If you’ve been following Streetsblog Chicago’s quest for holistic approaches (not just more policing) to encourage people not to smoke on CTA trains, you know why this is an important issue, and have read about my shenanigans on this front. If not, check out more links at the bottom of this post.

For this installment of this series, I’m passing the torch, or cigarette lighter, to contributing writer Igor Studenkov. Since he’s a Russia native, he knows a thing or two about smoking. – John Greenfield, editor

As the CTA tries to tackle the smoking on the ‘L’ problem, a respiratory health organization and a transit advocates are trying to identify the hot spots, and at least make it easier for riders to avoid railcars with smokers.

Measuring the problem

In my experience, smoking on CTA trains isn’t a new problem. I covered the West Side for Austin Weekly News between July 2015 and January 2024 on a regular basis, and I rode the Blue and Green lines fairly frequently. Smoking was an issue on both of those lines, especially during off-peak and evening hours. But since the pandemic, when ridership plummeted, the problem has gotten worse, and it has spread to parts of the system that haven’t seen much smoking before. 

The Respiratory Health Association submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the CTA requesting smoking complaint and citation data. The transit agency didn’t provide the citation data, referring RHA to the Chicago Department of Finance and the Chicago Police Department. But the CTA did send complaint data for a 16-month period from April 24, 2024 to August 17, 2025. The advocacy group recently shared its analysis of these statistics with Streetsblog.

RHA looked at the reports that identified both the line and the stations, which accounted for about 60 percent of the reports. Based on that analysis, about a quarter of the complaints came from just 10 of the system’s 146 stations, all on the Red Line. The route’s Fullerton and Belmont stops, which also serve the Brown and Purple lines, came in at the top.  The Clark/Division, North/Clybourn, Addison, Wilson, Cermak-Chinatown, Chicago, Grand and Sheridan stations were the other complaint hot spots.

One thing that’ not obvious: Are these the parts of the system where smokers are most prevalent? Or are these (almost entirely North Side) locations simply places where people are more likely to report smoking?

CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen previously indicated in her mothly reports to the agency’s board that the transit system uses its complaint data, as well as staff observations, to decide where to focus enforcement.

At the January board meeting, the directors approved a year-long pilot of air filters for ‘L’ cars, arguably a Band-Aid solution to the cigarette problem. At that hearing, board member Roberto Requejo said he wanted to see a strategy to prevent riders from smoking on trains in the first place. Leerhsen acknowledged that the agency should come up with a more comprehensive strategy. “This would be a good time to put it all together,” she said.

CTA Smokers tracker

Meanwhile, software engineer and regular CTA rider Logan Kulinski is trying to address the issue. He built the CTA Smokers website as a crowd-sourced, real-time tracker of which railcars have smokers. Anyone can submit reports, and they can to report the line, which direction the train is traveling in, the next station the train is approaching at the time of the report, and the railcar number (which is written at the end of each railcar).  The reports then show up live on the front page.

Kulinski said that what he really wants to see is for CTA to put up the complaint data in real time, or at least make that data publicly available. While the transit agency has been using the data to guide law enfocement surges, the only way anyone has been able to get the data for their own use is via a FOIA request.

Kulinski has been riding the ‘L’ since he moved to Chicago in June 2021. He mostly uses the Red and Blue lines, and occasionally the Brown Line. Kulinski described his experiences with smoking on the ‘L’ as “not great, but generally pretty okay,” at least until recently. “I think definitely this year and toward the end of last year, it has gotten worse,” he said.

Kulinski said that he submitted complaints to the CTA, seemingly to no avail. He also said that he was frustrated because he knew that the CTA was keeping track of smoking complaints, but the transit agency isn’t releasing them publicly. 

“Even in terms of gaining access to the data, I made the FOA request to them, and they kept trying to narrow the scope,” Kulinski said.

Kulinski that said he would like to see the CTA publish information about complaints in real time, but since that wasn’t happening, he decided to turn to crowdsourcing. “This sort of idea came about, to help myself and others avoid the smokers,” he said. 

In addition to showing complaints in real time, Kulinski said he was able to “reverse-engineer” the CTA contact page, which allows his site to forward those complaints to the agency. He added that he reached out to the agency about sharing his data directly but as of last Sunday, he hadn’t received a response.

CTA Smokers has been live for about a month. Kulinski said he’s received over 100 submissions. “The vast majority [of reports] has been on the [24-hour] Red Line and the Blue Line, which is not super-surprising,” he said.

Kulinski said that he hopes that, as the project grows, “having this data be readily available and more public can help us hold our officials accountable.”

Here’s hoping that Logan’s efforts to eliminate smoking in railcars are successful. If so, perhaps the CTA will honor him with an O’Hare Branch station name.

Look at the the CTA Smokers website here.

Read part one of “Streetsblog Chicago versus smoking on the CTA,” including my introduction, and feedback from other cities and a CTA spokesperson, here.

Check out part two of the series, which includes POVs from a sociology student, a lung health advocate, and a transportation professor, here.

Take a look at part three, which covers my weekend-long Odyssey to post Chicago hot dog-themed fliers at almost every Red Line station, here.

Investigate part four, in which I conduct an interview with a smoker, here.

Peruse part five, a travelogue of installing pizza-themed anti-smoking PSAs at every Blue Line station, here.

The post “SBC versus smoking on the CTA” part six: A software engineer turns to crowdsourcing to hold officials accountable for finding solutions appeared first on Streetsblog Chicago.

• “Editorial: Whether on the CTA or in a parking garage, Chicago can’t afford unsafe commutes” (Tribune)

• CPD: Man, 57, attempted to turn sedan, struck woman, 44, on sidewalk, causing serious injuries, 4/2 around 9:07 PM in 5100 block of W. Lake (Fox)

• CPD released image of suspect who “made inappropriate contact” w/ female passenger, followed her off train 3/26 around 4:40 PM at Chicago Red (ABC)

• Metra says  is to test the speed, functionality and durability of new handheld devices conductors use to scan fares (Axios)

• CDOT has a new site where you can report flooded bikeways. “This will help us track which bike lanes experience the worst flooding.”

• If you missed Active Trans’s recent suburban advocacy chat, you can catch the recording on YouTube.

