Hear transportation commissioner Gabe Klein address the audience at the City Club of Chicago about the Chicago Fast Forward Agenda, to be released early 2012. Gabe told me that it’s similar to the Washington, D.C., Department of Transportation (DCDOT) Action Agenda.
Continue reading Watch Commissioner Klein’s recent speech at the City Club
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A Chicago flag-inspired messenger bag by New York’s Vaya Bags – all photos in this post courtesy of Vaya Bags
I believe that one sign that you’re in a great city for cycling is a proliferation of successful bike-related businesses. For example, a study done Mia Birk when she was bike coordinator of Portland, Oregon, found that the local bike industry has contributed $100 million and 1,500 jobs to that city’s economy in recent years.
There are a currently a handful of folks here in Chicago making great handmade bike products. You can find their bags, caps and other accessories listed in our gift guide. But it bothers me our city doesn’t have its fair share of independent bike-oriented businesses, and I’m not exactly sure why we don’t. It probably has something to do with the fact that, while we who live here know this is a great city for urban riding, the cold winters and lack of easy access to country roads and mountain bike trails prevent this town from being a magnet for bicycle entrepreneurs.
Back in the Nineties when I was a cycle courier, it always bugged me that every bike culture Mecca worth its bearing grease was represented by at least one well-known messenger bag company, except for Chicago. It was like that article in Vibe magazine during our pre-Kanye/Common hip-hop drought calling this “a city of three million [individuals] who can’t rap.” Was Chicago really that lame?
Continue reading What would it take for Chicago’s messenger bag companies to go nationwide?
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If these CTA customers waiting for a bus had the option to take something faster, I’m sure they’d be interested.
Ron Burke, executive director of Active Transportation Alliance, let us know today that the Chicago Tribune published four letters to the editor responding to John McCarron’s irritation that the City of Chicago is attempting to rebalance its transportation network to make cycling and walking safer, as well as provide new transit options (BRT).
Read those letters. Read Ron’s own letter.
Some excerpts: Continue reading Tribune publishes readers’ responses to McCarron “war on cars” article
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In this video published by New York City-based Streetfilms and producer Elizabeth Press, you’ll hear from me, Gabe Klein, David Gleason, Bradley Topol, Brandon Gobel, Alderman Solis, and Lorena Cupcake. We’re all talking about the coolness of Chicago’s first protected bike lane. Continue reading Streetfilms publishes their Kinzie cycle track video, and bike lane updates
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People just want to travel safely. Does that mean there’s a war?
This isn’t gonna be a feature, but as I was reading through and responding to reader comments on my article Breaking down the battle John McCarron wants to start, I was pleased to find a protest to the usage of “war” as a way to describe the evolution of Chicago’s transportation system.
I really find the violent “war” terminology appalling. If there is a war between cars and people biking/walking, only one side is fighting and inflicting casualties — with aggressive, reckless and distracted driving. The rest of us are just trying to get to work in one piece.
It’s from the people at Carfree Chicago.
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The Logan Square Library has a bike rack within 10 feet of the door. If there was an Oscars for bike parking, it’d win the equivalent of Best Picture.
My normal reading fare consists of spy novels and non-fiction, and science fiction by Isaac Asimov, William Dietz, and William Gibson. But this year I’m changing that up. Join me in my reading of transportation books!
Yesterday I got an email from the Chicago Public Library notifying me that two books I put on hold had come in. I went to the Logan Square branch to pick them up, excited to dive in. You can join my impromptu, unofficial book club, by checking out and discussing with me: Continue reading Switching gears: Two transportation books have arrived on my reading shelf