you can help make Chicago more bike friendly

A recent blog piece on Grid Chicago talked about the issues we face on the south side that make parts of our area anything but bike friendly. (Here's Part 2 of that piece.) 

Protected bike lanes can help create safer conditions for transportation riding, and the mayor has pledged 100 miles of new protected lanes between now and 2014.  You may be asking "what do these lanes look like and how do they help?"  Check out this link and view the videos and pictures there.  The 18th St. video offers a "before" and a "partially completed" view. The Kinzie St. video shows an "after" view.

Whether you are an everyday cyclist, someone who rides occasionally in the neighborhood, or someone who would like to be able to ride to neighborhood destinations but doesn't feel safe riding on anything but quiet streets or paths, the Streets for Cycling 2020 Plan would like to hear from you over the next several weeks.

The goal of this plan is to create conditions that will make it possible for a wider range of people to ride for transportation, so that people all over the city have more transportation options. 

What do they want to know?  Take a look at a map and spend a few minutes making a list of destinations you where would like to go by bike - library, work, train station, school, restaurant, a friend's home, the lakefront, etc.  Then make a list of barriers that currently make it difficult or impossible for you to ride to places you'd like to go - heavy traffic streets connecting neighborhoods, railroad viaducts, expressways, bridges with fast traffic and no safe place for bikes, etc.

The first public meeting will be next Saturday 12/10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 23 E. Madison.  There will also be public meetings in January and February.  Our south side meeting will be Wednesday 1/25 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Woodson Regional Library, 95th & Halsted.  If you're unable to attend one of the public meetings, but would like send your lists by e-mail, please click here.

You can find additional updates on the Chicago Dept. of Transportation Bike Program page.


Please share this information with anyone you know who rides for transportation and anyone who currently does not but might like to if conditions were safer.

building urban gardens - learning opportunity

Want to learn about organic gardening? Building Urban Gardens (BUGs) equips city-based community and backyard gardeners with the knowledge and hands-on training necessary to plant and grow organically. The next 6-week class starts 1/28/12 at Garfield Park Conservatory.

non sequitur Friday

bold burglars

What common thread do you notice between these incident listings from EveryBlock?  Most of them happened between 7:30 and 9:30 a.m. on a weekday morning, when there's usually a bit of traffic as kids go to school and people go to work (or come home from overnight shifts).  This is a change from the pattern we were seeing for a while where a lot of burglaries were happening at 3 or 4 a.m.

• Burglary: Forcible entry / Residence (garage)

  2500 block W. 118th Pl.November 19, 2011 @ 10:50 a.m.

• Burglary: Forcible entry / Residence

  12800 block S. Peoria St.November 18, 2011 @ 9:30 a.m.

• Burglary: Forcible entry / Residence

  9700 block S. Seeley Ave.November 18, 2011 @ 9 a.m.

• Burglary: Attempted forcible entry / Residence

  1500 block W. 107th St.November 17, 2011 @ 3:37 p.m.

• Burglary: Forcible entry / Residence (garage)

  900 block W. 111th St.November 17, 2011 @ 8 a.m.

• Burglary: Forcible entry / Residence (garage)

  900 block W. 111th St.November 17, 2011 @ 8 a.m.

• Burglary: Forcible entry / Residence

  10700 block S. Wood St.November 17, 2011 @ 7:45 a.m.

• Burglary: Unlawful entry / Residence

  9600 block S. Carpenter St.November 17, 2011 @ 7:35 a.m.

• Burglary: Forcible entry / Residence

  10100 block S. Aberdeen St.November 17, 2011 @ 5:30 a.m.

non sequitur Friday

Here are two by an old favorite band from New England.

non sequitur Friday

Two takes on a classic...

The Bangles' cover


And the Simon and Garfunkel original

non sequitur Friday

More musical time travel...

ward remap public meeting on 11/9

If you're interested in attending a public meeting about the proposed ward remap, there's one in the neighborhood on Wed. 11/9 at Morgan Park High School auditorium, 1744 W. Pryor Ave., from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

If you're unable to attend that meeting, there will be another on Thurs. 11/17 at City Hall City Council chambers, 121 N. LaSalle St. from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. I'm betting that one will be a bit more crowded.

non sequitur Friday

1980s flashback





And the Talking Heads' cover of Al Green's "Take Me to the River."

household hazardous waste collection on Sat. 11/5

The Green Sanctuary Group of Beverly Unitarian Church will collect household hazardous waste and electronics for recycling Sat. 11/5, 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. in the church parking lot, 10244 S. Longwood Dr. (the Castle). For details on which items are accepted, click here and scroll down on the Green Sanctuary Group page.

Modest contributions to help offset transportation costs are appreciated. For more information, call 773-233-7080.