Joel
@jtmac1709930.bsky.social
Car-free on Chicago’s Northwest side. Biking, botanizing, birding, and transit.
Reposted by Joel
Trump claimed Chicago’s "Miracle Mile" is failing — but data shows the Mag Mile is recovering. blockclubchi.co/47CU60X
November 13, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Trump claimed Chicago’s "Miracle Mile" is failing — but data shows the Mag Mile is recovering. blockclubchi.co/47CU60X
Reposted by Joel
Popular discourse attributes falling college enrollments to the rising cost of four-year college.
That story is wrong in multiple ways, as @mattbarnum.bsky.social points out in his latest roundup of the evidence (citing a new working paper of ours):
www.chalkbeat.org/2025/11/11/i...
That story is wrong in multiple ways, as @mattbarnum.bsky.social points out in his latest roundup of the evidence (citing a new working paper of ours):
www.chalkbeat.org/2025/11/11/i...
Is college enrollment plummeting?
Reports of the death of the bachelor’s degree have been greatly exaggerated.
www.chalkbeat.org
November 12, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Popular discourse attributes falling college enrollments to the rising cost of four-year college.
That story is wrong in multiple ways, as @mattbarnum.bsky.social points out in his latest roundup of the evidence (citing a new working paper of ours):
www.chalkbeat.org/2025/11/11/i...
That story is wrong in multiple ways, as @mattbarnum.bsky.social points out in his latest roundup of the evidence (citing a new working paper of ours):
www.chalkbeat.org/2025/11/11/i...
Reposted by Joel
@mndot.mn.gov estimates every St Paul-Chicago trip by train, instead of car, saves $296. $88 comes in social benefits-safety, emissions and crash reduction. The rest goes to the rider, due to reduced cost of operating a personal vehicle. Increased rail service is a no-brainer! @hsrail.bsky.social
State Rail Plan Update
The draft State Rail Plan is now available for your review and comments. The Minnesota Department of Transportation is asking Minnesota businesses and residents to provide feedback on the final draft ...
talk.dot.state.mn.us
October 30, 2025 at 5:07 PM
@mndot.mn.gov estimates every St Paul-Chicago trip by train, instead of car, saves $296. $88 comes in social benefits-safety, emissions and crash reduction. The rest goes to the rider, due to reduced cost of operating a personal vehicle. Increased rail service is a no-brainer! @hsrail.bsky.social
Reposted by Joel
A striking innovation in the Illinois Transit Bill is the explicit embrace of “regional rail”—a term that signals a complete departure from the commuter rail model that has defined suburban train service for over a century www.hsrail.org/blog/illinoi...
Illinois Quietly Rewrote the Rules: Intercity Rail is Now Transit | High Speed Rail Alliance
This new bill positions Illinois to build a modern, frequent, interconnected railway network that treats mobility as essential infrastructure
www.hsrail.org
November 10, 2025 at 9:23 PM
A striking innovation in the Illinois Transit Bill is the explicit embrace of “regional rail”—a term that signals a complete departure from the commuter rail model that has defined suburban train service for over a century www.hsrail.org/blog/illinoi...
Reposted by Joel
Thanks to the Illinois’ massive investment in transit, Chicago has a bright transit future, with the dawn coming next year:
—50% increase in every-10-min bus routes to 30 citywide
—8-minute midday headways on rail lines
—24-hour Orange Line service (Red & Blue already have it)
—50% increase in every-10-min bus routes to 30 citywide
—8-minute midday headways on rail lines
—24-hour Orange Line service (Red & Blue already have it)
Acting CTA President Nora Leerhsen’s ambitious plan would also expand — from 20 to 30 routes — the so-called “Frequent Bus Network” that provides service “every ten minutes or better” between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.
trib.al/Va4Ri0r
trib.al/Va4Ri0r
CTA plans 24-hour service on Orange Line to Midway, thanks to mass transit bailout
Acting CTA President Nora Leerhsen’s ambitious plan would also expand — from 20 to 30 routes — the so-called “Frequent Bus Network” that provides service “every ten minutes or better” between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.
trib.al
November 7, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Thanks to the Illinois’ massive investment in transit, Chicago has a bright transit future, with the dawn coming next year:
—50% increase in every-10-min bus routes to 30 citywide
—8-minute midday headways on rail lines
—24-hour Orange Line service (Red & Blue already have it)
—50% increase in every-10-min bus routes to 30 citywide
—8-minute midday headways on rail lines
—24-hour Orange Line service (Red & Blue already have it)
Bus in Pasadena whose front rack accommodates *3* bikes, 50% more than the standard CTA rack
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Bus in Pasadena whose front rack accommodates *3* bikes, 50% more than the standard CTA rack
Reposted by Joel
Moline-Chicago Amtrak passenger rail funding approved by Illinois General Assembly!
“Today is a day for celebrating because we have secured funding for our train,” Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati said.
www.wqad.com/article/news...
“Today is a day for celebrating because we have secured funding for our train,” Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati said.
www.wqad.com/article/news...
Moline-Chicago passenger rail funding approved; QC leaders react
Local leaders say funding for the Moline-to-Chicago passenger rail line is now secured, marking a major milestone in bringing Amtrak service to the Quad Cities.
www.wqad.com
November 3, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Moline-Chicago Amtrak passenger rail funding approved by Illinois General Assembly!
“Today is a day for celebrating because we have secured funding for our train,” Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati said.
www.wqad.com/article/news...
