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@sidestreets.bsky.social

220 followers 340 following 710 posts

Radically pedestrian urban planning. Chicago-centric.

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sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · Jun 16

If your budget ignores a multi-billion dollar loss in economic productivity due to underfunding transit, is it really balanced?

Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · Jun 16

Today, I'm proud to sign our seventh balanced budget into law.

Our work builds on our progress to bring good jobs, economic opportunity, quality child care, modernized infrastructure, and job training for Illinoisans.

All while continuing our hard-earned fiscal responsibility.

Governor JB Pritzker and Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton joined House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and budget leaders from each chamber to sign the FY26 state budget package.

sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 10h

I say expand it to single family homes. Let’s see how efficient the houses get when Texans have to fund the arts.

sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 10h

What if we start calling all these important things “Obama’s greatest failure”? Would that convince him?

Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 12h

Trump announced today, seemingly at random, that he is cancelling fed funding for Gateway Tunnel, a tunnel for intercity & commuter trains under the Hudson River.

The motivation for the cancellation—which is likely to be contested—appears to be purely the president’s hatred of Sen Schumer.

Mark Abraham @markabraham.bsky.social · 12h

"If this system of transportation collapses, the Northeastern economy and the economy of the country collapses." The most important economic development project in the entire nation threatened with cancellation: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/n...

sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 11h

*most populated metro areas, transit in principal city.

Columbus annexed all it’s suburbs and Indianapolis did an ouroboros with its own county.

sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 11h

Also as a fun fact, Pace has higher overall ridership than Detroit, the second most populated city in the Midwest.

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sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 11h

Like the name (but unlike the gold-standard design) of Albuquerque’s line, it’s an ART.

sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 14h

@metrotransitmn.bsky.social would call this “arterial rapid transit”, which I find to be a good descriptor.

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sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 15h

Ronnie Reagan and the Chamber of Secret Agents
2 Ron 2 Reagan
Star Wars: The Empire Cuts Back
Ronald Reagan and the Administration of Doom
Catching Liar
Reagan: The Weigh of Larder
Reagan II
Ron: Legacy
Reaganator 2: Judgement Stay

sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 15h

House leaders were saying they were reviewing funds and would hold a vote during this session.

Expect a vote on Thursday 10/30.

sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 17h

The massive corporations trying to buy their way out of delivery charges are featuring a photo of a bike delivery that would be tax-exempt under the proposed law.

Anti-delivery charge website from businesses advocating to keep making money off personal externalities (https://www.saynotoildeliverytaxes.com/)

Features a bike delivery picture.

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Reposted

Chicago Sun-Times @chicago.suntimes.com · 20h

Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg has recommended that Mayor Brandon Johnson fire his closest aide, senior mayoral adviser Jason Lee, for refusing to cooperate with her investigation.

Mayor Johnson should fire his top adviser, Chicago inspector general says

Adviser Jason Lee confirmed he was the target of a probe into a quid pro quo threat he allegedly made against Ald. Bill Conway, but Lee denies that he didn’t cooperate with Deborah Witzburg’s investigation.

trib.al

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sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 19h

A bus of climate lobbyists in the way to Springfield

Climate lobbyists walk towards the state capitol building

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sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 19h

Fix it! Fund it! #SaveTransit

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sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 21h

Hearing there are still talks about which revenue sources will #fundtransit

Also hearing nonsense about delivery fees on Amazon packages is regressive, but not defunding transit would be far more regressive!

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sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 21h

Lobby day for funding Illinois Transit, now in session.

Featuring:
@housedemsil.bsky.social
@ilenviro.bsky.social
@betterstreetschicago.org
@sierraclubchicago.bsky.social

A crowd of people holding signs supporting funding transit in Illinois crowd around the statue and lectern in the lobby of the Illinois State Capitol.

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sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 1d

Love the shade of using violators’ photos in the backdrop of the announcement.

cta @chicagocta.bsky.social · 1d

Starting October 15, six CTA buses will operate with Automated Bus Lane Enforcement systems as part of the City of Chicago’s Smart Streets pilot.

