Tag Archives: Chicago driving
Possible Investigation Short Circuits Chicago’s Electric Vehicle Charging Station Program
EV charging station outside a West Loop Walgreens installed by 350Green
There was much fanfare back in early 2010, when Chicago signed a nearly $2 million deal to install 280 electric vehicle chargers around the city and surrounding areas.
Chicago and the State of Illinois kicked in $1.9 million (much of it federal stimulus money) for a project with 350Green, perhaps the nation’s most aggressive developer of EV charging station networks, to install a total of 280 charging stations. The total cost was pegged at $8.8 million, with 350Green finding private funds for the nearly $7 million to fully fund the project.
According to the 55 page city contract, all 280 charging stations were scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011. But now, six months after the original deadline, the project is only 60% complete, contractors have not been paid for work already completed and it seems the City of Chicago has stopped their payments to 350Green.
Even as far back in March of this year, while the company was touting the installation of new charging stations at Chicago area Illinois Tollway Oases, when questioned about the delay, 350Green public relations spokesperson at the time Nicole Fallat admitted the project was behind schedule but was confident it would be completed by the end of April.
Tax Day A Dangerous Day To Drive
Make sure you’re extra careful driving tomorrow.
Tuesday, April 17th is tax day and beyond the obvious stress of having to file your 1040 forms today, it’s also a very dangerous day to be behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.
According to Canadian researchers who published research in the Journal of American Medical Association last week, the likelihood of being killed in a car crash on tax day is slightly higher than other days in April.
Video Has Good Advice For Drivers, Bikers
Here’s a pretty decent video from the Chicago Department of Transportation’s Bicycle Program with some good advice on how drivers should safely interact with bicycle riders and vice versa.
Often, these videos are pretty one sided, but this one addresses both bike riders and motorists.
Check out all of Chicago Bike’s YouTube videos when you get a chance.
Chicago Streets Ran Red With Blood In 1930′s
You think driving is dangerous these days?
Sure, there were 236 traffic death in Cook County in 2010. Of course, that’s 236 too many.
But according to Whet Moser over at Chicago Magazine, things were much, much worse back in the 1920′s and 1930′s.
Medians Can Be Dangerous
Maybe it’s just us, but those extra large medians with trees, flowers and plants in the middle of some of Chicago’s major streets seem dangerous.
Sure, when all the flowers are in bloom they sure are pretty.
But it seems like a minor traffic incident involving one of these medians has the potential to end up being a major accident.
Take this situation the other day on Irving Park Road near California. It looks like a low level fender bender almost went bad when one vehicle pushed another high onto the median and almost onto two wheels.
A little more speed and momentum and it looks like the mini-van could have flipped onto its side and someone would have left the scene in an ambulance.
Thoughts anyone?
Study: Chicago Ranks #1 In Traffic Congestion
Break out the foam finger.
Chicago is #1 once again.
Not only does Chicago have the highest downtown parking meter rates in the nation, the highest gas prices in the country and can brag it’s the red light camera capital of the U.S., it now can boast having the worst traffic congestion of any U.S. city.
Actually, it’s tied with Washington D.C.
Every year, the Texas Transportation Institute’s Urban Mobility Study analyzes traffic data for major cities all over the United States.
While Chicago has held the number three spot for half a decade, moved into second in 2008 and then 2009 it jumped into the number one spot along with Washington D.C.
Chicago’s Fall Bridge Lift Season Begins Saturday
As temperatures drop and the summer wanes, the beautiful sail boats docked at lakefront slips will officially begin their annual exodus beginning Saturday morning.
Every spring and fall, the Chicago Department of Transportation schedules approximately six weeks of bridge lifts to allow these high masted recreational water craft to return to dry dock storage via the main and south branches of the Chicago River. City bridge tenders will raise each lift bridge for approximately 8-12 minutes at a time to allow the ships to pass under the raised bridge and hopefully minimize impacts to traffic.
This year the first bridge lift will be Saturday, September 18th and will take place every Wednesday and Saturday until October 3oth. This year, because or repair work on the Chicago River locks, there will be no bridge lifts scheduled for November.
ALERT!: Central American Parade Sunday
Heads up North Siders.
From 8 AM to 5 PM Sunday, the Central American Parade will be messing up traffic in the Albany Park neighborhood.
The parade steps off at noon and the route runs along Montrose Ave. from California to Kimball.
Essentially, ground zero is at Horner Park, which has a footprint that runs from Irving to Montrose at California.
There will be no parking on the following streets:
Construction Brings Traffic Hell To Chicago
Drivers, get ready for big time traffic delays for the next two years.
Most Chicago motorists find the bumper to bumper delays that come from warm weather construction pretty much de rigueur during the spring/summer/fall.
But, this spring, the construction apocalypse takes place in downtown Chicago and points west of the city.
Four major road or highway construction projects that have their terminus near where the Eisenhower meets downtown, have or will get underway soon according to an excellent overview of this mess by Chicago Tribune transportation writer Jon Hilkevitch.
The Geek Forgets ‘Walk To Work’ Day
Today was National Walk to Work Day.
Oops!
I totally forgot about it.
After spending the entire day in my car, not only driving to work, but motoring all over the city, I drove home, sat down at the computer and saw that I was supposed to walk to work today according to the Active Transportation Alliance.
I’m so embarrassed.
What a faux pas.