“Today is a day for celebrating because we have secured funding for our train,” Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati said.
www.wqad.com/article/news...
30-minute stop in Albuquerque, so I had time to explore. And if you give me 30 mins anywhere, I will track down an iced coffee and local brews #amtrak #southwestchief
November 3, 2025 at 10:25 PM
30-minute stop in Albuquerque, so I had time to explore. And if you give me 30 mins anywhere, I will track down an iced coffee and local brews #amtrak #southwestchief
The buses are free, a streetcar extension opened last week, and new housing is springing up around the stations. Kansas City is the future we need.
November 3, 2025 at 3:05 AM
The buses are free, a streetcar extension opened last week, and new housing is springing up around the stations. Kansas City is the future we need.
“Kansas City’s new streetcar has spurred the construction of more than 1,400 new apartment units along Main Street since 2017.”
Historic renovations, new buildings and empty lots. Twelve new projects to watch along the streetcar extension
Kansas City’s new streetcar has spurred the construction of more than 1,400 new apartment units along Main Street since 2017. These are some of the highlights.
thebeaconnews.org
November 2, 2025 at 7:26 PM
“Kansas City’s new streetcar has spurred the construction of more than 1,400 new apartment units along Main Street since 2017.”
10-minute headways on a Sunday morning! First impressions of the newly opened KC Streetcar expansion are very positive
November 2, 2025 at 2:22 PM
10-minute headways on a Sunday morning! First impressions of the newly opened KC Streetcar expansion are very positive
I want all my vacations to start here:
November 1, 2025 at 3:11 PM
I want all my vacations to start here:
Step 1 of my vacation rail itinerary: MDN Metra to Chicago Union Station.
November 1, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Step 1 of my vacation rail itinerary: MDN Metra to Chicago Union Station.
Seen on the 5100 block of Irving Park. Billy Caldwell was an early 19th-century Potawatomi leader and the namesake of a nearby forest preserve site. I’m curious about the backstory of this sidewalk tribute.
October 31, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Seen on the 5100 block of Irving Park. Billy Caldwell was an early 19th-century Potawatomi leader and the namesake of a nearby forest preserve site. I’m curious about the backstory of this sidewalk tribute.
Well over 100 people this evening at a whistle packing party in Norwood Park, of all places. Seems like a hopeful sign.
October 30, 2025 at 2:40 AM
Well over 100 people this evening at a whistle packing party in Norwood Park, of all places. Seems like a hopeful sign.
My commute options this time of year: crisp autumn bike ride or Metra + crisp autumn stroll with a stop at a coffee shop
October 29, 2025 at 1:48 PM
My commute options this time of year: crisp autumn bike ride or Metra + crisp autumn stroll with a stop at a coffee shop
Fun fact for NW side urbanists: Illuminated Brew Works will give you 10% off your tab if you bike there.
And despite its name, Northwest Hwy is a surprisingly bike-friendly route to get there.
And despite its name, Northwest Hwy is a surprisingly bike-friendly route to get there.
October 28, 2025 at 2:52 AM
Fun fact for NW side urbanists: Illuminated Brew Works will give you 10% off your tab if you bike there.
And despite its name, Northwest Hwy is a surprisingly bike-friendly route to get there.
And despite its name, Northwest Hwy is a surprisingly bike-friendly route to get there.
I would like to request that the Tribune bring back its 1920s-era HANDS OF DEATH infographic summarizing car crash fatalities
![Quoted text from Natalie Moore’s book The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation: “that same year [1925] the newspaper ran a ‘hands of death’ graphic calculating deaths from what the editorial board judged one of society’s biggest menaces: automobile fatalities.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:6ozewv6mtoxnwysxbnst3cmm/bafkreidr6pubbw2bhavikt2kfayi6hliz7u7voi7srce5tvfxfrckod3bm@jpeg)
October 26, 2025 at 5:54 PM
I would like to request that the Tribune bring back its 1920s-era HANDS OF DEATH infographic summarizing car crash fatalities
Fall at LaBagh Woods. People have a hard time believing this is within Chicago city limits.
October 25, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Fall at LaBagh Woods. People have a hard time believing this is within Chicago city limits.
Reposted by Joel
Some great friday news for Portage Park!
The historic Portage Theater has a new owner who plans to revive it as a community space. blockclubchi.co/3J0uEZR
October 24, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Some great friday news for Portage Park!
Out and about on the NW side this evening.
October 25, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Out and about on the NW side this evening.
Reposted by Joel
An astonishingly large crowd!
Chicago
Chicago
October 18, 2025 at 9:18 PM
An astonishingly large crowd!
Chicago
Chicago
The Forum in Bronzeville. I only had time to hit one Open House Chicago site today, and this one was well worth the trip
October 18, 2025 at 10:30 PM
The Forum in Bronzeville. I only had time to hit one Open House Chicago site today, and this one was well worth the trip
A beautiful day to be downtown. My favorite part: all the people handing out American flags 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
October 18, 2025 at 9:11 PM
A beautiful day to be downtown. My favorite part: all the people handing out American flags 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Reposted by Joel
So many people heading to the #NoKings protest in Chicago that it’s standing room only on the train. In fact, it’s so packed we can’t get on this one.
October 18, 2025 at 4:43 PM
So many people heading to the #NoKings protest in Chicago that it’s standing room only on the train. In fact, it’s so packed we can’t get on this one.