• “Hop on CTA to All Your Easter Weekend Festivities”

• Southside Critical Mass tonight, meeting at 5:45 PM riding at 6:15-ish from Nichols Park, 1300 E. 55th St. in Hyde Park

• Equiticity will lead a North Lawndale Ride on Saturday, May 30 at 9 AM at Green Tomato, 3750 W Ogden Ave., in partnership with Transport Chicago

On November 12, SBC launched our 2026 fund drive to raise $50K through ad sales and donations. That will complete this year’s budget, at a time when it’s tough to find grant money. Big thanks to all the readers who have chipped in so far to help keep this site rolling to the end of 2026! Currently, we’re at $30,005 with $19,995 to go, ideally by the end of April

If you value our livable streets reporting and advocacy, please consider making a tax-deductible gift here. If you can afford a contribution of $100 or more, think of that as a subscription. That will help keep the site paywall-free for people on tighter budgets, as well as decision-makers. Thanks for your support!

– John Greenfield, editor

The post Today’s Headline for Friday, April 3 appeared first on Streetsblog Chicago.

By Dan Gentile

This piece also runs on the website A City That Works, a newsletter about public policy in the Chicago region. Richard Day co-edits that publication, focusing on transportation issues.

Dan Gentile is a civil engineer. He began the Chicago 2100 Petition and Transit Plan and serves as a board member on the Chicago Growth Project.

Chicago’s bus network is the backbone of transit for many residents. CTA buses handle 40 percent more trips than the ‘L’, but rarely get equal treatment in discussions of the CTA’s woes or opportunities. That’s unfortunate, because investments in our bus network can have far-reaching benefits, especially for underserved areas of the city.

One particular investment, bus rapid transit, could dramatically improve bus speeds on some of our highest usage corridors. Investing in a BRT line on Western Avenue could dramatically increase speed, reliability, and ridership on one of our city’s key arteries. By making a targeted set of infrastructure improvements, we could get many of the benefits of a new CTA rail line at a fraction of the cost.

What is bus rapid transit?

Bus rapid transit aims to deliver bus service with the speed, frequency, and reliability of train lines. Best-in-class BRT systems include five key characteristics. Those are dedicated (and enforced)¹ bus lanes to speed travel, off-board fare collection to speed up boarding,² and signal priority³ so buses spend less time stuck at red lights. Best-in-class BRT systems also need raised platforms, so buses don’t have to ‘kneel’ to allow riders with wheelchairs or strollers to board, and center-running lanes to minimize conflict with other traffic.

Institute for Transportation and Development Policy’s BRT Basics Diagram

Those changes net out to much faster and more reliable service. Previous studies have estimated that a BRT line on Ashland would increase reliability by 50 percent and speed by 83 percent. It would also cost less to run, because bus operators are moving riders instead of idling in traffic. A study of BRT on Western Avenue estimated that it would be 43 percent more cost effective than local bus service.

BRT is also a lot cheaper to build. BRT along Western was estimated to cost around $14M per mile (2026-adjusted from 2013), totaling ~$225M for the full 16-mile stretch. This is equivalent to roughly ¼ of one mile of the Red Line Extension, or half the renovation costs of the State/Lake Station.

Compared to our current rail projects, this is a bargain. So what’s the catch?

Chicago’s failure and reckoning

Unfortunately, we’ve tried this before. In 2013, the CTA proposed BRT on Ashland Avenue. But the project ran into a wall of opposition.

2013 Study of Western and Ashland BRT

The challenge is that road space is zero-sum. To prioritize bus infrastructure, you need to reallocate space directly away from cars. Ashland’s design restricted left turns and set one lane in each direction. Although studies showed there would be a negligible reduction of vehicle speeds (1mph) and the design preserved 90 percent of parking spaces, that wasn’t enough for opponents.

Detractors worried that removing left turns and a travel lane would increase traffic and hurt business. Retailers including Costco coordinated efforts to oppose the project. Roger Romanelli, executive director of the dubious Fulton Market Association, led Not In My Back Yard-style opposition to the project under the banner The Ashland-Western Coalition.

Anti-Complete Streets activist Romanelli at an Ashland BRT protest circa 2013. You didn’t think Streetsblog Chicago would publish this article without this image, did you? Photo: Mike Brockway

As negative sentiment grew, the project became a wedge issue in the 2015 elections. Aldermen from the 1st, 27th, and 32nd wards backed away from the project. After mayoral challenger Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia came out against the project, Mayor Rahm Emanuel essentially withdrew his support as well, and the project was indefinitely, probably permanently, back-burnered.

But while any renewed effort needs to meet Chicagoans where they’re at, it also needs to keep the crucial pieces of a BRT system. Sacrificing key elements like enforced, center-running lanes; comprehensive signal priority; and pre-paid boarding could lower community objections, but would also diminish benefits and undermine the long term value of the project. Loop Link, where these key features were left out, has not yielded consistent speed increases.

Lessons from other cities

To avoid repeating Ashland’s fate, leaders need to sell BRT as more than a bus project; it’s an economic development investment that delivers returns to businesses, residents, and the city’s tax base. We’ve seen this playbook succeed with other cities. In an assessment of Cleveland’s HealthLine BRT project, the Federal Transit Administration wrote that the project had “great political support because it was an investment not just in public transit, but also in… economic development and alleviating congestion.” The route delivers rail-like performance and has spurred billions in corridor development. An emphasis on public and business outreach helped educate and secure buy-in throughout the design and construction process.

Cleveland also benefited from a strong regional approach. Cleveland’s Regional Transit Agency signed a formal interagency agreement with the City laid out a unified governance model, specifying strong design elements, directing clear roles for construction, and outlining funding contributions.⁴ This was crucial in getting the project moving with strong backing and accountability from the outset.

Tax-deductible donations from readers help Streetsblog Chicago continue to advocate for better walk/bike/transit in the region. Thanks for your support!

How to get BRT built this time

Fortunately, the conditions in Chicago have significantly improved since Ashland’s failure. Transit advocates are better organized, as are local advocacy groups fighting for equitable transit-oriented development. And recently, Chicago has embarked on a series of high-traffic corridor up-zonings near transit, including on Western north of Addison.

The CTA is also floating new designs as part of its ongoing Bus Priority Corridor Study that would preserve left turns at major intersections. This addresses a primary complaint about the Ashland project. Then-27th Ward alder Walter Burnett Jr. went so far as to say that “If the BRT proposal didn’t have those left turn restrictions, most of these people wouldn’t be here” opposing the idea.

