Bikes
Evanston's Bike Plan Gets a Heated Tune-Up
About 75 residents packed into Robert Crown Community Center on Tuesday night for the second of two community meetings on Evanston's 2026 Bike Plan Update—and the message was clear: build it faster, and enforce what's already there.
High school junior Olin Wilson-Thomas provided the meeting's most striking data point. He bikes to school daily and started keeping a tally: 57 cars parked illegally in bike lanes over just a few months. "No enforcement," he noted.
The city's assistant engineer Chris Sous presented the updated plan, which builds on Evanston's 2014 bike infrastructure framework. Upcoming projects include a two-way bike lane on Church Street and a shared-use trail connecting Church Street to Harbert Park. The city has secured over $4.4 million in state and federal funding.
But residents are impatient. 4th Ward resident David Hesser came to advocate for "faster and better-built bike infrastructure." The reality check: larger projects typically require six to seven years from initial discussion to construction, due to federal and state funding compliance requirements.
The long-awaited Chicago Avenue protected lane extension? Current target: mid-to-late 2029.
City Councilmember Jonathan Nieuwsma acknowledged the enforcement gap: "We are certainly making note of that." Proposed solutions include increased signage and coordination with Evanston Police for parking restriction enforcement.
Community feedback continues at communityremarks.com/evanston/, where over 200 comments have already been logged.
What Montreal Knows (That Chicago Doesn't)
Streetsblog Chicago's John Greenfield took a deep dive into how Montreal handles winter bikeway maintenance—and the contrast with Chicago is striking.
For the 2025-2026 winter season, Montreal is clearing 729 kilometers (453 miles) of bicycle paths. The key practice: multiple passes on each lane after snowfall, using specialized equipment tailored to different lane types. Pickup trucks handle two-way protected tracks; smaller articulated tractors work in pairs for narrower one-way lanes.
Montreal's approach: "A bicycle path is cleared with the same priority as the roadway it runs alongside."
Chicago manages approximately 70 miles of protected bike lanes. The lesson from the north: winter cycling infrastructure requires sustained political commitment and specialized equipment—not just a single plow pass.
Meanwhile, in Evanston: Divvy Doubles Down
In related news, the Evanston City Council has approved an expansion of Divvy from 14 to 28-31 docking stations. The $310,826 project is partially offset by a $155,000 Invest in Cook grant.
The expansion would more than double station density to roughly 4 stations per square mile. Perhaps unsurprisingly, data suggests Northwestern students are driving most Divvy usage in Evanston: 34.5% of trips began or ended on campus in 2025.
Housing & Development
Palace Grill: An 80-Year Run Ends
The Palace Grill at 1408 W. Madison St. will not reopen. Instead, the property is now for sale as a redevelopment opportunity—nearly two years after a lightning-strike fire forced the Blackhawks-themed diner to close.
Owner George Lemperis, whose family has run the restaurant since 1955, is retiring rather than rebuilding. A crowdfunding campaign raised nearly $49,000 after the February 2024 fire, but the timing, it seems, has run out.
The roughly 19,000-square-foot parcel could support a four- or five-story building with 50-55 rental units or 25-27 condos under existing zoning. Broker Scott Maesel of SVN Chicago is handling the listing.
The timing isn't accidental. The property sits in the shadow of the $7 billion 1901 Project, the United Center owners' ambitious plan to transform 55 acres of surrounding parking lots into housing, open space, and a music hall.
"Over the next five years, billions of dollars will be put into the United Center and the 1901 plan," Maesel told Crain's.
No asking price has been set.
ADU Countdown: 53 Days
April 1 approaches. The citywide ADU ordinance takes effect, expanding eligibility to all multifamily zoning districts.
Chicago Black Restaurant Week runs through February 22. Find participating restaurants at chicagoblackrestaurantweek.com. Bloom Plant Based Kitchen's final service is February 21—the restaurant says it plans to return with a new vegan concept.