Much appreciated shout out and blast from the past (RIP Curbed). This article is still so relevant though as we discuss the need to build more housing, build livable communities, and build climate friendly communities.

A block and a half from a transit stop surrounded by tons of new TOD no less! Its good to up zone major transit/commercial corridors to take pressure off smaller scale residential blocks in surrounding areas, while stuff like missing middle and ADUs allow more housing diversity.

Spending a few days on the East Coast working from home after the @yimbytown.bsky.social conference, and how appropriate that my Airbnb is an ADU below a rental unit both attached to a main house occupied by the property owner.

The funniest thing about the @yimbytown.bsky.social conference was how as soon as I told anyone I’m from Chicago suddenly and out of nowhere somebody else would appear and ask “are you talking about Chicago?”

United Airlines is uniquely well positioned among the US’s big three airlines to capitalize on air-rail connections. 1) It has several hubs that are co-located along some pretty critical rail corridors. And 2) It has established, strong partnerships with airlines already demonstrating the model.

It’s wild that PATH trains don’t operate all the way to Newark (EWR). The rail yards extend from to within just 1.5 miles of the airport’s station. Both of which are built along an existing rail right-of-way. That’s a nothing extension to a big multimodal hub.

NJ Transit’s livery isn’t the best all around, but I absolutely love its post-modern color scheme. The oversatursated, doc-com pop organe, blue, and magenta (magenta!) they use is just so off-beat and fun and different. It’s a shame we don’t see that energy in other legacy US transit systems.

This should be a good one, with some of the key walk/bike/transit boosters in Springfield and City Hall: tinyurl.com/3mj2km6x Read our recent interview with Sen. Villivalam, state senate lead on transit reform/funding. chi.streetsblog.org/2025/07/24/s... @ctaction.org @betterstreetschicago.org

This is a significant difference that’s designed to be ineffective and undermine the ADU legislation’s goals: affordable and diverse housing all over. I’m confident that the decoy is strategically designed to permit a minimum amount of new density and only where most of the density already is…

comparing the main and decoy ADU ordinances... main, Lawson: Upon passage, homeowners and other property owners in 61% of the city (measured by area) will be eligible to apply for a building permit. and the decoy? 20% of the city would be eligible

One of my favorite things about arriving in Minneapolis is that whether I get here by train or plane I can hope on the @metrotransitmn.bsky.social light rail and get where I need to go. It’s exciting to see the Green Line extension proceed and Blue Line extension planning keep going.

It’s time to abolish them all.

Remember when democratic leaders of the Minnesota legislature were assassinated and it was in the news for like, less than 24 hours?

Anecdata: a guy on my bus said it routinely takes him 2+ hours to get from his home near Harlem/Ogden to his job near Harlem/Howard because he has to take a Pace bus to a CTA bus to a Pace bus in both directions, because a straight shot up/down Harlem requires cutting thru the city.

A great thing about bike-friendly streets is that they enhance local transport resilience. Tube down b/c of a strike? A great excuse to cycle.

Just curious: what does it do for a governor's presidential campaign prospects when the city where all his money comes from has to cut transit service by 80%? Is it good?

It’s time the City start discussions with the water taxi company to figure out what’s needed to expand service. I’ve been told there water taxi is service limited because it’s at capacity, and doesn’t have the appropriate vessels and facilities to grow.

One of the reasons brick-n-mortar retail and offices are struggling so much is definitely because it’s often just not worth going out and to those places. Economic issues are 100% also apart of it: we’re overworked, precariously employed, and underpaid. But being out in the world can suck.

It’s a gorgeous Friday evening in Chicago. Taste of Chicago is on. There’s a music festival in Edgewater. People are stirring after a short work week. And the region’s entire transit system is gunna be winding down soon for the night. Just as the city gets moving.

My favorite thing about the new Red Line track on the North Side is how much sky you now get. There’s a particular time of late afternoon when it’s particularly great and you can really tell the difference. It always gives the most Miyazaki sky vibes.

Beethoven’s 9th symphony really is jaw dropping good music.

We talked with neighbors at the Downers Grove Farmer’s Market about the importance of transit - and the impact that 40% cuts would have if legislators don’t take action to save transit NOW.

The Abundance Bros seem to have believe they’ve invented a framework to make Democratic ideas palatable to voters but in fact seem to have invented a framework that often makes right-wing ideas palatable to themselves

Chicago has an exceedingly strong sense of self that teeters on “national identity” (not an endorsement of nationalism of any kind). I can’t think of many places (any?) in the USA where so many people talk about their local identity as Chicagoans coming before their identity as Americans. So, yeah…

This! This is why it’s so important to invest in planning, design, and engineering at the state and local level. This is how things move when the opportunity arises. (And such an opportunity just occurred with the IRA, which the region was ill-prepared for minus the RLE.)

