Transportation

Transportation

Nobody invested greater hopes in the Chicago 2016 Olympics than Mayor Daley. By doing all he could to bring the 2016 Summer Games to the city, Mayor Daley also sought to attract the accompanying billion dollars in federal spending that, as estimated by the Chicago 2016 bid group , would be used "to meet the immediate needs of the Games and the long-terms needs of Chicago."2High among those needs is an overhaul of the Chicago public transit system that has fallen into disrepair. more

Mass Transit

In spite of the $2.7 billion Chicago transit agencies received in 2009 from the Illinois budget and the $400 million provided by the federal stimulus package, the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) is far from having the $16 billion it needs to repair and modernize trains, buses, and the transit infrastructure.

Although the CTA has undergone positive changes throughout the past ten years, there are still gaping holes in bus service for many Chicagoans, particularly those on the South Side. The February 7, 2010 reductions to CTA buses may help the floundering budget, but they do little to promote public transportation and resolve transportation inequality. more

The Cost of Congestion

City congestion causes more than annoyances and road rage; Chicago drivers waste, on average, $3,014 each year while sitting in traffic. One study of gridlock in Chicago estimates that “lost time [costs individuals] 19.5 times more than wasted fuel.” The city itself squanders an estimated $7.3 billion a year in wasted time and fuel, ranking it second in the nation.

City officials are increasingly looking at the possibility of enacting a congestion fee” on cars driving downtown. But the business community remains fiercely opposed to it, saying it will deter tourists and shoppers. more

Privatization of Parking Meters

In a shroud of secrecy, Mayor Daley agreed to lease the city’s parking meters for $1.2 billion over the next 75 years. Chicagoans, including the Chicago Inspector General, were critical not only of the manner in which the deal was railroaded through City Council, but also the agreement itself. Privatization of the parking meters should have cost at least twice as much as the city demanded.

Other privatization packages enacted by the Mayor include: the $1.8 billion leasing of the Chicago Skyway; the $563 million lease of four parking garages under Millennium Park and Grant Park; and the $2.5 billion lease of Midway Airport. An ordinance sits in City Council that would mandate the online accessibility of previous and future documents concerning the leasing of public assets. more

The Bike 2015 Plan

Named one of the top 10 biking-friendly cities in the country by ForbesTraveler.com, Chicago pushed ahead with its establishment of bike lanes and marked share lanes, installed 3,500 bike racks downtown, and established the first downtown parking facility in Millennium Park. The goal of the city’s Bike 2015 Plan is to have 5 percent of all trips less than five miles be traveled by bicycle.

The city’s bike-centric efforts have inspired Willis Tower (Sears), the Field Museum, and other facilities to provide bikes for tenants and employees, while institutions led by St. Xavier University have launched bike rental programs. more