Bikes
Bike Grid Now to Mayor Johnson: You Endorsed Us. Now You're Against Us.
On Friday, the Chicago Tribune published a pointed op-ed from Bike Grid Now — the advocacy coalition whose 2023 endorsement candidate Brandon Johnson actively courted — accusing the mayor's administration of opposing the very cycling safety bill it once seemed to support.
The flashpoint is House Bill 2454, currently in the Illinois General Assembly's Judiciary–Civil Committee. The bill would establish cyclists as "intended users" of all roadways where biking is permitted. That language matters because of a 1998 Illinois Supreme Court ruling, Boub v. Wayne, which currently shields cities from liability when cyclists are injured by road defects on approximately 90% of city streets — those without explicit bike infrastructure. Illinois is the only state in the country to draw this distinction.
The Johnson administration has reportedly opposed HB 2454, citing the risk of millions in new annual liability costs. Bike Grid Now disputes this vigorously. The op-ed cites city data showing that vehicle-related liability claims totaled roughly $666,000 across the first nine months of 2025; prorating that figure to bicycle-specific claims, the authors arrive at a projected annual exposure of about $22,000 — two orders of magnitude below what the city implies.
The advocates' ask is pointed and specific: withdraw the administration's opposition. The bill remains live, and with the Illinois primary on March 17, it's a useful question to bring to candidates in contested state legislative races.
Read the op-ed at chicagotribune.com · HB 2454 status at ilga.gov
Today: Femmes + Thems Rolls for International Women's Day
It's International Women's Day, and Femmes + Thems Bike Chicago is marking it with a ride: departing from Metric (2021 W. Fulton St.) and rolling south to Marz Brewery (2630 S. Iron St.). The group — which offers a safe space for women, femme, nonbinary, and trans riders — deploys at least nine marshals in purple vests per ride, making it a welcoming option for first-timers.
femmesandthems.org · @femnthembikechi on Instagram
The Portage Park Neighborhood Bike Network survey closes in seven days — March 15 — at chicago.gov.
Wildlife
Lincoln Park Rat Birth Control: Still Waiting on Data
No major updates this week, but a status check: Chicago's humane rodent management pilot in Lincoln Park — a collaboration between the Chicago Bird Alliance, Lincoln Park Zoo, and the 43rd Ward — is now about seven months in. The program, launched in August 2025, delivers rat contraceptives via peanut butter bait stations as an alternative to anticoagulant rodenticides.
Those rodenticides are the backdrop for why this matters: a 2024 Science of the Total Environment study found that 74% of Chicago alley rats tested positive for at least one rodenticide compound — yet were alive — while 100% of sampled urban mesopredators (raccoons, opossums, skunks) showed exposure. A pair of great horned owls in Lincoln Park died in spring 2024 from confirmed rodenticide poisoning. The poison was killing the wrong animals.
Initial pilot data is expected this summer. The program runs on private donations. If the results hold up, they could build the case for wider rollout — and eventually, for rethinking the city's default rodent-control toolkit.
Vegan
A New Leaf in Chinatown — and a Complicated Backdrop
Against the grain of a rough year for Chicago's vegan dining scene, a quiet positive: Veggie House has opened at 2109 S. China Place in Chinatown, serving a menu of Chinese-inspired vegan and vegetarian dishes blending "traditional Chinese delicacies with modern healthy eating." The restaurant has been active since February 2026.
For North Shore readers: Restaurant 17, a fully plant-based concept inside the Hilton Orrington in Evanston, opened January 16. Seating just 17 guests, with 17 dishes prepared open-kitchen style by a staff of four, it's as much a culinary experience as a dinner. Owner Stephan Outrequin came to veganism after a surfing accident led to a medically-induced coma and a rethinking of his diet. Coverage at the Daily Northwestern.
The broader picture remains complicated. The past year brought the closure of Bloom (Feb. 21 — though it has hinted at returning in a new form), the Logan Square Chicago Diner, Kitchen 17, Native Foods, and XMarket, Chicago's short-lived vegan food hall. The founder of Kale My Name put it plainly: Chicago "requires restaurants to give people a reason to make the trip" in a way that more geographically concentrated vegan markets don't. Rising ingredient, rent, and labor costs are compounding the challenge. Still — Chinatown and Evanston just said yes.
Housing & Abundance
ADU Ordinance: T-Minus 24 Days
A brief follow-up to yesterday's note: Chicago's citywide ADU expansion ordinance — unanimously passed by City Council (46–0) in September and covered here in recent weeks — takes effect April 1, which is now 24 days away. That date is also when the city will begin accepting building permit applications under the new rules, covering all multifamily zoning districts and aldermanic-opted-in single-family zones.
The key remaining variable: aldermanic discretion in RS-zoned areas. If you own property in a single-family residential zone, this week is a good time to contact your alderperson's office to find out whether they've opted in.
Questions: adu@cityofchicago.org · Full ordinance overview at chicago.gov
Femmes + Thems IWD Ride: today (March 8). Portage Park Bike Network survey closes March 15. Illinois primary election: March 17. City Council next meets March 18. ADU ordinance effective April 1.