Folks have asked why I still focus on transit in light of [gestures wildly] and the reason is because at some point – ballot box, jury box, pine box – MAGA will end, and we need to be ready to hit the ground running when that happens

Fill out their survey! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Milwaukee Avenue between Ashland and Damen was pedestrianized today thanks to Alder Daniel La Spata. Great to see lots of folks walking, conversing, and shopping on a quieter and more vibrant street that was a community platform and not just a pipe for cars.

Life After Cars begins...

The businesses there would make more money than they could imagine in their wildest dreams.

“Shooing hundreds of shoppers away,” is so literally and the best framing of the moment. People absolutely dispersed and left the neighborhood. Myself and my partner did the same. What else was there to do once the street was open to traffic? Ironically, many stores I skipped as a result.

@aldermanlaspata.bsky.social: Meet Me on Milwaukee was the most enjoyable Wicker Park has ever been. The sudden end at 5pm, right at the peak of the afternoon and into the evening was jarring and disappointing though. This needs to go into the evening. In fact, make it 24/7/365.

I also hope everyone who went to Milwaukee Avenue today made sure to stop at least on place to buy something and made a whole deal out of how great the pedestrian street was to every staff member. Businesses need to hear this from customers. I also hope people keep going and keep talking it up.

These two images were taken less an an hour apart. The good energy on Milwaukee during the pedestrian event was strong and lovely. It’s gone. The life is gone. Back to narrow sidewalks, aggressive drivers, and zero reason to make the trip to the neighborhood.

It’s a gorgeous sunny Sunday afternoon and I just saw the life absolutely sucked out of Milwaukee Ave. How and why? Because at 5pm, at the peak of the afternoon, the Meet Me On Milwaukee pedestrian event ended. What a depressing moment to witness. Make Milwaukee permanently pedestrian.

Today I spoke with a Philly resident whose entire life has been upended. Today's service cuts mean they have an entirely new work schedule – and this is only with half the proposed cuts enacted. This is the reality that Illinois Democrats like @jbpritzker.bsky.social are speedruning us towards.

Reach out to your elected officials and get involved advocating for a major transit funding and reform at savetransit.org.

IMO people who live and/or work in the area outlined in yellow have the most to gain from transit reform and funding. People who live in the urban core will benefit from less traffic on their streets. People who live in the fringes will still have access to fast trips into the city.

Make sure to visit savetransit.org to advocate for transit reform and funding.

It is absolutely imperative that the Illinois General Assembly pass critical transit reform and funding proposals that failed to pass during the Spring Session. Traffic is becoming unbearable in the region, transportation costs are thru the roof, and we’re not meeting climate goals.

Some insights for the YIMBY movement from a summer evening walk 1) don’t neglect commercial zoning, business licensing constrains. That is, if we’re gunna make climate friendly 15-min n’hoods we need to make sure a full range of services and needs are also met. A lot of zoning codes prevent that.

If your bus route has three according buses bunching at a time, then your bus route needs to be a subway line. @chicagocta.bsky.social @illinoisdot.bsky.social @chicagosmayor.bsky.social @govpritzker.illinois.gov

Have some thoughts about improving CTA bus stops in Chicago? Would you like to see them more comfortable? Better information? More seating? Share your ideas with the city and CTA www.research.net/r/busstops32in

This is absolutely going to be a line for me. I’ve seen few inspiring or motivating 2026 federal races in Illinois and I expect a lot a of candidates at that level will follow the state party line, which is frankly not great. Illinoisans are fortune to have a lot space to make a point while voting.

@chicagocta.bsky.social did a good job with RPM Phase I. But the more I think on it it’s clear they missed a huge opportunity to make the Bryn Mawr station a Red-Purple transfer. Better would’ve been using the land needed for staging to build a bus terminal for the 84, 92, 146 plus 50, 136, and 148.

Well, I just had to try and convince somebody who’s fully against trans people in sports that it’s okay, and my take away is that such a position is so deeply misogynistic that we’re missing the point. Quote “men” are so concerned a woman will beat them they’ll fight actual fairness: skill.

📍 Humboldt Park 📍 18th (Soldier Field) #BuildTheTunnel

Thank you @dave.bzky.team for putting together this thread about the new district level legislative briefs @climateaf.bsky.social released for Pennsylvania. They provide insights about transportation policy needs on PA paired with district level data for each district.

Just walked between the L and Navy Pier twice tonight. The good is people are out in mass! We gotta drop the doom and gloom story about the city. It was honestly lovely. The bad: one of the worst walks in Chicago. It’s horrible. We have been doing it wrong for so long. We need deep policy change.

Great conversation tn w/ @nickforillinois.bsky.social and supporters about what’s needed to transform Illinois’ housing and transportation systems so they work for working and middle class families. Progress & equity are compatible. We just gotta elect people who champion that, and are accountable.