Chicago also now has a stronger institutional foundation for BRT. The new Northern Illinois Transit Authority legislation has the opportunity to give a new proposal strong, unified backing that was missing in 2013. By explicitly requiring interagency BRT evaluation,⁵ the legislation positions NITA as the accountable champion with an opportunity to provide the sustained political cover and jurisdictional clarity that Ashland never had.⁶ But the success of any new BRT project will hinge on choosing the right corridor.

Western is the way

That corridor should be Western Avenue. Western already serves 4.7 million yearly bus riders. A BRT line would increase speeds by 82 percent and boost on-time performance by 50 percent. It also connects to five ‘L’ stations and four Metra lines. This is where the value of NITA might really shine – the CTA hasn’t been particularly invested in supporting Metra ridership, but the new regional capital planning agency will be.⁷

The line also has strong political support. In 2024, Aldermen Matt Martin and Andre Vasquez organized a letter from 17 of the 18 aldermen along the corridor explicitly calling for BRT. That’s a strong place to start. As they noted, a BRT line on Western would only move a couple miles per hour slower than the Red Line: effectively creating another north-south line for pennies on the dollar.

Western BRT would elevate regional mobility and create a new economic spine, supporting neighborhood‑level investment. This especially matters in areas suffering lingering consequences from decades of racialized disinvestment An analysis of socioeconomic mobility and transit deserts identified a ‘hot spot’ of poor transit access near Western Ave in Community Areas 66 and 67 (Chicago Lawn and West Englewood) that a Western route would directly address.⁸ Notably, this analysis just looks at the benefits of stronger connections within the city – it doesn’t account for the increased access South Side residents would have to job centers in the western suburbs, for example.

Pulling together the resources will be challenging, but it will cost a lot less than other major infrastructure investments. Given the low-price tag, federal dollars might not even be required.⁹ If we can keep costs even in the ballpark of the prior $225M estimate, a combination of local grants, Tax Increment Financing dollars, and new NITA capital funds can probably do the job – and allow us to move much faster than we might with federal money.

Unfortunately, since the City Council letter in 2024, neither Mayor Brandon Johnson nor the CTA has pushed to make true BRT on Western a reality. It probably doesn’t help that we’re operating without permanent leadership at both the CTA and Chicago Department of Transportation.

Now is the time to act. The CTA and CDOT should begin planning now for a new Western BRT Line, and it should be a high priority for the new NITA leadership later this year.¹⁰ As Chicago enters a new era of transportation patterns and regional oversight, a Western BRT line offers a golden opportunity to demonstrate that we’re still capable of delivering for riders.

Special thanks to the following individuals and organizations for providing their time and insights for this article:

• Richard Day at A City That Works
• Jennifer Henry and Maddie Kilgannon at CTA
• Jim Merrell at Active Transportation Alliance
• Erica Schroeder at CDOT
• Audrey Wennink and Hugo Coronado at Metropolitan Planning Council
• Noah Wright and Brian Harrington at Chicago Growth Project
• Steven Vance at Streetsblog Chicago and Chicago Cityscape

1 Without enforcement, drivers just clog the lane and speeds don’t improve. The good news is that the City’s recent Smart Streets pilot enforcement of dedicated lanes has shown some promise. Since the program began in 2024, 87% of drivers who received a warning have not committed another offense. By creating a real disincentive for the behavior, CTA data has shown it effective in reducing repeat offense.

2 Paying at a station decreases time spent scanning payment when boarding, increasing service speed. Pre-paid boarding was piloted but ultimately abandoned twice in 2016 with the Loop Link and at the Belmont Blue line stop, increasing boarding speed by 56.

3 Coordination of traffic lights, called signal priority, extends greens or shortens reds for buses. It allows faster and more reliable bus service. CTA Bus Priority Zone  project includes signal priority to improve bus service, implementing light timing optimization and queue jump signals. This has been implemented in some parts of the city, like in Loop Link, 79th street, Ashland, and Chicago Ave. Notably, this is different from traffic signal preemption, which overrides signals to always move transit first like at a rail crossing. CTA is not considering this extent of priority. Signal priority directs pedestrians and turning vehicles in a safeguarded sequence. Boston’s Columbus Ave route “saw a 27 percent decrease in roadway injuries.”

4 The 2003 Interagency Agreement between the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority and the City of Cleveland was pivotal. It reduced jurisdictional friction by clearly defining design requirements and implementation roles. GCRTA led transit operations, vehicle procurement, and fare systems, while the City handled street reconstructions, utility relocations, and traffic management. It enhanced accountability with enshrined dispute resolution via mediation to maintain momentum, and provisions for long-term maintenance and community revitalization tie-ins.

5 The 2025 SB2111 ‘NITA’ legislation creates the Northern Illinois Transit Authority. It was enacted as a broader effort to fund transit and reorganize management, setting the tone for continued Chicagoland investment at the state level. The bill Sec. 2705-592 includes an explicit requirement for respective agencies to support NITA “in the implementation of bus rapid transit and priority”.

6 Jurisdictional clarity is critical for Western Ave, as varying road sections fall under CDOT, the state, and Cook County. Similarly, memorandums of understanding need to be developed to clarify work around or affecting utilities like gas, electrical, and water

7 New NITA Capital Projects will be prioritized based on factors like economic improvements, equity analysis, mobility justice, additional access to key destinations, rail transfers, reliability improvements, and more (See Sec 2.39). Ashland’s proposal had the same number of CTA ‘L’ connections (5), but only 3 existing Metra connections compared to Western’s 4. Not to mention infill potential on the SWS, HC, UP-W, and UP-NW. The bill elevates the connectivity that a Western route could readily provide.

8 A Journal of Urban Planning meta-analysis determined that “these deserts disproportionately impact low-income, aging, and minority communities, exacerbating existing social and economic inequalities.”

9 Federal funding requires a complicated and lengthy undertaking to earn competitive dollars from a currently hostile administration. Use of federal grants can be more effective with quickly built BRT projects, lessening risk of disruptive political shifts during a lengthy project like with RLE. It is undetermined if federal funding would be needed to front the capital burden of gold-standard BRT, but there is precedent in meeting eligibility requirements. Under the Biden administration, Madison’s 2023 ‘A’ Line received FTA capital grants. They award funding on a variety of factors including ‘economic development’ ratings compared to their cost, and ‘mobility improvements’ for transit-dependent populations and connectivity with other transit modes. Land use reform is part of the analysis, and with the city’s 2022 corridor study and 2024 upzoning, Western BRT would easily meet these requirements.