Automated bus lane, bus stop, and bike lane enforcement starts Wednesday, October 15th

Keeping bus stops clear is essential to ensuring that transit is accessible to everyone especially people with disabilities.

Bus lanes and bus stops are for buses. Bike lanes are for bikes.
Keeping them clear is essential to ensuring everyone in Chicago gets where they need to go, safely and on time.

That's why we're launching automated bus lane, bus stop, and bike lane enforcement to improve rider safety and transit efficiency.

sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 1d

I prefer to get my unsafe lead consumption the natural ways:

- when I breath in the wind that kicks up dust settled along motorways with decades of leaded gas emissions

- when I drink water from disinvested pipes after decades of union requirements for unsafe plumbing practices

paris martineau @paris.nyc · 1d

my latest investigation for @consumerreports.org is based on months of reporting and 60+ lab tests of leading protein supplements

we found that most protein powders and shakes have more lead in one serving than our experts say is safe to have in a day (🧵)

www.consumerreports.org/lead/protein...

Protein Powders and Shakes Contain High Levels of Lead - Consumer Reports

CR tests of 23 popular protein powders and shakes found that most contain high levels of lead.

www.consumerreports.org

sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 1d

Dear chambers of commerce:

Protect small businesses from big-franchise takeovers with this one neat trick!

Reach out to the local alderman. You too can have a P-street designation.

Chicago 🏳️‍⚧️🌱 @chicagotrans-plant.bsky.social · 1d

Says the parcels should be denser to take advantage of the CTA investments, and that there have been many plans and studies on changes in these areas.

Likes the pedestrian street designations.

sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 1d

There not many vacant lots between Michigan and MED, though. Most of the small-scale infill that seems viable from community feedback is between the current alignment and Michigan Avenue. Cut-and-cover costs aside, we already did eminent domain along here, so I doubt there's a big enough benefit.

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sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 1d

Do we have an alternate alignment that avoids excessive eminent domain, doesn't put station catchment areas in the middle of a freeway or by a wastewater treatment plant, and still reaches Altgeld Gardens?

I have trouble seeing an better route that isn't just the Metra Electric with improvements.

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Reposted

Chicago 🏳️‍⚧️🌱 @chicagotrans-plant.bsky.social · 1d

The Broadway upzoning passes the land use commission 15-2. Loud cheers break out

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sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 1d

The plan did say that the program should be expanded into this area at the conclusion of the pilot (*if successful*).

ADDITIONAL DWELLING UNITS

The Additional Dwelling Units (ADU) Ordinance,
approved by the Chicago City Council in December
2020, expands housing access across Chicago
by allowing ADUs in attics, basements, and
accessory buildings. Common names for these
types of housing units include coach houses,
backyard houses, and in-law apartments. The
ADU Ordinance allows for the creation of new
units for homeowners needing extra income, or
those who wish to create separate spaces for
multigenerational families. It also provides a path
for legalization of units that were previously built
without zoning approval and building permits.

Property owners in five ADU pilot areas can apply
to create one or more ADUs on their property. If
the City’s ADU pilot program proves successful, the
program should be expanded to include the RLE
station areas.

sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 1d

Check out the massing renderings from the Red Line Extension Transit Supportive Development Plan. Every infill midrise seems to have a parking garage out back. The 'feedback' for this plan seemed to be that everyone would still drive everywhere.

A massing rendering around the RLE Michigan Avenue station, with potential buildings in orange.

A massing rendering around the RLE 111th station, with potential buildings in orange.

sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 2d

Prepay passes are regressive compared to fare capping. Riders with irregular ridership patterns or mixed modality will be less likely to plan ahead, and suffer higher transportation costs as a result. Park-and-ride 9-5 commuters see the benefit instead.

Reposted

Soren Spicknall @sorenspicknall.bsky.social · 2d

"Community" is a word that's often used to obscure divides. If you don't actually know vulnerable people in your community, your mental version of what your neighborhood is experiencing is likely centered on very different things than theirs. If you want to help, don't invent tactics from scratch.

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sidestreets.bsky.social @sidestreets.bsky.social · 2d

Cool, discount if you take a bus to the L

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