Category: Grid Shots

Grid Shots: Wayfinding

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A “City Information Sign” shows CTA lines and a map of a large area around Michigan Avenue and the Chicago River. Photo by Michelle Stenzel. 

Wayfinding is a set of devices that we use to orient ourselves in the current space and to build a journey, no matter how short (downstairs to upstairs) or long (kayaking from San Francisco to Tokyo because of a suggestion made by Google Maps). Two weeks ago Anne Alt wrote about how the quality of wayfinding at the LaSalle Street Metra Station is a weak aspect of the station’s design. This is a collection of wayfinding photos from the Grid Chicago group on Flickr. Continue reading Grid Shots: Wayfinding

Grid Shots: Commercial statements

To get this Grid Shots going, I searched our Flickr group for “advertisement” and found only one photo. So I started at the end (the most recent photos) and browsed 10 pages to find this selection of “commercial statements” on our streets. Next week’s topic is “wayfinding”; submit your photos to our group and tag them with “wayfinding”.

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A message to those waiting for the 22/Clark bus in Andersonville at Clark Street and Bryn Mawr avenue says they cannot wait inside the Subway sandwich shop. Photo by Brian Morrissey. Continue reading Grid Shots: Commercial statements

Grid Shots: Challenging weather

Hail on Thursday, rain and flooding Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Grid Shots this week is about weather challenging our transportation system. And our transportation modes.

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Group bike ride to protest coal-powered plants in Chicago which Community Voicebox participated in. Mayor Emanuel brokered a deal with Midwest Generation to have them shut down by the end of 2012. My photo.  Continue reading Grid Shots: Challenging weather

Grid Shots: Shiny and new

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Post updated April 30, 2012, at 16:01 to add more photos of the new CTA station and new commentary. 

In this edition of Grid Shots, the suburbs of Skokie and Evanston are getting a bit of attention. Transit infrastructure is being built in more places than Chicago. Post updated to feature photos from opening day at Oakton-Skokie Yellow Line station. The Oakton-Skokie Yellow Line station opens on Monday, April 30, 2012. The Chicago Transit Authority will have another station opening in May, at Morgan (at Lake Street) Green and Pink Lines station. First four photos were taken by Jeff Zoline on April 30 and prior.  Continue reading Grid Shots: Shiny and new

Grid Shots: Nature

Today is Earth Day. Although I’d argue that every day is earth day. The theme of today’s Grid Shots photo post is “nature”. When it comes to sustainable transportation, the most likely place you’ll discover the connection with nature is on a multi-use trail. And there’s where all of these photos were taken, by Joshua Koonce and Michelle Stenzel.

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Cycling on Northerly Island. This used to be an airport and runway called Meigs Field until former mayor Richard M. Daley sent work crews in the middle of the night to bulldoze X’s in the runway. The island (really a manmade peninsula) is now a bird sanctuary. Photo by MS.

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The Lakefront Trail is closed because of heavy wind and waves in October 2011. Photo by MS.

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People walk on the Bloomingdale Trail. Photo by JK.

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A guy rides his tricycle selling helado de coco, or coconut sorbet, in Humboldt Park. Photo by JK.

Grid Shots: Our deteriorating infrastructure

The theme of this post is especially salient given that Congress cannot agree on a new transportation bill (instead they renewed the existing program one more time). Then last Friday I get an email from the Natural Resources Defense Council, giving me an update on dilapidated transportation in the state (2,200 structurally deficient bridges, transit systems that need repairs and upgrades).

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Division Street bridge over Goose Island. The bridge will be replaced. Photo by Seth Anderson.  Continue reading Grid Shots: Our deteriorating infrastructure