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
Neighbors Say Road Diet Causes ‘Traffic Nightmare,’ but Data Tell a Different Story
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In reality, plenty of people benefit from such projects. But the media often highlight the loudest, least-informed voices.
What It's Like to Bike in Vienna and Budapest
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Comparing Budapest and Vienna offers more evidence that if Chicago wants to mainstream cycling, we've got to build a citywide network of connected, protected bikeways.
It's Time to Talk about Platform Barriers On Transit
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CTA workers and riders shouldn't have to worry that they might wind up being pushed onto the third rail, or in the path of an oncoming train.
Gas Giveaways Harm People, So Why Do We Let Rich Politicians Do Them?
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Gas giveaways don't just benefit some residents while ignoring others, they negatively impact vulnerable people by slowing down buses and creating more emissions.
Amateur Street Safety PSA Contest Yields Predictably Awful, Victim-Blaming Results
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Recently Streetsblog contributor A.J. LaTrace discussed the absurdly large SUVs and pickup trucks on display at the Chicago Auto Show. These machines have massive blind spots that make it difficult to detect a child in front of the vehicle, and their absurdly high grilles that basically ensure that a struck pedestrian or bike rider will […]
PODCAST: Should the 'Idaho Stop' Be Legal For Cyclists Everywhere?
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We also discussed why ultimately U.S. cities should be building citywide networks of connected, protected bikeways with logical traffic light timing, so Idaho stop laws become unnecessary.
Does Illinois Need to Legalize the 'Idaho Stop'?
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Treating stop signs like yield signs is nearly universal among bike riders, and Idaho stop laws have been shown to reduce bike injuries. Rep. Janet Yang Roh explained why her bill didn't pass – this time.
Podcast: Researchers Unpack Racial Disparities in Chicago's Speed Camera Program
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During the conversation, the UIC researchers discussed potential equity issues with the program, as well as sharing the nitty-gritty of their methodology.
No, Chicago Biking Isn’t Worse Than Jacksonville or Omaha...But It's Not Perfect
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Yes, Chicago got screwed by People for Bikes' flawed rating system. But we still have lots of work to do need to make cycling as safe, enjoyable, and normalized as it is in truly great cycling cities.
What should we do about racial discrepancies in Chicago’s life-saving traffic cam program?
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There's no question that the cams are preventing injury and fatality crashes, but Black and Latino motorists and racking up more tickets and suffering financing hardship. Should we reform or abolish it.
Study: Speed Cams Save Lives, But Communities of Color Get More Tix
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City officials say they plan to use the report to improve the program.
Who Should We Be Building Bikeways For?
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A discussion of whether or not "door zone" lanes lanes are terrible yielded an essential truth: To dramatically build bike mode-share, what we need a network of 8-to-80 facilities.