AOC: If anybody says “this isn’t fair, I'm gonna have to divest all my stocks if I run for congress” maybe you should stay home.
An avid pedestrian in Chicago.
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AOC: If anybody says “this isn’t fair, I'm gonna have to divest all my stocks if I run for congress” maybe you should stay home.
Thanks! They will age out of driving in the coming years and though they don't probably imagine not driving, we all know it's coming, so walkable is important to me (though they probably don't see it that way. )
The fear when the car is accelerating and comes within inches of striking is enough to bring me to tears sometimes. All because traffic was slow through the park and the driver wants to take their anger out on someone. Then the middle finger out the window. I take my kids on that route all the time.
Totally insane and wildly dangerous. Children will die, and Florida will export communicable diseases to the rest of the country and the world.
We need to step back from arguing "Its a cash grab" and ask why are roads designed like aircraft runways.
We're talking about the city of Chicago. A dense urban area where thousands of people are maimed each week because of car crashes. Also. Speeding kills. It kills near parks & also in the "middle of nowhere." It's not okay to speed in some areas and not in others. It's antisocial & deadly.
We have a serious problem with traffic violence. I experience it first hand daily. And as much as I'd like to drop boulders in every street, I have to deal with reality and do what I can to make our streets safer. I hope all of these cameras are gone in a few years, unneeded.
That's a different tool. I also don't like surveillance. I applaud that Evanston, just north of Chicago has pulled their automated license plate readers because of ICE. I realize that its a slippery slope and safeguards need to be in place. It's a lot more nuanced than you're making it out to be.
Ah. It's confusing because of the dates referenced in the quoted posts.
Yeah. I'm talking about solving a problem that everyday people deal w which is traffic violence. I'm talking about preventing more kids from being killed today & tomorrow. I'm able to fight for defunding the po, eliminating $ bail & safer streets simultaneously. I can take a half a loaf as a win.
I can walk and chew gum at the same time. Why don't you stick to opining about Minneapolis and STFU about Chicago.
I wonder if getting some other community groups to sign on would help. I'm thinking specifically of the CBCAC since Chinatown is their main jam. They are very concerned about traffic impacts if the 78 is not developed thoughtfully.
I support diy traffic calming, &I know it usually doesn't last long. I've been advocating for safe streets for years and haveI participated in guerilla operations. I am a volunteer crossing guard at my kid's school. Traffic cameras are a tool that can quickly be deployed and are proven effective.
It's .2 percent of drivers that go through the area that have been ticketed. Reckless driving degrades the quality of life for residents. I prefer hardened traffic calming that physically slows down drivers but until we get there, I support ticketing reckless drivers. bsky.app/profile/star...
These are administrative tickets. It's handled by the department on transportation. Would you prefer that cops pulled people over to ticket them for driving violations?
Who knows Denver? An older couple (70s) that I know is likely moving to Denver. I'm urging them to live close to downtown and not move way out into the suburbs (Highland ranch sprawl is no bueno). Where are some good neighborhoods for older retired people who like to socialize, and is walkable?
Very cool. From the posts though, it looks concurrent or even after the Dutch protests
They bombed without warning a non-threatening small boat, which is insane and a violation of international law even if it was carrying contraband which we have no way of knowing, and then gleefully shared it as a snuff video.
Ahh, you must be one of the drivers getting ticketed then.
You're barking up the wrong tree. I am well versed in the issue and have read the dozens of stories that investigate the use of speed cameras in our city. I'm also intimately familiar with the dangers posed by reckless driving. Does Minnesota have speed cameras?
How do you propose we curb dangerous speeding and the epidemic of traffic violence in the city?
They aren't operated by the police department. They're operated by the department of transportation. Cameras don't pull people over just bc they are black. If you want less policing, automated enforcement is a great way to help keep the public safe and keep racist cops out of more people's lives.
IDOT says the 6600 block of North Central has an AADT of 14,300, or 429,000 vehicles in a month. So the speed camera ticketed 0.2% of vehicles here. Seems like 99.8% of motorists are actually fine with it. Costs zero dollars to drive below the speed limit. Let’s not reward scofflaws with attention
I am so f****** sick of being terrorized by drivers when I'm just trying to get around my neighborhood. People who punish pass cyclists deserve to rot in hell for all eternity after their cars blow up. "I feel frustrated so I'm going to attack this innocent person going to work."
I'm sure most residents are happy that dangerous driving is being curbed. Of course the speeders are crying and @wgntv.com is leading with them, even though they are breaking the law and endangering residents in the area. Call your alder and tell them you support speed cameras.
So what you're saying is that speeding is out of control in that neighborhood, right? You're saying that the residents live with dangerous drivers degrading their quality of life, every single day, and now some of those dangerous drivers are being punished for their behavior, right?
The residents might be happy to have dangerous speeders curbed.
There are still way too many shootings and murders in Chicago, but by the numbers this was the safest summer in 60 years. Great analysis by @chipmitchell1.bsky.social chicago.suntimes.com/news/2025/09...
