Public transportation use in Chicago has hit levels not seen since the 1990s, mostly because of rising gas prices and employment. It's up throughout the U.S., though the increase is mostly in rail rather than buses. Read more
A new study suggests that the CTA's implementation of bus tracking—on its web site, on smart phones, and at bus stops—has led to a small but noticeable increase in weekday ridership, even if you adjust for what you'd expect. Read more
Amtrak's stats confirm what you've probably already noticed—traffic congestion is terrible, whether you're in a train or a car. But it's just as bad for the people whose jobs are on the rails, thanks to the nation's worst rail bottleneck. Read more
The mayor, and the public, want safer streets. Cab drivers want higher fares. Can we come to a solution by the time the NATO and G8 summits come to Chicago? Read more
Milwaukee's former mayor, in an interview with Grid Chicago, says the fact that Chicago held onto its public transportation network during the massive road-building of the mid-20th century preserved it from the collapse its Midwestern peers have faced. Read more
The Mayor's proposed SUV tax—which would actually encompass heavier sedans—is predicated on the idea that heavier cars cause more damage to roads. But is that actually true? Read more
Chicago remains among the worst cities in America in "lost time and wasted fuel" because of our congestion. But we spend less time in the car than many of our metropolitan peers, which is great... but that short time is spent seething. Read more
Well, there are a lot of reasons: the Great Speedup, job insecurity, student-loan debt, cynicism about public institutions, and stalled incomes. But in our depression is our salvation. Read more
A map shows the distribution of el stops throughout the city, revealing where's a short walk, and where's a long haul, to the city's public-transportation arteries. Read more
Yesterday, when lame-duck mayor Richard M. Daley finally got some of what he wanted in the building of a new runway and a new air traffic control tower at O’Hare, he got to take center stage. But people who follow city politics saw the hand of Rahm Emanuel, who has an old friend in Ray LaHood, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation... Read more