10 NITA takes effect June 1, 2026 and will require a transition period from RTA leadership. A regional plan has not yet been created, giving an opening to include Western. Bus rapid transit on Ashland is included in CMAP’s onto 2050 regionally significant projects. With a new dedicated revenue source via motor fuel and sales tax reallocation in the $1.5B legislation and $180M/yr capital budget, there is room for new NITA capital projects that fit the bill.

On November 12, SBC launched our 2026 fund drive to raise $50K through ad sales and donations. That will complete this year’s budget, at a time when it’s tough to find grant money. Big thanks to all the readers who have chipped in so far to help keep this site rolling to the end of 2026! Currently, we’re at $29,689 with $20,311 to go, ideally by the end of April

If you value our livable streets reporting and advocacy, please consider making a tax-deductible gift here. If you can afford a contribution of $100 or more, think of that as a subscription. That will help keep the site paywall-free for people on tighter budgets, as well as decision-makers. Thanks for your support!

– John Greenfield, editor

The post All we are saying is give bus rapid transit a chance: Train-like service at a price we can afford appeared first on Streetsblog Chicago.

• “City To Invest $300 Million In 15 Affordable Housing Projects [including 13 TODs] From North To South Side” (Block Club)

• Tragically, a Metra UP-W train struck a person early this morning near Geneva. The railroads says the person was trespassing. (CBS)

• CTA: “New track foundations and columns along the path of the future Red tracks between 106th Place and 118th Street”

• “City Program For New Coach Houses, Basement Units Is Live. Check If Your Property Is Eligible” (Block Club)

• Check out Ride Illinois’ new newsletter, including a report on their recent trip to the 2026 National Bike Summit and Lobby Day in DC

• Chicagoans Who Bike talks to with Sean Madison from Lyft and CDOT’s David Powe about Divvy “and the work that goes into making it run, and grow!”

• Tongue-in-cheek Sun-Times letter: “You can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs, and you can’t deliver an omelet without destroying public property.” 

On November 12, SBC launched our 2026 fund drive to raise $50K through ad sales and donations. That will complete this year’s budget, at a time when it’s tough to find grant money. Big thanks to all the readers who have chipped in so far to help keep this site rolling to the end of 2026! Currently, we’re at $29,689 with $20,311 to go, ideally by the end of April

If you value our livable streets reporting and advocacy, please consider making a tax-deductible gift here. If you can afford a contribution of $100 or more, think of that as a subscription. That will help keep the site paywall-free for people on tighter budgets, as well as decision-makers. Thanks for your support!

– John Greenfield, editor

The post Today’s Headlines for Thursday, April 2 appeared first on Streetsblog Chicago.

If you’re a regular SBC reader, you’re probably familiar with the controversy over the Chicago Department of Transportation’s project to make Archer Avenue in Brighton Park a safer, more efficient, and more pleasant street for all users. If not, check out one of our recent articles about the project, and the organized weekly protests against it near local Ald. Julia Ramirez’s (12th) office, promoted by right-leaning politicians and lobbyists trying to defeat her in the next election.

Fortunately, Safe Streets advocates, almost all of whom live in Brighton Park or nearby neighborhoods, have also been showing up every week to voice support for the initiative. In recent month’s, they’ve outnumbered the “Not In My Back Yard” folks. Pro-Archer project rally co-organizer Alfredo Valladares Jr. provided a brief update on what went down last Monday, March 30.

“Our Monday, the Safe Streets Improvement Rally went great,” Valladares wrote. “As usual, we showed up to support the new safety infrastructure being put in. The Archer Avengers [his nickname for the opponents, who call themselves the Archer Guardians] came out and they brought more hazards, I mean more people, to their protest of the Archer Complete Streets project.”

What did Valladares mean by “hazards”? This video he took shows what he was talking about. Not only were cars parked in the half-finished protected bike lanes, as protesters have done in the past, forcing bike and e-scooter riders to use a mixed-traffic lane. But the clip shows a scooter user having to detour around a driver because a demonstrator was in the street, blocking his route.

“Afterwards we took a ride to Little Village, then to Harris Park in Pilsen, and finally to Chinatown where we hung out for a bit before returning to Brighton Park,” Valladares concluded. “We met up with Sugondy Rides to ‘Light Up’ Chinatown Square in memory of Manny Leds [Juan Manuel Macias Jr.] from CC LED [a bike light and e-bike company], who unexpectedly passed away recently. CC LED is where we all get our wheel led lights.”

Judging from the photos below, and considering how great the weather was on Monday, not only were the Archer boosters doing important advocacy work that evening, it also looks like they had an enjoyable and meaningful ride.

Read CDOT’s FAQ about the Archer / Kedzie traffic safety projects here.

Materials about Archer Avenue can be found here.

Materials about Kedzie Avenue can be found here.

Read Streetsblog Chicago’s writeup of Round 1 of the dueling Archer rallies, 12/8/25, here.

Check out our article about Round 2, 12/15/25, here.

Read SBC’s coverage of Round 3, 12/22/25, here.

Read our article about Round 4, 12/29/25 here.

Check our post about Round 5, 1/5/26 here.

Take a look at our assessment of Round 6, 1/12/26, here.

Read SBC’s post about Round 7, 1/19/26, here.

Take a gander at our article about Round 8, 1/26/26, here.

Check out our article that mentions Round 10, 2/9/26, here.

Peruse out writeup of Round 11, 2/16/26, here.

Read our article about Round 12, 2/23/26, here.

Take a look at our post about Round 13, 3/2/26, here.

Check out our article that discusses Round 14, 3/9/26, plus public comments about Archer at City Hall the next day.

Read our discussion of the myth that “[outsiders]… import support” for the project, with photos of local supporters at Round 15, 3/16/26 (no opponents showed up that day) here.

View a couple of images from Round 16, 3/23/26 on Bluesky and Twitter.

