., the red-light camera manufacturer with a history of corruption and scandal.

The company had been fostering a long-term bribery scandal throughout Chicago, with allegations surfacing back in 2012. The city cut off its Redflex connections; however, between 2015 and 2016, both the company and the city were given prison sentences in one of the most prominent bribery schemes in the history of Chicago.

John Bills, who used to work for the city’s department of transportation, received 20 counts of felony in the scheme for having acquired hundreds of thousands of dollars from Redflex in order to keep the company’s devices installed throughout the city–leading to its current leading position in red-light camera usage.

A Redflex official also alleged that the company offered bribes to “dozens of municipalities” across 13 other states. The CEO of Redflex was sentenced to 20 months in prison.

Regardless, the suburban Illinois areas of Gurnee, Carol Stream, Olympia Fields, North Chicago and Bellwood continued their contracts with Redflex. Gurnee extended its agreement in 2012, and again in 2015.

Now, it appears history repeats itself. State Senator Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago) recently became subject to an office raid during the hunt for information regarding his agreement with SafeSpeed LLC, another red-light camera vendor.

A 2018 Case Western Reserve University study found that red-light cameras have no apparent safety benefit. Researchers in the study analyzed traffic accident data from Houston–which utilized these cameras between 2006 and 2010–and discovered that rear-end crashes actually increased. Although T-bone collisions did decrease during that time, they found that the cameras most likely increased the number of overall accidents.

The Chicago Tribune also found in 2014 that rear-end collisions increased by 22 percent in Houston during that time, and that the number of crashes at a red-light camera intersection did indeed go up once the camera was put in place.

Many of the cameras installed in Chicago are located in intersections which already had a low number of accidents.

Although Chicago (and the rest of Illinois) has appeared to maintain a mind of its own in regards to red-light camera use, bipartisan support in the Statehouse is pushing for an overall ban. State Representatives David McSween (R-Barrington Hills) and Jonathan Carroll (D-Buffalo Grove) introduced a bill in January aiming to ban red-light cameras across the entire state. In early October, Rita Mayfield (D-Waukegan) and Sam Yingling (D-Grayslake) signed onto House Bill 323 as co-sponsors. A second bill to ban these cameras was also introduced just three days later.

In addition, the Tribune has reported that in analysis of over 4 million tickets issued between 2007 and 2014, many individual cases showed evidence of deviations in Chicago’s cameras caused by “faulty equipment, human tinkering or both.”

This clear misuse of traffic control equipment has given Chicago locals a strong reason to lose faith in their local government and to suspect corruption.

If these cameras are proven to bring more accidents to previously-low-risk intersections and place unnecessary financial burden on drivers–and they do–it is sensible for these bills to be passed easily and quickly.

Chicago Announces New Plan to Reduce Downtown Congestion

November 1, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

On October 18^th, City officials announced two new initiatives to reduce downtown congestion and increase the use of Chicago’s bus system. Through the new initiatives, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced that ride-share apps will see an increase in fees, specifically downtown and in the surrounding areas. Additionally, Lightfoot announced the city would be adding additional bus-only lanes throughout the city to incentivize public transportation.

Both of the announcements follow what has been a long-awaited response by Chicago’s administration to curb the significant increase in ridesharing occurring throughout the city, which has clearly had a negative effect on the use of public transportation for downtown commuters. After the announcement, Curbed Chicago provided a breakdown of how Uber and Lyft users would be affected by the new initiative. For starters, “the new proposal would decrease the amount for shared trips to 65 cents and increase single rides to $1.25.” In doing this, the city is hoping to clearly incentivize riders to think about carpooling. However, this isn’t nearly as aggressive as Chicago’s special downtown zone fee, which will see the single trip fee increase $2.28 to $3.00. Curbed Chicago goes on to explain that “the downtown zone fees would apply between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. and the proposed downtown area includes the Loop, River North and a portion of the West Loop. The boundary streets include: Lake Shore Drive, Roosevelt Road, Desplaines Street, Van Buren Street, Ashland Avenue, Grand Street, North Branch Canal, North Avenue.”

Overall, these are drastic announcements by the city. No matter the public policy at hand, commuters are likely to not take too lightly to a two dollar increase in taxes and fees for every ride they try and catch in the downtown area. For many, especially those living in nearby neighborhoods, there is going to be dissatisfaction. With that being said, we can only hope that such a decision will bring positive results not only for traffic congestion, but for rider and pedestrian safety as well. As we have written countless times, traffic congestion brings unwarranted dangers to those in the city. For example, it was announced in the 2019 Urban Mobility Report that Chicago commuters lost a total of $1,307 annually due to traffic congestion, which was the result of vehicle damage, wasted gasoline, and many other factors associated with increases in traffic. More shocking, according to TRIP, the National Transportation Research Nonprofit, traffic congestion studied as recently as 2016 showed that the trucking industry lost a total of $74.5 billion due to the operational costs associated with traffic. All of this establishes that while it may appear absurd and a downright overreach to drastically increase taxes and fees associated with ridesharing in Chicago, there is far more at play then giving the city money for failing to take public transportation. We should hope that driver safety and vehicle costs are one of those primary factors.

