About ten years ago there was a lot of talk regarding yellow light times.  Specifically, Chicago times seemed shorter than those in surrounding communities.  This discussion was precipitated by widespread adoption of red light cameras in the area. Illinois local governments generated more than $1 billion in red-light camera revenue from 2008 to 2018, according … Continue reading Have You Noticed that Chicago Yellow Light Times are Shorter than in the Suburbs? →

Stage A of the Red/Purple Line Modernization Project, which is rebuilding the right of way from Lawrence to Bryn Mawr, is well underway.  The photo above, looking north from Catalpa Avenue, shows one side of the hundred year old embankment being dismantled. CTA expects Stage A to be completed in 2024.  During construction the normally … Continue reading CTA Red/Purple Line Demolition Underway →

Protecting yourself from the City’s parking enforcement is a wise strategy.  Time was when a parking ticket was maybe twenty-five dollars.  But that is no longer the case.  Today a parking ticket costs seventy dollars. In the example illustrated above, from April, the driver pulled into a spot just as a parking enforcement employee was … Continue reading Playing Defense: Always Get a Receipt when Parking on Chicago Streets →

Remember when a stop sign was enough to get the message across?  No longer. The photo above shows just how ridiculous things have gotten.  It was taken on N. Lake Shore Drive West next to the Diversey Driving Range.  Within half a block there is: a sign warning of the stop sign at the next … Continue reading Symptom of Chicago’s Nanny State: Signs Everywhere →

How big of a joke are the City’s speed cameras?  You can find a lot of examples that could make the program look like nothing more than a money grab.  But one in particular might be the most damning. It is on the north side of Irving Park Road between Sheridan Road and Clark Street. … Continue reading Chicago’s Most Ridiculous Speed Camera? →

Traveling from the North Side near the lake to the West Side or vice versa? One route is best: Lower Wacker Drive. Older Chicago residents doubtless know this avenue, made famous by the chase scene from the movie, “Blues Brothers.” Newer Chicago residents might not. Here are directions: Traveling south on Lake Shore Drive get … Continue reading Learn the Route through Lower Wacker Drive →

One of the reasons Chicago is a desirable place to live is our lack of extreme circumstances.  There are no hurricanes, earthquakes, land slides, wildfires, avalanches or tsunamis.  There are no volcanoes in the area.  We do not have to worry about scorpions, snakes, bears, or alligators. We have tornadoes.  But unless you live in … Continue reading Do Not Drive Through a Flooded Underpass →

The panic we now find ourselves in has produced many strange sights around Chicago, from empty grocery shelves to people veering out of the way when passing on the sidewalk.  This exclusive Practical Chicago video illustrates probably the most incredible: how long it takes to get through traffic on Michigan Avenue. Government stay-at-home orders have … Continue reading Amazing Coronavirus Travel Times →

In recent years the number of people riding loud motorcycles through the City has gone up significantly. If you get a close look at one they almost never look like any kind of menacing Hell’s Angels-type character. It is almost always exactly the opposite.  Usually you see somebody of average appearance who is not in … Continue reading It is Time for a Strictly Enforced Motorcycle Noise Ordinance →

Almost nobody uses bike lanes in Chicago.  Yet the government goes on spending money installing them across the city and suburbs.  Merriam-Webster defines a pipe dream as an illusory or fantastic plan, hope, or story.  Clearly that is what is happening here. Over the last two years Practical Chicago has taken photos of unused bike lanes at about … Continue reading Bike Lanes are Not Worth the Money →