On November 12, SBC launched our 2026 fund drive to raise $50K through ad sales and donations. That will complete this year’s budget, at a time when it’s tough to find grant money. Big thanks to all the readers who have chipped in so far to help keep this site rolling to the end of 2026! Currently, we’re at $29,684 with $20,316 to go, ideally by the end of April

If you value our livable streets reporting and advocacy, please consider making a tax-deductible gift here. If you can afford a contribution of $100 or more, think of that as a subscription. That will help keep the site paywall-free for people on tighter budgets, as well as decision-makers. Thanks for your support!

– John Greenfield, editor

The post A quick report from the Archer Avenue traffic safety project supporters on [checks notes] Round 17 of their dueling rallies with the opponents appeared first on Streetsblog Chicago.

• Beverly Review: “Increasing policing may not stop every crime from happening, but it is a much-needed step toward restoring confidence in the CTA.”

• More coverage of yesterday’s South Shore Monon Corridor ribbon-cutting (Sun-Times, Tribune, Trains.com, NWI Times, WVPE, WISHTV)

• John “Cougar” Mellencamp announces plans to recreate 2000 Daley Plaza pop-up show, then ride South Shore to Munster, IN for gig at 3 Floyds Brewing

• SBC contributor Igor Studenkov for Journal & Topics: “Metra To Test Handheld QR Code Scanner Fare Checks”

• “Editorial: That Chicago O’Hare flight squeeze problem might solve itself” (Tribune)

• Sarah Goodyear and Doug Gordon from “The War on Cars” discuss their book “Life After Cars” F 4/3, 5:30 PM at Climate Action Museum, 300 S. Riverside Pl.

• …And on Sa 4/4, 7 PM at Juarez Academy, 1450 W. Cermak w/ Leerhsen and cast from SBC writer Ellen Steinke’s Safe Streets show, hosted by Better Streets,

• …And on M 4/6, 6:30-8 PM at Sketchbook Brewing, 821 Chicago Ave. in Evanston, hosted by Evanston Transit Alliance

On November 12, SBC launched our 2026 fund drive to raise $50K through ad sales and donations. That will complete this year’s budget, at a time when it’s tough to find grant money. Big thanks to all the readers who have chipped in so far to help keep this site rolling to the end of 2026! Currently, we’re at $29,684 with $20,316 to go, ideally by the end of April

If you value our livable streets reporting and advocacy, please consider making a tax-deductible gift here. If you can afford a contribution of $100 or more, think of that as a subscription. That will help keep the site paywall-free for people on tighter budgets, as well as decision-makers. Thanks for your support!

– John Greenfield, editor

The post Today’s Headlines for Wednesday, April 1 appeared first on Streetsblog Chicago.

All photos are by John Greenfield.

In the last few days there’s been some good news about Chicagoland rail expansion!

As we discussed yesterday, a judge’s decision recently unfroze the federal funding for the Chicago Transit Authority’s Red Line Extension project to extend ‘L’ service into the city’s Far South Side.

And today there were glad tidings on the other side of the “Hoosier Curtain” (the north-south demarcation that separates Illinois and Indiana). The South Shore Line commuter railroad, which has long provided service between Chicago’s Millennium Park and South Bend Airport, launched the eight-mile Monon Corridor spur. It’s a route between the Lakeshore Corridor’s existing Hammond Gateway Station and a new Munster/Dyer stop directly to the south. Along the way, the new line has stations at South Hammond (173rd St.) and Munster Ridge.

After debuting this morning, the new rail extension in the Crossroads of America is as bakery-fresh as a Hoosier Mama Pie, so much so that, as I’m typing this, the route doesn’t even appear on Google Maps. All the new stations provide wheelchair- and bike-friendly train boarding, and Dyer/Munster is only about a 10-minute pedal to heavy metal-friendly Three Floyds Brewery.

Here are some other basics to know about the Monon Corridor before we discuss today’s festivities. Some non-rush trains on this line will simply provide shuttle service between Hammond and Munster. (In case you were wondering, sorry, these cities are not where the famous jazz organ and soft cheese were invented.)

On those shuttle runs, if you want to continue from Munster/Dyer all the way to Chicago, once you get to Hammond Gateway, you have to transfer to the main Lake Shore Corridor platform, and vice versa. However, you won’t need a separate ticket to travel between the two lines

A tutorial video on how to use the new rail service.

However, some weekday morning and afternoon rush hour trains *do* provide a one-seat ride between Munster/Dyer and Millennium Station in the Chicago Loop. The trip will take 45 minutes to an hour, depending on whether a run skips some stops. It’s a somewhat complex arrangement, so read this page on Monon Corridor service, including a full explanation of transfers and a FAQS section, and take a look at the new schedule, to see what I’m talking about.

Oh, and if you were wondering why the new route called the Monon Corridor and no longer the West Lake Corridor, it’s original name, here’s the story from the FAQs. “The South Shore Line decided to name it’s new extension the Monon Corridor in honor of the Monon Railroad, which historically operated on the rail corridor between Hammond and Dyer… from 1884 until 1971.” Read more, including how the modern corridor came to be, here.

All right, that’s a good start for “Monon Corridor 101,” so let’s move on to today’s ribbon cutting and inaugural run. I made basically the entire trip from SBC HQ in Chicago’s Uptown to Dyer/Munster Station via rail this morning. At the Wilson ‘L’ station, I caught the Purple Line, and then transferred to the Red Line at the Belmont stop. At Lake Station, to avoid rain, I walked through the Chicago Pedway to Millennium Station, which serves Metra Electric District trains as well as the South Shore Line. My train from Millennium to Hammond Gateway seemed to have lots of rail aficionados on it.

When I got to Hammond, a thunderstorm and tornado warning were in effect, so it wasn’t deemed safe to immediately move forward with the planned ceremony under a big tent in the parking lot. The upside of that was it gave me a chance to buttonhole two of the most important people at the event.

As president of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which runs the South Shore, Michael Noland shepherded the Monon project, as well as the Lakeshore Corridor’s recent double-tracking initiative, to the finish line. He retired from the railroad earlier this month, but served as the emcee for the ceremony.

Why did he decide to step down? “I’ve been in this industry almost 44 years, of which the last 12 have been here on the South Shore Line,” he replied. “I set off to do and accomplish the board’s strategic plan. We’re done with that plan with the opening of this West Lake Service [he used the old name], and it just feels like the right time for the next leader. And so I’m really happy to find Dave Dech [pronounced ‘Deck,’ the new president]. He’s going to take this railroad and do great things. So it’s time for a change.”

