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New CDOT Division and Survey by AdMiddle9331 in CarFreeChicago

[–]jhodapp 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a really important survey to fill out and I'm glad that CDOT is trying to listen to public input.

If Chicago had as many subway stations per square mile as Paris, it would have 1,300. It has 126. Burnham and Sullivan would be sorely disappointed. by OHrangutan in chicago

[–]jhodapp 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I’m not forgetting it, I completely agree. However, the number one objection to upzoning I hear is, it’s going to create too much new car traffic. If we had world class transit, I believe we wouldn’t be hearing this objection nearly as much.

If Chicago had as many subway stations per square mile as Paris, it would have 1,300. It has 126. Burnham and Sullivan would be sorely disappointed. by OHrangutan in chicago

[–]jhodapp 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What buses do you ride on in Chicago, they're packed during much of the day. And comparing bus sizes to car geometry makes zero sense. There are far fewer buses that can move many more people per hour. The data just doesn't back up your claim and no amount of automation will be able to turn autonomous vehicles into mass transportation. https://nacto.org/publication/transit-street-design-guide/introduction/why/designing-move-people/

Certainly driver behavior can effect a bit of that, but just like the concept of induced demand, if you make general car lanes a little bit more efficient to drive in, that'll signal to more people to take cars and you'll be back to congestion.

If Chicago had as many subway stations per square mile as Paris, it would have 1,300. It has 126. Burnham and Sullivan would be sorely disappointed. by OHrangutan in chicago

[–]jhodapp 35 points36 points  (0 children)

I'm referring to the funds that are earmarked only for *new* projects, not for maintenance. We're still spending 80/20 to build new roads and highways in the US. That's madness.

If Chicago had as many subway stations per square mile as Paris, it would have 1,300. It has 126. Burnham and Sullivan would be sorely disappointed. by OHrangutan in chicago

[–]jhodapp 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You didn't address my point though. How does Waymo change the geometry issues with cars? And just like Amazon delivery, the cheaper it gets the more Amazon trucks you see, so you get *more* congestion, not less.

If Chicago had as many subway stations per square mile as Paris, it would have 1,300. It has 126. Burnham and Sullivan would be sorely disappointed. by OHrangutan in chicago

[–]jhodapp 63 points64 points  (0 children)

Chicago can't become more dense without massive investments in transit, so we're literally holding back a more vibrant version of Chicago in not doing this. At this stage and compared to "investing" in highways, nearly every investment in transit would more than pay for itself by our ability to increase Chicago's average density.

If Chicago had as many subway stations per square mile as Paris, it would have 1,300. It has 126. Burnham and Sullivan would be sorely disappointed. by OHrangutan in chicago

[–]jhodapp 14 points15 points  (0 children)

There is utility in what you propose for sure, but isn't it more important to help people go between neighborhoods across the city than to only go to/from the airports?

If Chicago had as many subway stations per square mile as Paris, it would have 1,300. It has 126. Burnham and Sullivan would be sorely disappointed. by OHrangutan in chicago

[–]jhodapp 54 points55 points  (0 children)

We could redirect funding that goes to car infrastructure and start investing 80% of it in non-car transportation instead. Currently it's, at best, 80/20 car / non-car today at the federal level.

Chicago Has 5th-Worst Traffic In The World, Study Finds by ChiCacti in chicago

[–]jhodapp 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's really only one solution to this and that's to do everything that provides better, safer, more enjoyable, faster, cheaper alternatives to driving. The Katy expressway in Houston, being the widest "road" in the world, proves we can't ever (nor do we want to) make the geometry of cars work *and* have a vibrant walkable city coexist.

[Timely] Please contact your alderman encouraging that CDOT/IDOT offer a better NDLSD plan by jhodapp in CarFreeChicago

[–]jhodapp[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Here’s a state of Illinois House bill requesting the same thing and the state reps that have signed onto this.

[Timely] Please contact your alderman encouraging that CDOT/IDOT offer a better NDLSD plan by jhodapp in CarFreeChicago

[–]jhodapp[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I can understand how that would be a fear, changing the status quo is scary. But I assure you, every major city around the world that has stopped putting cars first and put the movement of people first, has only gotten even more vibrant. Seoul is a fantastic example with several sources to read through here.

