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Bikes & Transit ​

Council Kills the Scofflaw Bill ​

Remember the citizen parking enforcement ordinance that sailed through committee on February 9? The full City Council shot it down 31-16 on February 18.

The measure, championed by Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st), would have created a pilot program letting Chicagoans report commercial vehicles illegally parked in bus and bike lanes via 311. Only one committee member voted against it. The full Council was less sympathetic.

Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) told Block Club he supports the existing Smart Streets camera program but is "not for deputizing citizens to carry out enforcement." The Illinois Retail Merchants Association argued that protected bike lanes already make it hard for delivery drivers to find legal loading zones.

La Spata cited the case of Lily Shambrook, who was crushed between two trucks in 2022 when a ComEd vehicle blocked a bike lane. The ordinance could return for another vote next month.

Portage Park Bike Network: March 5 Meeting ​

CDOT unveiled plans for the Portage Park Neighborhood Bike Network this week — three new bike lanes and five neighborhood greenways on the Northwest Side. Proposed lanes run along Central Avenue (Addison to Lawrence), Laramie Avenue (Addison to Sunnyside), and Montrose Avenue (Narragansett to Central).

Notably, there are no plans for barrier-protected lanes — just conventional painted bike lanes and traffic-calmed greenways. Long Avenue, which anchors part of the network, ranks in the city's top 10th percentile for streets where someone has been killed or seriously injured in a traffic crash.

A community open house is scheduled for March 5 at 6 p.m. at the Portage Park Senior Center, 4001 N. Long Ave. A survey is open through March 15.

Archer Avenue: The Plot Thickens ​

Streetsblog reported Wednesday that Claudia Zuno, the anti-bike-lane candidate running for 12th Ward alderperson, had denied planning a run as recently as December — then announced her campaign in February. The article also detailed ties between the anti-bike-lane movement, Ald. Ray Lopez (15th), and The Urban Center, a charter school advocacy group. Someone recently posted fliers on Archer featuring a photo of Lopez at a closed-door immigration enforcement meeting with far-right activist Terry Newsome and border czar Tom Homan.

At the most recent dueling rallies on February 23, supporters of the Archer Complete Streets project continued to outnumber opponents.

For context: the project followed a two-year community review including over 20 meetings, and addresses a corridor that saw 6,439 crashes, 1,426 injuries, and 14 deaths from 2019 to 2023.

Housing & Abundance ​

BUILD Gets a Bill Number ​

Governor Pritzker's BUILD plan now has a legislative vehicle. State Rep. Kam Buckner filed HB 5626 shortly after the February 18 State of the State address. The omnibus bill goes further than the initial announcement suggested:

  • Zoning reform: Municipalities couldn't prohibit multi-unit housing on residential lots over 2,500 sq ft. Lots under 2,500 sq ft stay single-unit; 2,500–5,000 sq ft allows up to four units; 5,000–7,500 sq ft up to six; larger lots up to eight.
  • ADUs statewide: All residential-zoned properties would allow accessory dwelling units.
  • Parking reform: Beginning January 1, 2027, no minimum parking requirements for units under 1,500 sq ft, affordable housing, assisted living, ground-floor commercial in mixed-use buildings, or residential conversions.
  • Single-stairway buildings: Counties and municipalities couldn't prohibit single-stair residential buildings (under certain conditions) starting January 2027.

The bill was referred to Rules Committee on February 19.

A Chicago Tribune editorial Wednesday called the plan "an excellent blueprint for local reforms." The Illinois Municipal League continues to push back, calling it a power grab from local zoning boards. Housing Action Illinois endorsed it.

ADU Countdown: 33 Days ​

Chicago's citywide ADU ordinance takes effect April 1 — now 33 days away. A reminder: the ordinance expands ADU eligibility by roughly 135%, but in single-family zones, each alderperson decides whether to opt in and can set unique restrictions. Check with your alderperson's office or email adu@cityofchicago.org.

Lead ​

The Squeeze Tightens ​

The federal picture for lead pipe replacement continues to pull in opposite directions. A quick recap of the overlapping pressures on Chicago:

The mandate stands. The Trump EPA upheld the Biden-era rule requiring most cities to replace lead service lines within ten years — but Chicago's own plan has it finishing around 2076, thirty years behind the federal deadline.

Congress cut the money. The House appropriations bill slashed $125 million from the dedicated lead pipe replacement fund created by the 2021 infrastructure law.

The prevention grants are in limbo. A federal judge temporarily blocked the administration's attempt to claw back $600 million in CDC grants from Illinois and three other states. At stake in Illinois: over $100 million in public health funding, including lead poisoning prevention grants to 25 local health departments.

The city's own money sits unspent. Chicago has drawn only $70–90 million of a $325 million federal loan that expires in 2027.

In short: the feds say replace faster, Congress says with less money, the courts say you can keep your prevention grants (for now), and the city says it can't spend what it already has.

Portage Park Bike Network open house: March 5, 6 p.m., Portage Park Senior Center (4001 N. Long Ave.). Survey open through March 15. ADU applications open April 1.