carfree chicago - promoting a culture of carfree living

Carfree Day Trip: Skiing in Wisconsin

crandell — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:14:55 +0000

Yes, there are ski slopes close enough to Chicago for a day trip. And no, you don't need a car to get there! Windy City Ski is a new bus service offering round-trip transportation for weekend day trips to ski slops in Wisconsin. Check out the Chicago Tribune's coverage of this carfree day trip option: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-trav-0207-ski-bus-20100205...

Chicago Gives Pedestrians a Head Start at Select Intersections

crandell — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:38:42 +0000

I noticed the other day that CDOT had adjusted traffic lights at a couple intersections on my street to give pedestrians a few seconds head start to begin crossing before cars get a green light. This is called a Leading Pedestrian Interval, or LPI (check out this Streetsblog video about LPIs). This is one of those many progressive things I've read about other cities doing and wished I'd see at home. So I'm happy to see this tool being used in Chicago as the city learns that pedestrians should be the priority on our streets.

Daytrip to Openlands Lakeshore Preserve via Metra for a Beautiful Day

crandell — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:23:57 +0000

Unseasonably warm days like today are the perfect time for an outdoorsy daytrip. And Openlands has a great suggestion on their website with public transit directions to their recently opened Openlands Lakeshore Preserve.

Get directions here: http://openlands.org/index.php/Special-Projects/Projects/openlands-lakes...

Check Metra's UP-North schedule here: http://metrarail.com

Learn more about the preserve here: http://openlands.org/index.php/News/Press-Releases/new-preserve-opens-ad...

NYC bike racks on Times Square plaza make Chicago jealous

crandell — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:25:56 +0000

crandell | 11/02/2009

Design new bike racks for Chicago

studiomurmur — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:44:53 +0000

Studio Murmur is a product design firm based in Chicago. We currently seek to engage individuals, organizations and city /state transportation officials in launching a bike parking initiative to design the next generation of bicycle racks in Chicago. Similar efforts have been successful in Toronto and New York City and smaller initiatives are underway in other cities. Secure and easy-to-use parking for a wide range of bicycles is a non-trivial problem that is not sufficiently addressed by many current rack designs. If you are someone, or know someone, who can help, please contact us at info@studiomurmur.net Thanks!

New Buffalo Opening New Privately Funded Amtrak Station at Transit-Friendly Development

crandell — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:43:47 +0000

Though a bit behind schedule, it looks like New Buffalo's new Amtrak station is finally slated to open on Oct. 26. This makes another great Michigan beach town even more accessible to carfree Chicagoans.

Belmont progress

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:30:03 +0000

Anonymous | 10/16/2009

City to Reopen Queen's Landing Crosswalk?

crandell — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:35:41 +0000

I thought it was time to revisit the Queen's Landing crosswalk following last month's approval of the updated Central Area Action Plan. You may recall that this crosswalk connecting Buckingham Fountain to Lake Michigan was closed back in July 2005. Well, slipped in among the costly major infrastructure projects outlined in the plan is a small item about a crosswalk with a $500,000 price tag. No massive overdone bridge over LSD as had been discussed following the crosswalk closing -- just a simple way to cross the street at Queen's Landing and restore a critical connection between the Lake and Grant Park. A bridge or an underpass would be an over-engineered and overpriced solution to getting people across the street.

Chicagoland Car-Free Day Is Sept. 22: Take the Pledge, Get $1 Off Caribou Coffee!

crandell — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 02:44:21 +0000

Back in 2007, I was jealous of DC's Carfree Day celebrations. Well, World Carfree Day is coming up once again on Tuesday, Sept. 22, but this year Active Trans is kicking off our very own first annual Chicagoland Car-Free Day! Active Trans is celebrating with a car-free day pledge and a series of partner events. Visit http://www.activetrans.org/carfree to take the pledge and to check out the events. As a bonus, when you take the pledge you get a coupon for $1 off a large drink at Caribou Coffee on Sept. 22. Carfree Day is a great effort to raise the profile of our region's transportation options and create a more positive vibe around transit, biking and walking.

Great Walks from L Stops

crandell — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:53:41 +0000

Those who love leisurely walks and riding the CTA will really appreciate one of the features in this week's issue of Time Out Chicago. It offers photos, maps and a guide for scenic strolls kicking offer from L stops on each of the CTA's eight train lines. From the Francisco stop on the Brown Line (home to some of my favorite transit art) to the Halsted stop on the Orange Line, this little guide is a good nudge to check out some of the L stops and neighborhoods you might not normally frequent.

Check it out: Time Out Chicago: Walk the lines

And if you really love one of these stations, buy yourself an L Stop Button!