The new Monon route is a nice feather in Noland’s cap. How does he feel about that? “Sometimes I pinch myself and realize that we were given $1.5 billion dollars to invest in this railroad, and that the historic amount of investment is going to change the face of this region for decades to come,” he responded. “It was something that people thought may never happen, but this whole region came together. We were fortunate to have great leadership in the Indiana General Assembly, and at the right time we got our federal grants, and off we went to build. So I can’t wait to see what this railroad becomes in the future. It really is exciting.”

So how does Dech feel about launching this new line? “Well it’s easy for me, because I didn’t do anything,” he said with a laugh. Having previously lead transit agencies in Austin, Texas and South Florida, he only started his current job two weeks ago. “So I’m fortunate to be able to come up here and be part of this groundbreaking that the team here and Mike Noland and everybody for the last decade or so has been working really hard on, and I’m just really happy to be up here and be part of it.”

Dech said regularly rode trains and buses while he worked in the Lone Star and Sunshine states, and he plans to continue using transit here. “When [he and his wife] travel, we always use the transit,” he said. “She’s much better at it overseas than I am.”

After the lightning subsided, the large crowd gathered under the tent. Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott, kicked things off by declaring, “Let’s be clear, this is a major win for Indiana.” He argued that the new rail access is a factor in the Chicago Bears considering relocatiion to The Region. “I promise you [Indiana Governor Mike Braun, one of the attendees], when you come here for the Bears announcement, there’s going to be a lot better weather.”

McDermott is a Democrat and Braun is a Republican and, in these divisive times, the event generally seemed to have a refreshingly bipartisan spirit. The politicians of various stripes who spoke seemed to all appreciate that the new rail corridor would help connect Northwest Indiana residents with education and job opportunities, and encourage more investment in the area. I didn’t notice anyone bring up the subject but, of course, fewer cars on the road, crashes, pollution, and traffic jams will be other benefits of the new rail service.

Unsurprisingly, the only mildly objectionable comments came from Connor Torossian, associate administrator for communications and congressional affairs for the Trump-controlled Federal Transit Administration. He said he was speaking on behalf of USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy, a former reality TV star, who put the Red Line Extension funding on ice by ridiculously claiming the CTA’s federally mandated DBE practices were “discriminatory.”

Torossian credited the Monon Corridor’s success to a grant from the FTA “under Trump 45’s administration, and it’s not often that we get to see investments under two different administrations but the same president, 45 to 47.” He added that a few months ago, Braun met with Duffy and himself, “and we talked about building big, beautiful projects for the state of Indiana… Let’s keep building, keep growing, and put Indiana’s workers and families first.” There was some murmuring from audience members when Torossian dropped those low-key Trumpisms.

But Torossian’s speech was the exception that proved the rule, that this was generally a “kumbaya moment.” For example, Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan talked about how his niece, the child of a single mom, got a scholarship to art school in Chicago, but has trouble affording gas to drive to and from the city, so she takes the South Shore. “This is a lifeblood to her educational opportunity to make a better life,” he said. “That’s why we’re here today. We’re here to make our city stronger, our county stronger, and those individuals: Fathers that can get back and forth. Mothers who can be there.”

Marvn also praised the cross-political party teamwork of the Monon effort when introducing the next speaker, U.S. Rep. Rudy Yakym, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. “He’s competitive, but he works in a bipartisan way every day.”

Yakym seconded that. “Yes, [Marvn and I] may not agree on some things, but we do agree that growth for the Hoosier State is a good thing, and when we find ways to work together, we certainly do.”

Gov. Braun, who grew up in downstate Jasper, has a folksy demeanor. “What a day,” he said at the end of the presentation. “Music to my ears when I hear something comes in under budget.” Audience members applauded.

Let’s switch to gallery mode for images from the first train run to Munster/Dyer Station, with a few quotes in the captions.

A video of leaving Hammond Gateway Station on the way to the Munster/Dyer stop.

Check out FAQs about the Monon Line here.

View the schedule here.

Plan your trip here.

On November 12, SBC launched our 2026 fund drive to raise $50K through ad sales and donations. That will complete this year’s budget, at a time when it’s tough to find grant money. Big thanks to all the readers who have chipped in so far to help keep this site rolling to the end of 2026! Currently, we’re at $29,614 with $20,386 to go, ideally by the end of April

If you value our livable streets reporting and advocacy, please consider making a tax-exempt gift here. If you can afford a contribution of $100 or more, think of that as a subscription. That will help keep the site paywall-free for people on tighter budgets, as well as decision-makers. Thanks for your support!

– John Greenfield, editor

The post Hoosier new train route? Railfans flock to NW Indiana for maiden voyage on South Shore Line’s Monon Corridor. As John Mellencamp sang, “Check it out!” appeared first on Streetsblog Chicago.

• South Shore Line’s Monon Line to Munster/Dyer makes its first public run today

• Even a broken clock is right twice a day: Right-leaning Illinois Policy calls out alders who failed to show up for CTA hearing at City Hall, cancelling it (Tribune)

• Illinois Policy: “Combatting fare evasion could help lagging CTA ridership: Fare evasion leads to lower revenue, higher crime.” CTA already has plans for this.

• Sadly, Cosmic Bikes worker Ronnie LoBello, a well-known figure in the Chicago bike mechanics and art scenes since the ’90s, has passed away

• Police release image of suspect of suspect in attack on elderly man Saturday 3/28 around 3 PM at Belmont Station in Lakeview (NBC)

• CTA responds to viral video of man dancing on the exterior of an ‘L’ train: It’s “reckless, illegal, and potentially deadly behavior” (Fox) 

• “Student Who Inspired The City With Runs Through Every Neighborhood Being Forced To Leave US” (Block Club)

• “Nonprofit All Kids Bike donated 24 bikes to students at Sidney Sawyer Elementary. For some, it was their first time on a bike.” (Sun-Times)

• Letter: “Aside from being a public nuisance, now we can add vandalism to the list of charges against those annoying food delivery robots.” (Tribune)

• “Street Sweeping Begins Wednesday, Which Means Temporary Parking Restrictions Are Back” (Block Club)

• “It’s Game Time! CTA is Your Best Ride to the White Sox’s 2026 Home Opener” on Thursday 4/2

On November 12, SBC launched our 2026 fund drive to raise $50K through ad sales and donations. That will complete this year’s budget, at a time when it’s tough to find grant money. Big thanks to all the readers who have chipped in so far to help keep this site rolling to the end of 2026! Currently, we’re at $29,539 with $20,461 to go, ideally by the end of April

If you value our livable streets reporting and advocacy, please consider making a tax-exempt gift here. If you can afford a contribution of $100 or more, think of that as a subscription. That will help keep the site paywall-free for people on tighter budgets, as well as decision-makers. Thanks for your support!