Chicago’s New Bus Initiative

Along with the new fees for ridesharing comes an initiative to revamp and give an incentive to the public in taking the bus system. “The Bus Priority Zone Program will bring bus-only lanes, queue jump signals, and better traffic light timing to some of Chicago’s highest ridership routes,” writes Curbed Chicago. As a result of the $20 million dollar plan, the goal is to remove “slow zones, bottlenecks, delays, and bunched up buses that come one right after the other.”

Curbed Chicago also had the opportunity to speak with the Executive Director of Active Transportation Alliance, an organization that advocates for providing safe walking, bicycling, and public transit options in communities. Executive Director Melody Geraci stated that “transportation is the great but invisible connector between people and opportunity. We don’t think about it as much as we think about affordable housing, or access to grocery stores and jobs but all of those things are only connected if we have a great transportation system.” Geraci went on to state that since 2008, Chicago had also seen its bus ridership decrease by 28 percent. Ultimately, this goes hand in hand with the issues that traffic congestion brings as well. Commuters do not want to sit in traffic on a bus filled with other people they don’t know. They would much rather be in their own vehicle or be driven, if they have the means to do so. With that being said, the city’s approach to enhance the bus experience throughout the city will certainly bring positive results if done correctly. For starters, we will all be better off with fewer cars on the road. It will not only help with increasing the air quality in downtown, but it was increase traffic safety. For us, that is the most critical aspect of this new plan. If the city initiates these proposals and traffic does decrease as a result, we should see that as a huge win for Chicago. The better chance of keeping vehicles and drivers off the road, the better position drivers are to get to their destination safely.

Congestion Fees a Possibility for Chicago Drivers

October 2, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Chicago drivers may need to get ready for new fees–just for driving downtown.

On August 29th, mayor Lori Lightfoot said in her “State of the City” speech that she wants to make money for the city while reducing downtown congestion. To do so, she plans to work toward implementing congestion fees.

“We are exploring options to address rampant congestion that solves the problem of traffic, pollution, and other issues,” Lightfoot said, “while simultaneously bringing in a fair share of funding.”

Congestion pricing is a strategy that has been put in place in large cities such as London, Stockholm, and Singapore–it aims to target people driving in specific zones at certain times during the day.

By 2021, New York City drivers traveling below 60th Street in Manhattan will be electronically charged a fee through license plate photos or toll transponders–making it the first American city to enforce such fees.

This congestion pricing in New York is part of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s $175 billion budget–with at least $1 billion coming from driving fees–and will apparently cost drivers over $10 a trip to visit the city’s busiest neighborhoods.

These fees are projected to raise around $15 billion in bonds to help solve problems in the subway system and limit traffic on streets that have become less than drivable.

But, will it work in our city?

The push in Chicago comes after many attempts to save city money and generate new revenue; in the address, Lightfoot mentions a city government hiring freeze–implemented August 20th, as well as measures to “crack down on departments that have significant unbudgeted overtime expenses.”

Lightfoot says that right now, we are walking into “a staggeringly large budget deficit for next year.” She hopes traffic fees will be a boost that has been proven helpful in other large urban areas.

Within a year of congestion pricing in London–put in place in 2003–traffic delays decreased by 30 percent and the number of vehicles entering London proper dropped by 18 percent. Air quality also improved, resulting in a 12 percent reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions.

In London, as well as Stockholm and Singapore, the fees from congestion pricing have raised millions of dollars for the betterment of transportation and infrastructure: new buses, bike lanes, and expanded public transit were put in place for those opting to commute sans-car.

For Chicago travelers, DePaul University transportation expert Joseph Schwieterman believes this strategy will be of great benefit.

“We’re seeing a surge in driving again,” he told WTTV News. “Transit [rates] are flat, fuel prices are down, vehicle ownership is up, and suddenly we have a quality of life issue that’s setting us back. We’re a great global city; we have to have some sort of reasonable amount of mobility on the streets.”

Schwieterman believes congestion pricing is an “untapped source” for local revenue, but one obstacle is figuring out how to determine the boundaries of what is considered a congestion zone. Most likely, it wouldn’t need to include the entirety of downtown Chicago, but would more reasonably focus on the roads that are most often overcrowded.

There are caveats, however. London saw drivers complaining as fees rose over time, eventually doubling in cost from when they first came into play.

Gridlock in London also ended up returning–reportedly due to the popularity of ride-share apps like Uber and Lyft.

There is also the question of who would be exempt from paying–such as low-income drivers, those with disabilities, and those who live within the congestion zone. Although London gives a discount of 90 percent for its zone residents, exemptions often mean higher tolls for all other drivers.

Those who will see the biggest benefit from congestion costs in Chicago: subway, commuter train, and bus riders, who will see more extensive and reliable service from the new investment. Cyclists will experience more room on the roads and cleaner air. Drivers will ideally see a decrease in time spent stuck in traffic as well is in gas costs.

“There are certain areas where congestion is getting intolerable,” Schwieterman says. “Along the river, the Magnificent Mile, parts of River North…and you have to do something. It’s just going to get worse, and congestion pricing is well-suited for that.”