It was interesting to read the Sun-Times’ story about the history of our expressways and how those became borders of dividing the poor, Black and Brown communities from the the white and more affluent population.
I always thought the Eisenhower Expressway, with its sunken roadway, was to appease resistance from the Oak Park residents annoyed by motorists cutting through their neighborhoods, and the extraordinarily wide multi-lane Dan Ryan was Mayor Richard J. Daley’s desire to have that wide access on his South Side.
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The Eisenhower and Kennedy, which is undergoing a major rehab, are now gridlocked to any expansion, albeit an expensive two-tier system.
But this week’s Sun-Times article on the highways did not mention the proposed Crosstown Expressway, which was to be the last link to the network. The expressway was to run east of Cicero Avenue from the Kennedy Expressway south to 75th Street. Those plans were eventually scrapped and the funds were allocated to transit agencies and road projects.
Imagine how much less congested the downtown corridor would be today if that was in place.
Frank D. Hashimoto, Harwood Heights
Pondering Sox park parking
The proposal for the new White Sox stadium looks futuristic but there’s still many unanswered questions about it.
One, where’s the parking going to be? Will fans be flying cars to the games like in ‘The Jetsons’ cartoons, then fold their cars up and carry them into the park? Or, will parking be underground with the city selling the parking rights for a fraction of the future profits, like the meter deal?
Walter Brzeski, Dunning
CTA driver shouldn’t have balked to help robbery victim
I was outraged to read that the CTA driver who likely witnessed a robbery of a Jefferson Park woman continued to drive away as the victim flagged the bus and attempted to get on the public transit vehicle. Shame on that driver.
That driver should have been suspended and if an investigation reveals the driver did indeed see the woman was in trouble but still drove away, he or she should be fired. If the driver is a man, does he have a wife? A sister? A daughter? I know the driver, no matter the gender, has a mother. Is that how he or she would want someone to treat a cherished member of his or her family?
As for the CTA “policy” of drivers only permitted to stop for passengers at designated stops: Give me a break.
It’s outrageous enough that individuals feel they can forcibly rob people at gunpoint. But it is even more despicable that city workers (technically, CTA workers) could witness a crime but don’t have to help.
David J. Erfort, River Forest
