Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot joined commissioners Gia Biagi and Rosa Escareno from the Chicago Departments of Transportation ( CDOT ) and Business Affairs and Consumer Protection ( BACP ) to announce Chicago's 'Our Streets' plan to open and convert residential streets and commercial corridors for alternative uses.
The May 29 announcement outlines two main uses for Chicago's streets as the city looks to move into phase three of its "Protecting Chicago" reopening framework. First, the city plans to convert streets, or portions of those streets and cross-streets, in key commercial corridors throughout the City into expanded outdoor dining, providing much needed relief to restaurants of all sizes. Second, the city will also convert residential streets to provide Chicagoans with additional transportation options and space for outside recreational activities while safely social distancing throughout many different neighborhoods as the state's stay-at-home order is lifted.
The six pilot streets included in the program are:
Chatham: 75th Street, from Calumet Avenue to Indiana Avenue;
Lake View: Broadway, from Belmont Avenue to Diversey Parkway;
Little Village: 26th Street, from Central Park to Harding Avenue;
Gold Coast: Rush Street, from Oak Street to Cedar Street;
Near West Side: Taylor Street, from Loomis Street to Ashland Avenue; and
West Loop: Randolph Street, from Expressway no further than Elizabeth Street.
Mayor Lightfoot and CDOT also made public new mobility guidelines as part of the "Be Safe Chicago" campaign which provide clear indications of how Chicagoans can maintain safety as they return in greater numbers to walking, driving and riding a bike on Chicago streets. Residents looking to learn more about the Our Streets program and to share their ideas and take a short survey can visit Chicago.gov/covidmobility .