– John Greenfield, editor

The post Today’s Headlines for Tuesday, March 31 appeared first on Streetsblog Chicago.

In October, it was infuriating when the Creamsicle-colored criminal’s USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy, also an ex-reality TV show star, announced the department was freezing over $3 billion in pre-approved federal funding for CTA projects. This money had been earmarked for the long-awaited Red Line Extension and the  Red & Purple Modernization Program.

Duffy’s rationale for the track-blocking was “discriminatory, unconstitutional” Disadvantaged Business Enterprise measures by the transit authority. Not only was this a blatant effort by the Trump administration to mess with a blue state, but the reasoning was completely bonkers. The CTA’s efforts to create a level playing field for DBE contractors were actually previously required by the feds for USDOT-bankrolled initiatives.

At the time, Prairie State politicians assured the public this aggression would not stand. U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley stated, “This is our money, and as a leader in transportation funding, I will fight to make sure we get it back.”

In the same press release, Gov. JB Pritzker, a frequent detractor of the Orange Khrushchev, struck a similar note. “Illinois is entitled to this funding, and I will continue to stand up to these reckless attacks on Illinois working families and communities,” he declared.

Meanwhile, transit policy experts indicated that, while this Trump administration charade would waste time and money, the CTA would ultimately prevail. “This situation is patently absurd,” noted the Urban Institute’s Yonah Freemark on Bluesky. “USDOT claims that… Chicago’s transit projects need to be put on ice because they developed DBE goals *in line* with federal policy.”

Nik Hunder, a transit analyst and advocate who’s written at length about the of the $5.7 billion RLE’s financial challenges, posted on Bluesky, “Yes [the feds] have attempted to cancel it, no it will not withstand a legal challenge. This is a ‘don’t like it’ rescission attempt which is not protected the [Code of Federal Regulations].”

Happily, after much legal wrangling, these predictions turned out to be correct. On Tuesday, March 24, the CTA announced that the  Judge Thomas Durkin, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, granted a temporary restaining order against the federal funding freeze.

“The prolonged payment pause, which began last October, has threatened continued progress on RLE and RPM,” the transit agency stated in its news release. “Without court intervention, CTA would have been forced to stop work on both projects this Friday [February 27].

“Today, the CTA secured a major victory for the Red Line Extension and the residents of Chicago’s Far South Side,” CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen stated in the March 24 release. “RLE will provide transit access and opportunity for generations to come, and we are fully committed to seeing it move forward.”

The ruling called for the USDOT to start paying up last Friday, March 27. But the CTA acknowledged a potential fly in the ointment, the possibility that the feds might obtain a stay on the restraining order before that deadline.

In an interview with Fox Chicago that ran last Thursday, March 26, Quigley acknowledged that this FTA ploy was simply a disingenuous attempt to own the libs. “It’s apparent they’re just going after blue cities,” he said. “This was a vindictive, petty, frankly illegal move, and I think that’s why the court’s ruling makes sense.”

Fortunately, the Cheeto Benito’s minions didn’t secure a stay on the TRO in time, so the defrosting has begun.

Last Friday afternoon, the CTA announced that they expected to get $114.5 million this week. “In compliance with Tuesday’s Order, the FTA has reopened the reimbursement portal to allow CTA to submit invoices, effective immediately,” the press release stated. The transit agency predicted the moolah would arrive by this Friday, April 3, “consistent with ordinary processing timelines.”

“Today we celebrate that justice has been brought to residents of the Far South Side and all of Chicago,” stated Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson in last Friday’s press release. “The Red Line Extension will connect long-waiting communities with the opportunity and beauty of Chicago while bringing Far South Side residents increased access to employment and educational opportunities across our city.”

Needless to say, transit advocates are pleased about the announcement as well. “The unfreezing of funds for the Red Line extension is great news for one of the largest transit projects in America,” Urban Institute’s Freemark told Streetsblog today. “Nonetheless, stakeholders in Chicago will need to remain vigilant to ensure they receive the rest of the funds the CTA has been promised by the federal government.”

Transit analyst Hunder implied that the outcome was a foregone conclusion. “CTA has the backing of decades of tort law,” he wrote SBC this evening. “I look forward to seeing a permanent injunction issued so the CTA can continue construction on the Red Line Extension and receive reimbursement for the Red Purple Modernization as they are rightfully entitled to in both full funding grant agreement they signed with the federal government. With the CTA already pushing the opening date of the Red Line Extension back to August 2031 (from June 2030) before major construction has begun, it cannot afford any further delay from political theatre.”

In a statement to Streetsblog today, Equiticity Executive Director Oboi Reed implied the announcement is bittersweet. “This is both a victory and an indictment,” he wrote. “For far too long, Black communities on Chicago’s Far South Side have been denied the public investment, connectivity, and dignity we deserve regarding transit and the broader transportation ecosystem, while being told to keep waiting for basic transit infrastructure that other communities receive as a matter of course. The unfreezing of federal funding for the Red Line Extension and Red & Purple Modernization projects is welcome news, but it also underscores a deeper truth: mobility justice is racial justice, and equitable transit is not extra, it is essential.”

“These projects are about more than trains and tracks; they are about repairing historic disinvestment, expanding access to opportunity, and affirming that Black people and Black neighborhoods have the right to be connected, to move freely, and to thrive,” Reed concluded. “This moment happened because people organized, pushed, demanded, and refused to accept abandonment as the status quo, and now government must move with urgency and accountability to deliver what our communities have long been owed – transportation equity and mobility justice.”

On November 12, SBC launched our 2026 fund drive to raise $50K through ad sales and donations. That will complete this year’s budget, at a time when it’s tough to find grant money. Big thanks to all the readers who have chipped in so far to help keep this site rolling to the end of 2026! Currently, we’re at $29,529 with $20,471 to go, ideally by the end of April

If you value our livable streets reporting and advocacy, please consider making a tax-exempt gift here. If you can afford a contribution of $100 or more, think of that as a subscription. That will help keep the site paywall-free for people on tighter budgets, as well as decision-makers. Thanks for your support!

