October 2024: tiny lil actions to make Chicago a tiny lil bit better maybe hopefully

Click on the links and make a difference! It only takes a few minutes.

Things that take 1 minute to do

• Advocate for more dense housing in Old Town Neighbors are fighting against a new 500-unit apartment building at North and LaSalle due to typical NIMBY reasons. If approved, it will remove a surface parking lot and two gas stations!!!!

• Tell IDOT how you’d like to see transportation improved across the state Their 2024 Long-Range Transportation Plan has a survey running now where you can share thoughts on creating streets that are safe for all users. It’s a quick one!

• Tell elected officials to lower the citywide speed limit Time for my favorite graphic again (from ATA)! Speed endangers. Speed kills. 25mph isn’t slow enough in a pedestrian area, but it’s a start.

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Things that take 5 minutes to do

• Request a tree in your parkway (homeowners): The Bureau of Forestry has set out to plant 75,000 new trees across the City of Chicago. Trees help improve air quality, save money (and energy) on air conditioning, reduce flooding, and they’re cute. Call 311 to put in your request.

• Tell the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) what you want for the future of downtown This survey actually made me excited, as it focuses on sustainability, transportation, housing, and creating a livelier neighborhood over the next 20 years. It was genuinely difficult to make some decisions, as all the options were really wonderful.

• Apply to Vote by Mail in the upcoming election This general election we will vote for president, Chicago Public Schools Elected Representative School Board candidates, judges, and more! Applications are due October 31 at 5:00 PM, spooky.

  • More voting links:

    • Check the status of your voter registration

    • Learn about early voting (it has already started!)

    • Find your polling place

    • Bike PAC (state-level PAC dedicated to electing candidates who support bicycling infrastructure)

    • YIMBY voter guide (elect officials who are pro-housing)

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Extra credit: Current participatory budgeting opportunities

Request and vote for safer streets in your ward:

• 1st ward (parts of Logan Square, West Town, Wicker Park, Bucktown, Humboldt Park, Ukrainian Village, & East Village): They’re currently forming a PB committee for this year. You can join and/or get more information by emailing zoning@the1stward.com.

• 33rd ward (parts of Albany Park, Avondale, Irving Park, and Ravenswood Manor): They’re currently in their idea collection phase, meaning you can submit what you’d like to see on the ballot. Maybe there’s a main street that could use a PBL? Or a heavily foot trafficked area that could use traffic calming? They’re also accepting members to their committee.

• 35th ward (parts of Logan Square and Avondale): They’re currently in their idea collection phase, meaning you can submit what you’d like to see on the ballot. Maybe there’s a main street that could use a PBL (um, MILWAUKEE AVE)? Or a heavily foot trafficked area that could use traffic calming?

• Ward 47 (parts of Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, North Center, Uptown, Andersonville, Lakeview): This ward accepts project ideas on a rolling basis all year.

• Ward 48 (parts of Andersonville, Edgewater, Uptown): This ward seems to accept project ideas on a rolling basis all year.

Check if/when your ward is doing PB in my master tracker.

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Maybe you’ve noticed that I haven’t sent out a newsletter in a while (do I flatter myself?). I’ve been abroad since late August and am writing this post from Paris, where my lord and savior Anne Hidalgo has transformed the city into a cycling paradise.

It’s frustrating to see how nice things can be. Imagine biking across the city without fear of death! Walking in a crosswalk and cars stop to wait for you! Metro stops so close together that you’re never more than a few minutes’ walk away. And of course, the trains themselves run so frequently there’s no need to use a train tracker.

It almost makes me want to give up, because Chicago just feels so far behind and no one in power seems to be able to do anything about it.

But, we’ll never have nice things if we don’t even try. Allons-y!

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Tell me what I missed!