Bikes & Transit
Aldermen Grill CDOT Over Complete Streets
The Chicago Department of Transportation faced sharp criticism this week from several aldermen skeptical of the city's Complete Streets program.
"Complete Streets has been a complete disaster," Ald. Raymond Lopez declared, citing the Brighton Park corridor and questioning CDOT's $791 million budget through 2029. Ald. Pat Dowell warned the department not to install any new bike lanes in the 3rd Ward without community consultation, saying the 18th Street project "was done without any community engagement."
CDOT countered with data: traffic fatalities dropped 30% from 2021 to 2024. But the hearing underscored the political minefield around bike infrastructure—particularly as the Archer Avenue project nears completion amid organized opposition.
Northwest Side Bike Network Proposed
On a more constructive note, new bike lanes and neighborhood greenways are proposed for Jefferson Park and Portage Park. Unlike recent controversial projects, this network would not include barrier-protected lanes—a nod to political realities.
Ald. Nicholas Sposato (38th) said he'd reserve judgment until after a March 5 community meeting. The proposal aims to make bike travel safer for families in the 30th, 38th, and 45th wards.
Immigration
State's Attorney: Mayor's ICE Order May Backfire
Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke warned this week that Mayor Johnson's "ICE on notice" executive order could compromise actual prosecutions of federal agents who break the law.
Burke called the order "wholly inappropriate," saying it "jeopardizes our ability to effectively prosecute and secure convictions when federal law enforcement agents have committed a crime" by politicizing the investigative process.
The dispute adds tension ahead of Tuesday's City Council meeting, where aldermen will vote on expanding COPA's authority to investigate whether CPD officers violated the Welcoming City Ordinance by assisting federal agents.
Police Superintendent Larry Snelling supports the measure, saying internal affairs investigations wouldn't be trusted. COPA Chief Administrator LaKenya White has said her office is prepared to investigate 40 complaints filed since June.
Council Preview
Tuesday's Agenda: COPA and Parking Scofflaws
City Council meets Tuesday, February 18 at 10 a.m. with two high-profile votes:
COPA Sanctuary Enforcement: The measure expanding civilian oversight of alleged Welcoming City violations cleared committee 19-3 and appears headed for passage.
Parking Scofflaw Pilot: Ald. Daniel La Spata's citizen parking enforcement ordinance would create a Street Operations Task Force targeting bus lane, bike lane, and crosswalk violations. Phase one applies only to commercial vehicles; the city must launch a 311-based dispatch system by December 31.
Business groups won exceptions for trucks actively loading and warnings for first offenses, but still oppose the measure.
Wildlife
Rat Contraceptive Pilot Gets Council Hearing
The Lincoln Park rat contraceptive study received a committee hearing this week as Ald. Timmy Knudsen updated colleagues on the project's progress.
The pilot program, launched in August 2025, uses non-toxic peanut butter-laced pellets containing a plant extract that interrupts reproduction in rodents. Unlike rodenticide, the method poses no threat to owls, hawks, and other predators that eat poisoned rats.
The project was sparked by the deaths of three beloved Great Horned Owls in Lincoln Park last year—a family killed by secondary rodenticide poisoning. Research from Lincoln Park Zoo's Urban Wildlife Institute found 100% of tested raccoons, opossums, and skunks had been exposed to rat poison, with about three-quarters of trapped rats also testing positive yet remaining "alive and well."
Initial results are expected this summer. The $40,000 pilot is funded entirely through private donations.
Housing
Plan Commission Eyes Fulton Market Towers Wednesday
The Chicago Plan Commission meets February 19 to review three major residential towers:
- 215 N. Racine (Fulton Market): A 29-story, 347-unit building that would bring Loop-scale development to the former meatpacking district. Includes 70 affordable units under ARO requirements.
- 1338 W. Lake: A 32-story, 321-unit mixed-use building replacing the former Leslie Hindman Auctioneers complex.
- 1415 N. Dayton: A 28-story, 340-unit tower targeting a fall groundbreaking.
ADU Countdown: 45 Days
Chicago's citywide ADU ordinance takes effect April 1. The ordinance expands ADU eligibility by roughly 135% compared to the pilot program.
Food
Bloom's Final Week Begins
Bloom Plant Based Kitchen enters its final week in Wicker Park, with service ending February 21. The restaurant earned a spot on TimeOut's best vegan list during its four-year run.
Bloom is one of several plant-based closures that hit Chicago hard in late 2025—Kitchen 17, Native Foods, and Chicago Raw all shuttered within weeks of each other. The Chicago Tribune examined the trend in January, pointing to rising costs, seasonal foot traffic, and what one owner called the challenge of giving Chicagoans "a reason to make the trip."
Chef Rodolfo Cuadros says Bloom is "evolving rather than ending"—the team plans to return with a new vegan concept.
Black Restaurant Week: Final Stretch
Chicago Black Restaurant Week runs through February 22, with nearly 40 restaurants offering fixed-price specials. The event marks 100 years since Carter G. Woodson founded Negro History Week in Chicago.
City Council meets Tuesday, February 18 at 10 a.m. Plan Commission meets Wednesday, February 19 at 10 a.m.