– John Greenfield, editor

The post The iceman leaveth: After a judge issued a restraining order, the Trump administration was forced to unfreeze funding for the RLE and RPM projects appeared first on Streetsblog Chicago.

Lawmakers in Illinois are fighting to pass new legislation governing Illinois’ High Speed Rail Commission, which will sunset in 2027 unless House Bill 4442 successfully extends the program through 2030.

That decision could determine whether the CHI to STL corridor continues to the design and implementation phase, garnering more chances for federal funding — or else shutter the coordinating body behind one of the nation’s most advanced high-speed rail efforts.

For advocates like Rick Harnish of the High Speed Rail Alliance, though, the decision has even more significant implications for the prospect of train travel across America. Unlike many proposed HSR lines, the corridor is almost entirely contained within a single, centrally-located state, making it a uniquely convenient one to develop as well as a critical piece of any eventual high-speed network. And if transportation officials can push the project forward, it could set the stage for more complicated interstate routes in the future.

“It’s the test case that gets the other states around to start going,” Harnish said.

Why this corridor makes sense

Harnish explains that while midwestern high speed rail hasn’t gone full steam ahead just yet, it certainly isn’t starting from scratch. Illinois has spent two decades upgrading service on its existing Lincoln Service train line to be one of the fastest in the nation, reaching up to 110 miles per hour today.

Moreover, the Windy City has already been the nation’s busiest rail hub for the past 150 years — and even if the Gateway City isn’t Harnish’s first-choice destination for its speed line, it’s certainly the most feasible major city with which it could connect. 

“You’ve got to get started somewhere,” said Harnish, who serves as the Alliance’s executive director.  “The best market location to do a true high-speed line would be Chicago to Indianapolis … The challenge there is, it’s two states. So, the best one that’s in one state is Chicago to St. Louis.”

Of course, Illinois wouldn’t be the first high-speed rail line in America — even if advocates believe it could be one of the most pivotal.  While the state of California’s and Brightline’s HSR efforts have proved the demand for faster intercity travel, both are coastal projects that were planned and constructed mostly in isolation.

The Midwest, though, could provide a national blueprint for more interstate lines. And because Chicago has rail corridors radiating in nearly every direction, Harnish argues a successful CHI–STL line would not simply connect two cities; it would establish a foundation for extensions to Kansas City, Minneapolis, Detroit, Toronto, Nashville, and beyond.

“This is really about making Chicago and St. Louis work as one agglomeration,” Harnish said, arguing that regional integration is key to making HSR so transformative.

Frequency will be critical, too. At their September 2025 meeting, IDOT’s commission discussed hourly or half-hourly trains, long headways which Harnish argues would undersell the technology entirely.

“A modern double-track railroad can handle a train every three or four minutes,” he said. “I don’t understand why you’d spend all the political capital to build a railroad that can only run one or two trains an hour.”

During a visit to Japan, he recalled seeing departures between Tokyo and Osaka — roughly the same distance as Chicago to St. Louis — leaving every few minutes.

“That’s essentially a 300-mile subway,” he said.

If Illinois can achieve similar success, Harnish argues it would demonstrate a repeatable model: upgrade an existing corridor, coordinate regionally, and expand outward into a network. Failure, though, would reinforce the perception that the United States cannot sustain long-term transportation transformation.

The real obstacle: political priorities

If America wants to achieve high-speed rail coverage on par with Japan, Harnish says the greatest barrier won’t be technology or geography. It will be the politics of how states spend transportation money — especially when those states simply do not view passenger rail as everyday transportation.

And right now, outside a state or two in the northeast corridor and California, sustained investment into HSR remains rare.

“Pretty much that’s it, for good passenger rail programs,” Harnish said. “We’ve got to get the 48 [contiguous] states thinking about passenger trains.”

Illinois itself doesn’t have a spotless track record when it comes to making passenger rail a priority. Between 2018 and 2023, the state ranked sixth nationally in per-capita transit spending — yet spent nearly double that on roadway expansion over the same period. Missouri, meanwhile, devoted an even smaller fraction of its transportation spending to transit, advancing a major expansion of Interstate 70 instead.

Advocates say that imbalance is not Midwestern in nature; it’s a reflection of national priorities. Federal surface transportation funding still heavily favors highways, with the infamous 80/20 split reinforcing car dependency even as climate goals and public health crises beg for mercy. According to Transportation for America, about 87 percent of state DOT funds come from formula pots that are highly flexible.

Harnish put it bluntly: states can shift funding toward passenger rail, “but they choose not to.”

The choice ahead

Harnish warns that the next few state and federal budget cycles will determine which corridors receive transformative investment — and which are left waiting decades for another opportunity. On Sep. 30, the end of federal fiscal year, the landmark Infrastructure and Investment Act’s funding expires, and state budget appropriations are due right around the corner on June 30. 

In some ways, in Illinois is a microcosm of all US rail projects over past decades — as well as the resilience of their supporters. 

Thankfully, Harnish emphasizes that every state has supporters of mass transit, and encourages advocates to reach out to their state legislators in transportation commissions, joint legislative committees, and appropriations committees, where they will negotiate budgets in spring sessions ahead of the FY27 start on July 1.

And if the highway program can win reliable federal support despite decades of failing to deliver on its goals, Harnish hopes that rail projects like Chicago to St. Louis can finally get their chance to prove themselves.  

 “This highway program that spends a lot of money on not so productive things,” he said. “Why don’t we have high speed rail yet?”

On November 12, SBC launched our 2026 fund drive to raise $50K through ad sales and donations. That will complete this year's budget, at a time when it's tough to find grant money. Big thanks to all the readers who have chipped in so far to help keep this site rolling to the end of 2026! Currently, we're at $29,684 with $20,316 to go, ideally by the end of April

If you value our livable streets reporting and advocacy, please consider making a tax-deductible gift here. If you can afford a contribution of $100 or more, think of that as a subscription. That will help keep the site paywall-free for people on tighter budgets, as well as decision-makers. Thanks for your support!

– John Greenfield, Streetsblog Chicago editor

The post High Speed Rail Alliance’s Rick Harnish on why the Chicago to St. Louis HSR route is the test America can’t afford to fail appeared first on Streetsblog Chicago.