Perspectives
Coronavirus lockdowns are pushing mass transit systems to the brink – and low-income riders will pay the price
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One in 5 of the poorest US households don’t have a car and rely on public transportation to get around.
Perspectives
Chicago’s South and West sides have most to gain from bus-focused development push
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Most transit-oriented development so far has been clustered on the North and Near West sides, the Metropolitan Planning Council found, reinforcing decades of underinvestment in segregated neighborhoods.
Perspectives: The Powers That Be
From police to schools to transit, a crisis of accountability in Chicago
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As Rahm Emanuel courts flashy projects amid a slew of scandals, it seems the mayor is more accountable to big-money donors than to neighborhood constituents.
Beyond 95th Street
Instead of extending the Red Line, some see promise in the Metra Electric
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Converting the Metra Electric District main line into rapid transit could be a quicker, cheaper way to improve transit on the South Side than building more Red Line stations, advocates say.
Beyond 95th Street
New Red Line extension plan would uproot fewer Far South Side homes
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The Chicago Transit Authority’s hybrid proposal lowers the number of privately owned properties that would need to be acquired, but residents still have mixed feelings on how the project could affect them economically.
Perspectives: The Powers That Be
Highway expansion drives jobs away from communities that need them
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The costly projects will add to the exodus of jobs to the suburbs making employment out of reach for low-income Chicagoans who rely on public transit.
Beyond 95th Street
Far South Side homeowners question Red Line extension’s impact on property values
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The Chicago Transit Authority plans to acquire some homes to extend the “L” and affected residents want to ensure they’re fairly compensated in neighborhoods that have been especially slow to recover from the housing crash.
Beyond 95th Street
Red Line extension aims to improve transit and development on the Far South Side
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The long-awaited expansion of the “L” could mitigate the impact of historic policies that fueled segregation and disinvestment in black communities.
Beyond 95th Street
For Riverdale, Red Line extension may be path to employment
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Cut off from major transit lines, deindustrialized Riverdale has among the city’s highest commute times, contributing to its high unemployment and poverty rates.
Transportation
Cook County plan links transportation and racial equity
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By directing gas tax revenue from criminal justice to roads, Cook County may add millions to next year’s transportation budget.