John Greenfield
In addition to editing Streetsblog Chicago, John writes the transportation column for the Chicago Reader weekly paper. A Chicagoan since 1989, he enjoys exploring the city on foot, bike, bus, and 'L' train.
Recent Posts
Get your Helmut on: Honor architect and fallen cyclist Jahn with these bike rides
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There are already a few different ways you can pay tribute to Jahn on your bicycle, including a self-guided tour of his downtown designs.
Architect Helmut Jahn Dies in Bike Crash
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While Jahn reportedly ran a stop sign on his bike, all the facts of his death aren't clear yet, and he deserves our empathy.
Electric slide? CTA says ‘L’ braking system isn’t to blame for wheel flats, noise
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The CTA says its most recent cars don't have electric disc brakes, air brakes weren't a viable option, and much of the reason its trains are noisy has nothing to do with the braking system.
Divvy’s ‘Bike Angels’ Earn Rides and Schwag
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Divvy bike-share recently launched a new program called Bike Angels where users can ride bikes from crowded stations to ones that are empty or running out of bikes in order to rack up rewards.
Bus Sex in Bike Lane Causes Brouhaha
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Setting aside the question of whether bike lane blockers should be publicly shamed, what is the CTA doing to keep buses out of bike lanes?
Chicago Blues: Advocates React to New Railcars
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The new cars represent an upgrade, but they're still pretty primative compared to their Asian and European counterparts.
RTA survey: Most people who stopped commuting by transit during COVID plan to return
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About 80 percent of respondents who weren't riding buses and trains on a frequent basis said they planned to to return to their pre-pandemic commuting habits once worries about the coronavirus ease.
Logan dragging case highlights how IDOT control of Chicago streets makes us less safe
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This horrifying incident has laid bare how the Illinois Department of Transportation having final say on changes to many Chicago streets makes our city more dangerous.
Trib’s Steve Chapman: Transit use is down right now, so we should never invest in it again
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In the bizarro world of the the right-leaning Chicago Tribune, the lessons of the pandemic are that we should instead be putting more focus on car-based transportation.
DOJ lights a fire under Chicago officials to speed up accessible pedestrian signal installation
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On Thursday the U.S. Department of Justice moved to intervene in a private disability discrimination suit against the city.
How Unnecessary Police Foot Chases Endanger the Public
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As with vehicle chases, the issue at stake is the need for officers the weigh the potential threat posed to the public if a suspect is not pursued, with the possible harm that could be inflicted by a chase.
LaSpata’s ordinance would remove reference to traffic “accidents” from Municipal Code
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It's common to refer to serious crashes as "accidents," implying they're unavoidable, when it's actually possible to reduce crashes through better roadway design and public policy.