Non sequitur - chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2...
you'd think the governor of illinois basically going "we're being invaded by an authoritarian" would be something you'd see real easy on the front page of most everything an hour later
Texas loaded busses with desperate migrants and dropped them off in Chicago like trash in the middle of winter. We welcomed them into our communities. Now Texas is sending its National Guard to terrorize them on our streets. In our neighborhoods. What the fuck.
Congratulations?
ACTUALLY what is driving the surge is DRIVERS SPEEDING.
Pritzker: "It breaks my heart to report that we have been told ICE will try to disrupt community picnics and peaceful parades. Let's be clear -- the terror and cruelty is the point, not the safety of anybody living here."
This is how you do it folks: gov-pritzker-newsroom.prezly.com/gov-pritzker...
An excessively large tow truck
He said that they would not impede ICE operations.
He was rumored to be on the VP short list for Harris.
Here we go
Thankfully there is a train.
I still believe there are plenty of NIMBYs who will find any excuse to oppose change in a neighborhood. I run up against them on many issues in my neighborhood. In any case, here is a reader response to the LTE that sparked this exchange. chicago.suntimes.com/letters-to-t...
I have no problem denying street parking permits. It looks like that is up to the Alderperson of the ward as of right now. If it were to be codified as a covenant on the property, I'm fine with that.
Yes, cars are a horrible blight on cities. Your husband likely grew up in a time when we had fewer cars. I don't want more people driving in the city. People make neighborhood great. Density makes neighborhoods great, not cars. Cars ruin cities.
For the thousandth time, no parking is being taken away. I'm as honest as a judge. I think the parking worries are a red herring. The author of this letter embodies the definition of a NIMBY
I have not used any vulgarity with you. Does your neighborhood have single family homes with garages? I understand that you feel like a car was the only way to do your job. We live in the city specifically so we don't have to drive everywhere. Parking our car is less of an issue then.
As someone who walks and travels by bike, often with very young children, I also know first hand what it is like to be physically threatened by drivers. I have very little sympathy for people who put parking above quality of life and safety. Honestly, where someone parks their car is not my problem.
I understand that is the post. I read it in the paper and shared it. I think writer's opinion is overblown. The map I shared from another thread indicates that the neighborhood has very low car commuter rates and high transit use. Do you live in Edgewater? Do you rely on street parking?
I don't understand why you think that me sharing my personal story about transportation is high and mighty. I'm giving a first hand example of my working class family that chooses active transportation first and private car last. I think the handwringing displayed in this LTE is overblown hyperbole.
It's a letter to the editor. Of course I read it. That's why I shared it. If you want reporting on the issue, there are myriad stories about the ordinance. Here is a well reported story in Streetsblog chi.streetsblog.org/2025/07/18/c...
Looks like this may already happen with some developments. Here is an interesting thread: bsky.app/profile/jgra...
Thanks!
Does anyone know if a current map exists that shows Chicago car ownership levels? This was all I've found and the links don't work. It would be quite outdated in any case. @stevevance.net are you aware of anything? chi.streetsblog.org/2014/01/29/m...
I don't think lien is the term your looking for. Maybe a covenant of some sort. Developers will make that call for whether or not the residents will want or use a parking space. Any person who rents or buys will ask if parking is important. I rent a couple of units and it's one of the most common ?s
I don't think NIMBYs are ever going to support more housing. When the parking boogeyman isn't there is something else. There is always something else. The YIMBY crowd has stopped trying to persuade them. It's like hitting your head against a brick wall.
No one has said anything about removing parking. Not requiring *more* parking isnt the same as taking away parking. Youre concerned that parking will become more scarce bc you assume everyone who moves to an area brings a car w them. I don't believe that's true.
You think that each unit in an apartment will generate 2 cars. I don't think that's true.
No one has a right to store their private car on public land for free. The street spot in front of my house is not mine, it's public. If it's that important for someone to have a parking space right by their house, then they should live in a house that has private parking.
Who is using the street parking? Many areas have permit parking on residential streets that limits parking to residents of the street. If it's commercial, it should be metered.
You said people need cars, and we have said that many people do not. It is well studied that building more car infrastructure incentivizes more driving. You have said that traffic is bad in the area. More parking doesn't solve congestion, it makes it worse.
No one has said other people shouldn't be allowed to drive. People have said, driving needn't be the de facto mode of transportation for every trip, and many people don't need to drive for every, or even most, trips. Many people move to cites so they do not have to drive.
When did I write no one should drive? If you choose to drive, fine. But choosing a different mode, even for 1-2 trips, means less traffic. There isn't enough space for everyone to drive/park Also, yes. Everyone should be able to get around the city wo a car. Whether they can is another question
I like that maybe 42% of urban drivers straight up do not stop at stop signs anymore and then the other 58% who do stop don’t understand when it’s their turn to go so they just sit there. Really awesome stuff
Trump threatens Chicago with ICE, National Guard invasion. My city isn't having it. "Let it be known loud and clear that this isn’t a city you mess with. This is a place of hard work. A place where resistance runs deep." My column: www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
I absolutely count turn lanes. They have cars traveling in them, often racing to beat the light. We have to cross them. I navigate this intersection all of the time. Archer and Ashland.
