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Milwaukee Mayor backtracks on plan to replace this elevated expressway splitting Milwaukee's downtown with a boulevard, freeing up acres of real estate for housing and other uses. usa.streetsblog.org/2026/07/23/m...

Chicago region's congestion exacerbating road pricing structure--tolling the bypass expressway (I-294) while the expressways running through the urban core are "free"--may not be so unique. 👇 Maybe @davidzipper.bsky.social will collect more examples, explain why + how metros can end policy fail.

New York City/MTA congestion pricing program upheld by Second Circuit against challenge by two NYC collar counties. www.courthousenews.com/second-circu...

Second Circuit rejects last-ditch bid to pause NYC congestion tollTwo suburban counties sought to stop the $9 commuter toll, which raised $500 million last year for New York City trains and buses.www.courthousenews.com

Chicago US Attorney’s office: “The heads of all seven sections of the Chicago office’s criminal division have left in the past year, as have many of their successors and deputies.” So far, 59 of 62 Midway Blitz assault cases have failed. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/19/u...

Failed Immigration Cases Leave Chicago Prosecutor’s Office Reeling (Gift Article)Prosecutors have fled the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago, angry about the cases they’ve been told to bring against protesters and immigrants.www.nytimes.com

"Climate-driven smoke deaths result in economic damages that exceed estimates of climate-driven damages from all other causes combined in the USA. Health impacts of climate-driven wildfire smoke among the most important and costly consequences of a warming climate." www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Wildfire smoke exposure and mortality burden in the USA under climate change - NatureSmoke PM2.5 could result in 71,420 excess deaths per year in the USA by 2050 under the SSP3-7.0 high-warming scenario.www.nature.com

Showing travel time benefits a great way to pique interest in a big improvement to the Chicago region's public transit rail system. NITA can be more than a caretaker of today's system and learn from international examples--e.g., London, Munich, Paris--for how to truly regionalize a rail system.

New report finds that about half of traffic stops by the Chicago Police Department are not properly reported under state law. www.injusticewatch.org/criminal-cou...

Chicago Police promised to ‘fix’ secret traffic stops. A year later, the problem has only gotten worse.As Chicago’s top cop steps down, police are making fewer traffic stops. But our new investigation finds half of stops are still not being reported to oversight agencies, despite a state law mandating ...www.injusticewatch.org

CTA launched a new problem statement through its Innovation Studio, seeking proposals that enable CTA to proactively improve the fare payment experience in rail stations through new faregates or other innovative fare entry features. www.transitchicago.com/cta-innovati...

CTA Innovation Studio Announces New Challenge to Test Faregate TechnologyToday, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) launched a new problem statement through its Innovation Studio, seeking proposals that enable CTA to proactively improve the fare payment experience in rail ...www.transitchicago.com

Wake-up call for state and local DOTs to fill USDOT road safety vacuum: FHWA has stripped bike lanes, speed cameras and several other best practices from a list of "Proven Safety Countermeasures," as they're known, that have been shown to reduce crashes and save lives. www.npr.org/2026/07/16/n...

Bike lanes and speed cameras disappear from the DOT's list of proven safety measuresThe Federal Highway Administration quietly stripped bike lanes and other safety recommendations from a key list of best practices. Critics say those measures are proven to cut crashes and save lives.www.npr.org

Chicago's hazardous air quality should put to rest sanguine notion that Midwest will be insulated from the effects of climate change and repopulated by climate refugees. Bad air not livable. Midwest must do the work of adapting housing/transportation/energy/etc. to lessen climate impacts too.

"Despite the fact that the federal court order requiring CPD to reform itself has been in effect for seven years, CPD has fully met just 25% of its requirements, according to the most recent report by the team monitoring the city’s compliance with the reform push."

The equity argument against the weird Chicago region congestion (creating) pricing system extends to suburbanites too. They get charged for driving but often have no transit alternatives. City residents get "free" x-ways but US-worse congestion that impedes their bus service and quality of life.

The Illinois Tollway's coming toll rate hikes will further entrench a congestion pricing system in the Chicago region that may be unique--and not in a good way--among global metros. 🧵 www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/i...

Illinois Tollway proposes highest rate hike in history: How much rates could go up and whenIf approved, tollway rates could change starting January 1.www.nbcchicago.com

The transportation sector is the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Illinois. GHGs accelerate global warming that triggers wildfires and ozone alerts. Meanwhile, Chicago's MPO seeks approval of a long-range plan that accommodates faster growth in vehicle miles traveled than population.

New @ilepi.bsky.social study concludes that the Rebuild Illinois funding--which is going primarily for construction on roads and bridges--delivers a $1.79 return on each $1.00 spent. How does this bang for the buck compare to investing in transit? 👇 mailchi.mp/illinoisepi/...

"Bicycle traffic in Paris increased by 240% 2018-2023, driven not by a single bike lane or policy, but by a coordinated strategy that combined protected cycling infrastructure, restrictions on car traffic, better public spaces, and sustained political commitment." momentummag.com/paris-cyclin...

"Supporters of the [NITA reforms] plan are optimistic that a strong regional governing body will improve efficiency in administering transit in the region, planning fares and levels of service, and improving coordination between the CTA, Metra, and Pace." www.railjournal.com/in_depth/us-...

US transit: a case of Long CovidRidership on rail transit services in cities across the United States has largely failed to return to pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels, leading to a funding shortfall for operations and a fiscal crisis fo...www.railjournal.com

Asking for a friend: Other than a desire for good, neighborhood-friendly design on the part of developers and/or their architects is there anything that deters more of this kind of fortress wall design dead zoning on streets in transit-rich Chicago neighborhoods with lots of pedestrians?

One would hope that NITA (and CMAP/IDOT) will build on this good work and focus on advancing transformative rail projects rather than continue the traditional focus on adding low-performing line extensions to accommodate more low-density sprawl and add significant long-term maintenance expense.

The head of NHTSA cautioned autonomous vehicle developers in a letter Wednesday about what he called an “unacceptable” pattern of driverless cars interfering with the work of law enforcement and other first responders. www.wired.com/story/self-d...

Self-Driving Cars Are Interfering With First Responders. Feds Aren’t HappyNHTSA administrator Jonathan Morris called reports that self-driving cars had driven into emergency scenes and blocked ambulances and firefighters “unacceptable.”www.wired.com