Chicago converting some roads into ‘shared streets’ for walking, biking, social distancing

Some streets in Chicago will soon allow more than just cars.

The city’s Department of Transportation is temporarily converting some roads into “shared streets,” which will accommodate walkers, runners, bikers and only local car traffic.

The conversions will allow residents of certain neighborhoods to follow social distancing guidelines even when out and about, which they might not otherwise be able to do on the sidewalk.

The streets are being selected through a collaborative process with local residents and officials, CDOT spokesperson Michael Claffey said Wednesday.

“As the City anticipates transitioning into a new phase of its reopening plan sometime in June, CDOT is preparing plans to equitably re-allocate street space to residents, where feasible, for various uses beyond driving a car,” Claffey said in a statement.

“CDOT will continue working with stakeholders in all of Chicago’s neighborhoods to implement effective and meaningful transportation initiatives that help increase access and mobility for all of Chicago’s residents, while keeping safety at the forefront.”

The CDOT has not specified how it will limit traffic to local cars or if restaurants will be able to use the streets to set up patios for outdoor dining, as some have hoped.

So far, the designated “shared streets” for which the city has issued permits are all on the North and Northwest sides, but the city is currently working to designate streets on the South Side as well.

The streets designated so far include:

• Greenview Avenue, in Rogers Park
• Glenwood Avenue, in Edgewater and Andersonville
• Leland Avenue, from Ravenswood to Uptown
• Wabansia Avenue, in Wicker Park
• Wood Street, in Wicker Park
• Palmer Avenue, from Hanson Park to Logan Square
• Cortland Street, in Logan Square
• Roscoe Street, from Dunning to Irving Park

A map of all CDOT street projects, including “shared streets” as well as construction, can be found here.

The “shared streets” concept had become popular in some cities, particularly on the West Coast, prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

But Mayor Lori Lightfoot hinted in a mid-May tweet that Chicago would soon explore the idea, which is now actually going into effect in some neighborhoods.