Car Free Keith
@carfreekeith.bsky.social
Nothing makes me happier than places that have less cars. I make videos about that 👇
https://linktr.ee/carfreekeith
📍Chicago via the Quad Cities, w/ a few years in New Orleans too
he/him
https://linktr.ee/carfreekeith
📍Chicago via the Quad Cities, w/ a few years in New Orleans too
he/him
My meal prep this week is a pot roast from a 1954 united airlines cookbook
Hopefully it doesn’t give me any unnatural thoughts about bulldozing neighborhoods for new expressways
Hopefully it doesn’t give me any unnatural thoughts about bulldozing neighborhoods for new expressways
February 16, 2026 at 10:49 PM
My meal prep this week is a pot roast from a 1954 united airlines cookbook
Hopefully it doesn’t give me any unnatural thoughts about bulldozing neighborhoods for new expressways
Hopefully it doesn’t give me any unnatural thoughts about bulldozing neighborhoods for new expressways
Reposted by Car Free Keith
Really glad CFK highlighted one of Chicago transit’s “original sins”: we privatized the ‘L’ and the surface lines in the 1940s but waited until the 80s to privatize the commuter lines, so the CTA spent 40 years trying to “expand” into the South Side rather than leveraging a regional network vision
New video! The rise, fall, and potential rebirth of what was once arguably Chicago’s best commuter rail line.
youtu.be/VGgqoqLlOFs?...
youtu.be/VGgqoqLlOFs?...
Chicago's Forgotten 'L' Train Line
YouTube video by Car Free Keith
youtu.be
February 16, 2026 at 1:16 PM
Really glad CFK highlighted one of Chicago transit’s “original sins”: we privatized the ‘L’ and the surface lines in the 1940s but waited until the 80s to privatize the commuter lines, so the CTA spent 40 years trying to “expand” into the South Side rather than leveraging a regional network vision
New video! The rise, fall, and potential rebirth of what was once arguably Chicago’s best commuter rail line.
youtu.be/VGgqoqLlOFs?...
youtu.be/VGgqoqLlOFs?...
Chicago's Forgotten 'L' Train Line
YouTube video by Car Free Keith
youtu.be
February 15, 2026 at 6:19 PM
New video! The rise, fall, and potential rebirth of what was once arguably Chicago’s best commuter rail line.
youtu.be/VGgqoqLlOFs?...
youtu.be/VGgqoqLlOFs?...
I made deep dish tonight and it turned out better than I ever could’ve possibly imagined. It wasn’t looking good when I put the dough in the pan
February 15, 2026 at 4:17 AM
I made deep dish tonight and it turned out better than I ever could’ve possibly imagined. It wasn’t looking good when I put the dough in the pan
I’m in Texas this week & it really is wild how much their cities have grown. It’s just a shame they’ve done it in the sprawliest way possible. But even with that it’s easy to see how high speed rail would be insanely successful in the TX Triangle
February 10, 2026 at 1:49 PM
I’m in Texas this week & it really is wild how much their cities have grown. It’s just a shame they’ve done it in the sprawliest way possible. But even with that it’s easy to see how high speed rail would be insanely successful in the TX Triangle
Bad Bunny’s halftime show was amazing & I hope the TPUSA show got less than 0 viewers
February 9, 2026 at 1:50 AM
Bad Bunny’s halftime show was amazing & I hope the TPUSA show got less than 0 viewers
New video about the rise, fall, and (hopefully someday) rebirth of the Metra Electric South Chicago Branch is out now on Patreon and in a week on YouTube
www.patreon.com/posts/150216...
www.patreon.com/posts/150216...
February 8, 2026 at 4:26 AM
New video about the rise, fall, and (hopefully someday) rebirth of the Metra Electric South Chicago Branch is out now on Patreon and in a week on YouTube
www.patreon.com/posts/150216...
www.patreon.com/posts/150216...
Reposted by Car Free Keith
Kansas City, 1929. Assertions to the effect that “people preferred to drive” are guesses in the guise of explanations.
In cities a minority of motorists degraded streetcar service for the majority. KCPSC: “Practically the only cause of delay ... is ... motorists who block [streetcars’] progress.”
In cities a minority of motorists degraded streetcar service for the majority. KCPSC: “Practically the only cause of delay ... is ... motorists who block [streetcars’] progress.”
February 7, 2026 at 1:46 PM
Kansas City, 1929. Assertions to the effect that “people preferred to drive” are guesses in the guise of explanations.
In cities a minority of motorists degraded streetcar service for the majority. KCPSC: “Practically the only cause of delay ... is ... motorists who block [streetcars’] progress.”
In cities a minority of motorists degraded streetcar service for the majority. KCPSC: “Practically the only cause of delay ... is ... motorists who block [streetcars’] progress.”
It’s important to create stuff right now. Real stuff. That you make. And there’s nothing else like it. And it wouldn’t exist if you didn’t make it. It might be cringe or not good or whatever, but you’re creating and not just consuming.
February 6, 2026 at 6:32 PM
It’s important to create stuff right now. Real stuff. That you make. And there’s nothing else like it. And it wouldn’t exist if you didn’t make it. It might be cringe or not good or whatever, but you’re creating and not just consuming.
Timeline cleanse for this dreary February morning: a flashback to a gorgeous spring evening on the Grant Park lakefront from last year on April 30th
February 4, 2026 at 1:40 PM
Timeline cleanse for this dreary February morning: a flashback to a gorgeous spring evening on the Grant Park lakefront from last year on April 30th
Reposted by Car Free Keith
Got the high quality renders finally
February 4, 2026 at 1:55 AM
Got the high quality renders finally
Reposted by Car Free Keith
Generative AI is one of the worst things that the human race has ever created, it felt like it was made to destroy us.
