Bikes
What Chicago Can Learn from Montreal
If there's one thing that Chicago's protected bike lane opponents and proponents can agree on, it's that if these facilities aren't maintained properly—especially during the winter—they can do more harm than good. A Streetsblog Chicago piece published yesterday explored what Chicago can learn from Montreal's approach.
The key difference: Montreal makes multiple passes. "They always did at least two passes on the bike lanes, which really helped the clearing quality," the article notes. Chicago currently makes single passes, leaving lanes looking "messy" even after plowing.
Montreal also employs specialized equipment tailored to different lane types. For concrete-separated two-way tracks, pickup trucks handle plowing and salt application. For narrower one-way lanes, the city uses small, nimble snow plows that work in pairs to simultaneously clear bike lanes, sidewalks, and parking areas. For the 2025–2026 winter season, Montreal is clearing 729 kilometers (453 miles) of bicycle paths.
CDOT's Bill Higgins says Chicago manages about 70 miles of protected bike lanes—roughly 15% of Montreal's network—yet faces persistent inconsistencies. Some lanes were cleared promptly after January's snowfall; others still contained inches of snow hours later.
Evanston Residents Offer Bike Plan Input
About 75 residents packed the Robert Crown Community Center last night for a joint ward meeting on Evanston's 2026 Bike Plan Update. The plan aims to build on the city's 2014 bike project, with city staff now identifying east-west corridors as priorities for enhancement.
Enforcement emerged as a key theme. ETHS student Olin Wilson-Thomas, who rides Dodge Avenue to school daily, told the meeting he's counted 57 cars illegally parked in that bike lane over the past few months—with "no enforcement, no nothing."
Meanwhile, the long-awaited Chicago Avenue protected lane extension now targets mid-to-late 2029 for completion, and a project connecting the North Shore Channel Trail with Dodge Avenue along Church Street is expected to begin construction following a fall 2027 bid for 2028 completion.
Evanston Doubles Divvy Stations
The Evanston City Council has approved an expansion of the Divvy bikeshare system from 14 docking stations to potentially 28–31 stations, more than doubling station density to roughly four per square mile. The $310,826 expansion—offset by a $155,000 Invest in Cook grant—also adds 50 new electric scooters and retrofits existing stations to enable scooter docking.
Notably, 34.5% of Divvy trips in Evanston begin or end at Northwestern, according to the Daily Northwestern—suggesting students are driving much of the local ridership. The expansion is expected to be complete by mid-2026.
Housing
ADU Countdown: 56 Days to April 1
Chicago's citywide ADU ordinance takes effect April 1, 2026, ending the pilot program that had been limited to five areas since May 2021. The September 2025 ordinance passed unanimously, 46-0.
Quick refresher on the rules:
- Coach houses (detached backyard units) allowed on any property with 1–4 units
- Conversion units (in existing buildings at least 20 years old) allowed in attic or basement space
- Properties with 5+ units can add up to 33% more units through conversions, with every other unit required to be affordable at 60% AMI for 30 years
Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi has confirmed that building an ADU will not raise neighbors' assessments, and homeowners may qualify for a Home Improvement Exemption to offset tax increases for up to four years.
Applications can be submitted starting April 1.
Immigration
Students Walk Out Across North Side
Hundreds of students across Chicago's North Side walked out of their classrooms Monday to protest the Trump administration's continued mass deportation campaign. The walkouts came as tensions remain high over federal immigration operations in the city.
A source with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security indicated last fall that up to 1,000 agents—four times as many as were in Chicago during the fall—could return in March under a potential "spring surge."
COPA Vote February 18
As previewed in yesterday's edition, the City Council will vote February 18 on a proposal granting COPA authority to investigate whether CPD officers violated the Welcoming City Ordinance by assisting federal immigration agents. COPA's new chief administrator, LaKenya White, has said her office is prepared to investigate 40 complaints filed against CPD over its interactions with federal agents since June.
Bloom Plant Based Kitchen continues its final weeks in Wicker Park through February 21. The hemp products Under-21 ban is now in effect; the broader ban follows April 1—the same day as the citywide ADU ordinance.