Why is City Hall *still* not helping to fund or organize Open Streets?

Most great U.S. cities currently have city-sponsored "ciclovias," Latin-American-style events that shut down streets for car-free recreation. For most of the last decade, Chicago's Active Transportation Alliance has been trying to persuade City Hall to help out with organizing and funding a ciclovia here. After all this time, and several fabulous Open Streets events, Chicago is still way behind other cities in the ciclovia movement. Since the new Emanuel/Klein administration has generally been terrific on sustainable transportation issues, why has the city *still* not stepped up?
http://gridchicago.com/2012/open-streets-closed-coffers-once-again-...

Keep moving forward,

John Greenfield

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Permalink Reply by pat 5.5mi on September 11, 2012 at 8:02am

These are great events and should not be limited to special once a year activities.  While on vacation in 2009, we stumbled upon one of these on the Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City (kind of like NY's Broadway or the Champs Elysees).  Not only was the whole thing closed to vehicular traffic, but volunteers were signing out free bikes!

They do this EVERY SUNDAY for 8 HOURS.

Permalink Reply by John Greenfield on September 11, 2012 at 8:20am

Very cool!

Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on September 12, 2012 at 5:43am

We've moved up to twice a year now... :(

uic said:

These are great events and should not be limited to special once a year activities.  While on vacation in 2009, we stumbled upon one of these on the Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City (kind of like NY's Broadway or the Champs Elysees).  Not only was the whole thing closed to vehicular traffic, but volunteers were signing out free bikes!

They do this EVERY SUNDAY for 8 HOURS.

Permalink Reply by Matt Tennessen on September 13, 2012 at 2:39am
Because it would be a logistical nightmare. Add to that Gabe Klein was on WBEZ yesterday and responded to a callers concerns over costs to do this (in regards to pre-closing signage, detours, staffing while street is closed, LAZ obligations, etc) by saying it wasn't his department to know costs(?!?). I realize this sounds incredibly confrontational but between this and efforts like the Berteau bikeway, it is no wonder that people get frustrated by this city's disconnection to meaningful plans. If we have to pick and choose where to spend in order to improve the city, I believe most residents would choose to have it function first before aquiecing to some middle-class quasi-suburbia.
Permalink Reply by John Greenfield on September 13, 2012 at 2:45am

Well, the much longer, more frequent city-sponsored ciclovias in NYC, LA, San Francisco, Portland, etc., aren't logistical nightmares. They're wildly successful events that get tens of thousands of residents out exercising, socializing, touring the city by sustainable means, and spending money at local businesses.

Permalink Reply by Matt Tennessen on September 13, 2012 at 2:58am
There's one happening this Sunday in wicker park on Milwaukee ave. are you telling me no one is visiting Milwaukee ave in wicker park on any other Sunday? And again, costs? And I'd why not put these things in areas in need of some outside socializing? Maybe some areas that are a little less homogenous? Besides, there are a billion street fests all summer long that bring people out (and create a mess for me to avoid like the plague).
Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on September 13, 2012 at 3:05am

I think it's great that we moved from 1 to 2.  Also, the one on state street was larger than last year, right?

Of course I would love it every week or once a month!  And I agree it helps with making the streets safer and encourages people to be active.

Remember though, and it may have been mentioned here, that we have a very different situation than most other cities - everytime the city shuts down a street and it has parking they have to pay LAZ for the revenue lost.  So although it may make money for local businesses (depending on the traffic in that area if it wasn't shut down), the city has to pay.

To me that seems like a big factor.


Steven Vance said:

We've moved up to twice a year now... :(

uic said:

These are great events and should not be limited to special once a year activities.  While on vacation in 2009, we stumbled upon one of these on the Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City (kind of like NY's Broadway or the Champs Elysees).  Not only was the whole thing closed to vehicular traffic, but volunteers were signing out free bikes!

They do this EVERY SUNDAY for 8 HOURS.

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on September 13, 2012 at 3:13am

This is Chicago.  We can't even fix the schools...

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on September 13, 2012 at 3:17am

BLT (four star) focuses on West and South sides of the city. 

I believe doing these Open Streets in already populated areas is easier to put on.  If the streets down there were closed and no one came, the city for sure would say we are never doing this again.



Matt Tennessen said:

There's one happening this Sunday in wicker park on Milwaukee ave. are you telling me no one is visiting Milwaukee ave in wicker park on any other Sunday? And again, costs? And I'd why not put these things in areas in need of some outside socializing? Maybe some areas that are a little less homogenous? Besides, there are a billion street fests all summer long that bring people out (and create a mess for me to avoid like the plague).
Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on September 13, 2012 at 3:26am

Roads are closed regularly for street fairs and music-oriented festivals. Logan Blvd at the West end near me was closed for something just a few weeks ago.

The city lacks the resolve to do the same for bicycle and car-less street promotion.  I don't see it happening with any regularity any time soon.   Having 2 streets closed/year is 2 more than I would think was even possible.

Maybe when gas is $10/gallon things will be different. I suppose that before it gets to that point we'll have boots on the ground in Iran to "liberate" their oil their fine citizens from oppression and/or stopping them from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Four more wars...

Permalink Reply by John Greenfield on September 13, 2012 at 3:28am

Downtown and Wicker Park/Bucktown were chosen largely because SSA funding was available and these dense, retail-rich areas were attractive to corporate sponsors. Active Trans' strategy is to eventually expand the event to include underserved neighborhoods.

Permalink Reply by Matt Tennessen on September 13, 2012 at 3:43am
exactly. economic stratification and segregation is so strong in this city that we focus infrastructure and now recreation dollars in areas that favor middle and upper class citizens. that you actually express this simply strengthens my belief that the city and the advocacy groups that work with it only reflect narrow interests. cars aren't the problem, access is. it is not the city's responsibility to entertain you. it does, however, have a responsibility to make transit throughout it reasonable. and in that aspect it fails miserably.


John Greenfield said:

Downtown and Wicker Park/Bucktown were chosen largely because SSA funding was available and these dense, retail-rich areas were attractive to corporate sponsors. Active Trans' strategy is to eventually expand the event to include underserved neighborhoods.

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