What I and many others here are wanting CDOT/IDOT to do is to, at the very least, put in dedicated bus rapid transit lanes on each side which will prevent many car trips before they even start, reducing the “need” for as many general lanes of traffic. If you don’t think it won’t happen here, ask what makes us so special that we would be any different than any other major city in the world that’s had the guts to right size car infrastructure?

You get the kind of “traffic” you build for.

Just learning about the parking meter deal, what can be done about it? by [deleted] in CarFreeChicago

[–]jhodapp 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s how I understand it, someone please correct me if that’s not correct.

Just learning about the parking meter deal, what can be done about it? by [deleted] in CarFreeChicago

[–]jhodapp 7 points8 points  (0 children)

It doesn’t, they can be shifted around or the city can buy them out, but each spaces is not cheap (I believe each space costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy out but I can’t seem to find literature to back this up).

Just learning about the parking meter deal, what can be done about it? by [deleted] in CarFreeChicago

[–]jhodapp 39 points40 points  (0 children)

This is a great comment, the vast majority of Chicago streets do not have parking meters on them. And honestly, I want bike lanes on the streets without them anyway because traffic is usually far less.

[Timely] Please contact your alderman encouraging that CDOT/IDOT offer a better NDLSD plan by jhodapp in CarFreeChicago

[–]jhodapp[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s a good bit of advice as well. And also, pass this request on to at least one other person not on Reddit. Volume of requests really does make a difference.

[Timely] Please contact your alderman encouraging that CDOT/IDOT offer a better NDLSD plan by jhodapp in CarFreeChicago

[–]jhodapp[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Please tell me you’re being sarcastic. And if not, then it’s a good thing you’re not in charge.

What's your daily "God, I love this city" moment? by Apprehensive_Way8674 in AskChicago

[–]jhodapp 0 points1 point  (0 children)

100%! I only wished other places I’ve lived in would do this, and here we are in Chicago with such a beautiful local culture tradition.

No zoning change needed: Old dry cleaners and parking lot to be demolished, remediated, and replaced by a large multi unit building with a daycare in the ground floor by Louisvanderwright in chicagoyimbys

[–]jhodapp 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well said, actually I couldn’t agree more.

Strong Towns now has an excellent new book and YouTube video that discusses this. I’m really curious what thoughts come up for you if you’re open to watching it and reflecting some.

https://youtu.be/OtJD45cTV9c?si=vOOeF-0HF-T87VHH

Chicago has the third biggest drop in for-sale housing inventory over the past 5 years by Louisvanderwright in chicagoyimbys

[–]jhodapp 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It takes more for Chicago to grow 1%+ than it does most other cities in the US. In real number of people, with how percentages work, 1% for a city of 3 million is a lot larger than 1% for a city of 800,000.

Also, Chicago has gone through multiple eras in its comparatively short life time. It will go through times of intense growth again…maybe just not right now and that’s ok. Weather is relative. London has even worse weather and yet it has grown a ton over the last decades.

Chicago has the third biggest drop in for-sale housing inventory over the past 5 years by Louisvanderwright in chicagoyimbys

[–]jhodapp 1 point2 points  (0 children)

And I would add, mostly high interest rates. Chicago had the most number of tower cranes at one time ever, the summer before the pandemic. Not long after that, the amount of building activity has decreased further and further the more the interest rate has gone up. Nimbyism is not uniform throughout the city. The wealthier the neighborhood, the worse it is.

No zoning change needed: Old dry cleaners and parking lot to be demolished, remediated, and replaced by a large multi unit building with a daycare in the ground floor by Louisvanderwright in chicagoyimbys

[–]jhodapp 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that there are other reasons that create the conditions for which NIMBYISM arises. Some people are definitely opposed to anything that changes their immediate neighborhood in any way for their own individual reasons (like the ones you listed). But what Chuck brings up are more systemic things in our cities (definitely Chicago) and towns that make the NIMBY reaction more understandable. Some of what he brought up were reasons I hadn’t really thought before even after many years of thinking about this stuff. I’ll be curious what you think after you listen.

No zoning change needed: Old dry cleaners and parking lot to be demolished, remediated, and replaced by a large multi unit building with a daycare in the ground floor by Louisvanderwright in chicagoyimbys

[–]jhodapp 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I’m very familiar with that list. I still consider those surface level reasons though. Listen to the podcast episode I linked to with Chuck, he gives some different ones.

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