One of those new cameras is in the 3300 S block of Ashland. I cross Ashland with my 4yo to take him to preschool. The street is 7 lanes wide with the turn lane. Drivers regularly go 50+mph, often right through the red light that we wait at. I have no sympathy for them. Ticket them to hell and back
Those streets need hard traffic calming. Pulaski is getting some after several recent pedestrian deaths. Archer is also getting some traffic calming in the form of a road diet in certain areas.
They are absolutely on major arterial surface streets that people use as de facto highways. Ashland, Archer, Pulaski, Western... Many of these streets are up to 7-lanes wide on the south and west sides. It's well documented that they do in fact reduce speeding.
How else will they run over at least one kindergartner a week and fill their quota?
Two of these cameras were installed in areas that I walk and bike frequently with my kids. I'm happy they were installed. The impact on speeding was immediately noticeable. Hardened traffic calming is what is needed but I'll take this for now.
"I won't drive down the street." My god, it's working!
It sounds like there are too many cars and people are choosing to drive over other modes of transportation. That sucks. That area has great L and bus service and the density means that you can walk to most destinations. Most people probably don't need to be driving very often but they choose to.
Here's a summary of six 2025 Chicago pedestrian fatality cases that Streetsblog has not previously reported on, based on CPD and CDOT data, as well as local news reports.
Two of these new cameras are in areas where we bike and walk regularly. I'm glad they were installed. Hardened traffic calming is what is ultimately needed but I'm fine with this for the time being. chicago.suntimes.com/transportati...
A stick-up on taxpayers being robbed by CPD. Maybe our property taxes wouldn't keep going up so much if we weren't blowing billions of dollars on police misconduct.
Our family of four has one vehicle but we don't need it for most trips. We can walk, bike, or take transit most places we need to go.
Yes. The ordinance does not remove parking. Encouraging people to take alternative modes of transportation will reduce the number of cars while making more housing - which is sorely needed - more affordable and available. There are lots of news stories diving into this.
Many people in Chicago do not need to drive. I could drive to work every day. But I don't need to. I could drive to the grocery store, but I don't need to. In August, I drove our family vehicle once, and it was for a trip to Michigan.
Do many students drive? Making pedestrian access better can reduce car dependence. I know a professor at Loyola who takes the L to campus.
I'd wager that many of the families in that area have 2 or even 3 cars. In most cases, that's more than necessary. People who need to use a car should use a car, many people could use alternatives which would dramatically reduce the pressure on those who actually need to drive.
There's a state park called shabbona that I think might be what I'm confusing it with. It's near DeKalb
Oh! I must be thinking of a different place!
Not everyone needs a car every day
Sounds like there's too many cars. Especially for a place so well connected with public transit. I don't think the number of street spots is being reduced in any case.
Cool. I went to Shannona many moons ago when I was lad in the scouts. I recall it being nice.
My god. It just might work!
I really nailed it the other day when I stopped at the Duck Inn for a cocktail at 2pm on Saturday and read for an hour on their very nice back patio. Book at Bar only works when no one knows you
Tin can nate
If the National Guard comes, can we get them to help CDOT put in bike lanes and fix sidewalks?
Did you go to camp sullivan?
Somebody in Edgewater isn't happy about the new parking reforms in Chicago. Reducing parking won't help Chicagoans in crowded neighborhoods - Chicago Sun-Times share.google/6IlJQDEexiga...
Salad, steamed Artichoke and steamed mussels for dinner tonight. Such an underrated meal and usually pretty cheap.
I have oodles of wild blueberries from the UP and I have a Labor day BBQ tomorrow... blueberry pie might have to make it onto the menu.
Ravenswood Gardens
Read this. Especially sickening to think about on the anniversary of Emmett Till. National Guard deployments, threats stem from vilifying people of color - Chicago Sun-Times chicago.suntimes.com/other-views/...
Kids in Chicago don't want troops -- but they do want change chicago.suntimes.com/donald-trump...
I'm no statistician, but isn't it really too soon to know if marshall law is making DC safer? If people are terrified to go outside, crime might be lower, but i don't think that's a real 'win.' DC eateries suffer as workers terrified of Ice stay home www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
All weekend, every weekend. Could still allow buses and it would be infinitely better than it is now.
I love Bike the Drive. We can walk through the park, peacefully listening to the wind, people chatting as they ride by; we can hear waves on the lake, cicadas singing, geese honking… This should be once each month, or every Sunday morning, all year!
Bike The Drive is this morning! Took this video from a bridge at North Ave., Beach walking over into Lincoln Park. #bikethedrive #lsd #lakeshoredrive #chicagowarzone
STOP THE KILLING STOP THE KILLING STOP THE KILLING STOP THE KILLING
