Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
Nearly a year ago, the City Council approved a controversial video surveillance crackdown that would target downtown motorists who block bus and bike lanes, crosswalks and loading zones.
Yet, not a single ticket has been issued.
Below, we look into why — and when the plan is expected to launch.
Plus, we’ve got dispatches from our Bears beat reporter at the Super Bowl, the story behind a healing meal Portage Park neighbors swear by and much more. 👇
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)
TODAY’S TOP STORY
Downtown video surveillance crackdown is slow to launch
Reporting by Fran Spielman
Former mayor’s crackdown plan: Shortly before Lori Lightfoot sealed her fate as a one-term Chicago mayor, she asked the City Council to use a dramatic expansion of video surveillance and automated ticketing to make downtown streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists. The plan called for drivers who block bus and bike lanes, crosswalks and loading zones to be nailed by surveillance cameras installed on CTA buses, city vehicles, light poles and other property pinpointed by City Hall.
Slow going: Nearly a year after passing the Council, the companion crackdowns known as “Smart Streets” and “Smart Loading Zones,” have yet to get off the ground and won’t start testing until this summer at the earliest. Despite the pressing need to change driving behavior in a downtown area with the “highest concentration of serious crashes, traffic congestion, public transit service, pedestrian and commercial activity in Chicago,” not a single ticket has been issued. Not one surveillance camera has been installed.
Why the delay?: Downtown alderpersons Brian Hopkins (2nd) and Brendan Reilly (42nd) joined forces with Lightfoot on the groundbreaking ordinance. Reilly blamed the transition from Lightfoot to Brandon Johnson for the delay in the crackdown. Newly appointed Transportation Commissioner Tom Carney and his managing deputy, Vig Krishnamurthy, pointed to time spent “evaluating different types of technology solutions.”
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
- New Michigan Ave. digs: Pre-leasing has begun for 1000M, a 73-story residential tower on Michigan Avenue that joins the Chicago skyline at the south end of the Historic Michigan Boulevard District.
- Physician found guilty of Medicaid fraud: William McMiller, 69, has been found guilty of defrauding Medicaid of more than $1.2 million, prosecutors said. McMiller is owner of Dr. Bill’s Learning Center, which has locations in Chicago and Oak Park.
- Riverdale residents frustrated with Save A Lot: The latest show of discontent was at a community meeting last month, where residents and local leaders said it was time to move on from Save A Lot and look for other options to fill the grocery store void.
- Chicago Auto Show returns: This year’s exhibition, which kicks off Saturday, will feature three indoor test tracks, three outdoor “ride-and-drives” and 10 electric vehicle manufacturers.
- 4 stars for ‘Selling Kabul’: In many ways, Sylvia Khoury’s 2022 Pulitzer finalist, “Selling Kabul,” is a thriller of Hitchcockian, gnaw-your-nails-off intensity, writes Catey Sullivan in a review for the Sun-Times.
- A cockroach named for your ex: Brookfield Zoo is bringing back its annual Valentine’s Day fundraising campaign, where, for a donation, it said it will name a cockroach after someone who did you wrong.
VIVA LAS VEGAS 🏈
This Sunday, we’ll see Kansas City and San Francisco battle it out to win Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
Our Bears beat reporter Jason Lieser has been on the ground in Sin City this week — and he’s got some dispatches to help get your head in the game.
- Life after Chicago: When the Bears moved on from veteran safety Tashaun Gipson after the 2021 season, he figured that would be the end of his career. Instead, he’s about to play in his first Super Bowl as the 49ers’ starting safety.
- Will Andy Reid retire?: Until Chiefs coach Andy Reid says definitively that he’s coming back next season, speculation about him retiring will continue. And as he prepares for Sunday, which could be his last game, he left his future open-ended.
- Kittle weighs in on Fields: You wouldn’t think 49ers tight end George Kittle would have an opinion on the Bears, but he does. He was adamant that they should keep quarterback Justin Fields and trade down from the No. 1 pick to acquire assets to help him.
- The Nagy and Fields connection: Matt Nagy, the ex-Bears coach-turned-Chiefs-offensive coordinator, believes he and Fields are still on their way up. “Whether he stays or goes somewhere else, I know he’s very resilient and he’s a great kid, Nagy said this week.
- Same old Travis: Dating Taylor Swift has vaulted Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce into newfound territory as a celebrity, but he’s as good as ever on the field.
Follow along with all of our Super Bowl coverage here.
BRIGHT ONE ✨
At Pueblo Nuevo in Portage Park everyone is family, and the home-style food can’t be beat
Reporting by Emmanuel Camarillo
“Doctor” Lulu is here to take care of you — that’s what Lourdes “Lulu” Alvarez tells those who say they are feeling a little under the weather at Pueblo Nuevo in Portage Park, the Mexican restaurant she runs with her husband.
Alvarez says some call her “doctor” because she has the remedy: a steaming bowl of pozole verde “para el corazon,” for the heart.
Alvarez, 45, sees the people who walk into the intimate eatery at 4342 N. Central Ave. as more than just customers. She remembers many by name and doesn’t hesitate to forgive a bill.
For nearly 13 years, Pueblo Nuevo has kept scores of regulars coming back, thanks to its quality, home-style food and convivial atmosphere. It has formed deep ties within the community, which in recent years has stepped up for Alvarez and the restaurant when they needed a hand.
In 2022, Alvarez felt as if “her world was ending.” She had surgery to remove noncancerous tumors, forcing the restaurant to close briefly. The family started an online fundraiser, and the community helped them collect thousands to help cover her expenses.
And during the COVID-19 pandemic, Alvarez said the restaurant survived thanks in part to a regular who helped it boost its internet presence and take online orders.
“I thank them with all of my heart,” Alvarez said of her loyal customers. “We would be nothing without their support.”
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
Think of the longest line you’ve ever waited in — why were you waiting and was it worth it?
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Newsletter reporter: Matt Moore
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