A Medill survey of mostly heavy consumers of local news in Chicago found that many don’t pay for local news and don’t believe anyone should have to pay.
Historically, the Far South Side of Chicago hasn’t gotten its fair share of of bikeways. Reasons for that range from the fact that local wards have more square mileage than elsewhere in the city, which means that discretionary “menu” funds for infrastructure are spread thinner, to aldermen who have been apathetic about, or downright hostile to, proposals to improve cycling.
Many Far South Siders can share the credit for attitudes towards cycling changing in recent years. But if there’s one person who epitomizes grassroots efforts to get bike resources south of Marquette Drive, it’s Deloris Lucas, leader of the Riverdale-based bike and wellness group We Keep You Rollin’. Ms. Lucas has tirelessly and successfully lobbied the Chicago Department of Transportation for bike education and infrastructure in her part of town, including last year’s expansion of the Divvy system into the area.
Ever since the Nixon era, Far South Siders have been asking for the Red Line, which currently stops at 95th Street, to be extended south to the city limits. They got some good news yesterday, as the CTA passed a milestone for winning roughly $1 billion in federal funding needed for the $2.3 billion project. But in a somewhat frustrating development, the earliest potential start date for train service on the route, originally slated for 2026, has been postponed until 2029.
As reported by the Chicago Sun-Times’ Stefano Esposito, the CTA announced on Monday that the Federal Transit Administration has granted preliminary approval for the 5.6-mile addition, which will go as far south as 130th Street, serving the Altgeld Gardens housing project. However, the transit agency also shared the bad news of the three-year service launch delay, explaining that the 2026 start date was a “preliminary” estimate based on “limited information.” The CTA needs to finalize the project’s envir