February 3, 2026 at 11:35 AM
Generative AI is one of the worst things that the human race has ever created, it felt like it was made to destroy us.
New short from me with a very brief explainer of the Passenger Rail Planning Act introduced by the ILGA this month. I’ll have more in depth coverage later this spring! youtube.com/shorts/Zjgwu...
Illinois proposes regional standards for planning new passenger #rail projects #amtrak #chicago
YouTube video by Car Free Keith
youtube.com
January 30, 2026 at 1:22 AM
New short from me with a very brief explainer of the Passenger Rail Planning Act introduced by the ILGA this month. I’ll have more in depth coverage later this spring! youtube.com/shorts/Zjgwu...
Reposted by Car Free Keith
Send this picture to every blue state elected leader and ask them what they’re doing to grow their state’s population.
If their response doesn’t include “more housing production,” ask them why they want to let Texas take congressional seats from us.
If their response doesn’t include “more housing production,” ask them why they want to let Texas take congressional seats from us.
#NEW: 2030 Apportionment Forecast based on 2025 Census Bureau Population Estimates (January 27, 2026).
Forecast prepared by Dr. Jonathan Cervas (CMIST) at Carnegie Mellon University
Forecast prepared by Dr. Jonathan Cervas (CMIST) at Carnegie Mellon University
January 28, 2026 at 11:19 PM
Send this picture to every blue state elected leader and ask them what they’re doing to grow their state’s population.
If their response doesn’t include “more housing production,” ask them why they want to let Texas take congressional seats from us.
If their response doesn’t include “more housing production,” ask them why they want to let Texas take congressional seats from us.
Reposted by Car Free Keith
IL state legislature has introduced HB4279 the "Passenger Rail Planning Act"
The bill sets targets and guidelines for passenger rail in Illinois and helps planning coordination with other states. Each corridor would be nominated for the Corridor ID round 2 grants.
The bill sets targets and guidelines for passenger rail in Illinois and helps planning coordination with other states. Each corridor would be nominated for the Corridor ID round 2 grants.
January 24, 2026 at 2:14 AM
IL state legislature has introduced HB4279 the "Passenger Rail Planning Act"
The bill sets targets and guidelines for passenger rail in Illinois and helps planning coordination with other states. Each corridor would be nominated for the Corridor ID round 2 grants.
The bill sets targets and guidelines for passenger rail in Illinois and helps planning coordination with other states. Each corridor would be nominated for the Corridor ID round 2 grants.
The Illinois Central’s suburban services had trains every 10 mins or better throughout the day to South Chicago as recently as the 1960s. This is what options you’d have on any Mon-Sat at 6:40am in 1949
January 24, 2026 at 1:16 AM
The Illinois Central’s suburban services had trains every 10 mins or better throughout the day to South Chicago as recently as the 1960s. This is what options you’d have on any Mon-Sat at 6:40am in 1949
The Bears season may be over, but thankfully the GO BEARS buses seem to run year round
January 20, 2026 at 4:57 AM
The Bears season may be over, but thankfully the GO BEARS buses seem to run year round
Really thought the Bears would pull off another win Illinois General Assembly style tonight
January 19, 2026 at 4:16 AM
Really thought the Bears would pull off another win Illinois General Assembly style tonight
New video out now! It’s got a good mix of history, subway engineering, transit planning, etc. Give it a watch!
youtu.be/rxeopHHLbWA?...
youtu.be/rxeopHHLbWA?...
How Chicago Almost Buried its Elevated Trains
YouTube video by Car Free Keith
youtu.be
January 17, 2026 at 4:10 PM
New video out now! It’s got a good mix of history, subway engineering, transit planning, etc. Give it a watch!
youtu.be/rxeopHHLbWA?...
youtu.be/rxeopHHLbWA?...
Should have the video about Chicago’s subways out tomorrow. Thanks for bearing with me!
January 16, 2026 at 11:28 PM
Should have the video about Chicago’s subways out tomorrow. Thanks for bearing with me!
Reposted by Car Free Keith
Yes In My Back Yard!!!!
January 13, 2026 at 8:13 PM
Yes In My Back Yard!!!!
Kinda wild that Chicago’s 1939 subway plan proposed 50 new miles of subways for barely more than the price of today’s Red Line Extension (~5 mi of at grade rail). Different times for sure, but still wild. This’ll all be in a video coming next week!
January 11, 2026 at 9:54 PM
Kinda wild that Chicago’s 1939 subway plan proposed 50 new miles of subways for barely more than the price of today’s Red Line Extension (~5 mi of at grade rail). Different times for sure, but still wild. This’ll all be in a video coming next week!
Reposted by Car Free Keith
"although statistical evidence says otherwise"
January 10, 2026 at 8:14 PM
"although statistical evidence says otherwise"
Do you want low effort behind the scenes vlogs of me filming for my videos? Support me on Patreon! It really helps me make the videos better w/ better software, equipment, etc. and helps spread urbanist topics far and wide! Link below ⬇️
January 8, 2026 at 3:23 AM
Do you want low effort behind the scenes vlogs of me filming for my videos? Support me on Patreon! It really helps me make the videos better w/ better software, equipment, etc. and helps spread urbanist topics far and wide! Link below ⬇️
They managed to combine the worst parts of boarding a plane and the worst parts of boarding a train at Houston IAH. You can’t go to your gate til they call you down to ground level through these doors
January 4, 2026 at 10:25 PM
They managed to combine the worst parts of boarding a plane and the worst parts of boarding a train at Houston IAH. You can’t go to your gate til they call you down to ground level through these doors