What do you think would improve Chicago? (Naperville, Orland Park: buying, movie theaters)

[aragx6]

$6/gallon isn't what you should be afraid of. It will easily hit $6 by Summer 2010, by two to three years after that don't be surprised if gas is in the $9/gallon range. When it's that high you'll have to change your way of life, like it or not.

[GoCUBS1]

Originally Posted by aragx6

Schools, schools and schools again. Until the schools improve, the middle class often has little choice but to flee to the 'burbs once they have kids because while they can afford a condo in the city they can't afford private school tuition. This is a problem in a lot of major cities though, not just Chicago.

I agree. That is the #1 issue for me. I would invest more in city real estate if there were better school options. Also, I like the idea about the Minneapolis pedestrian habi-trail system - loved that when I was there in the winter.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by GoCUBS1

I agree. That is the #1 issue for me. I would invest more in city real estate if there were better school options. Also, I like the idea about the Minneapolis pedestrian habi-trail system - loved that when I was there in the winter.

You do know that Chicago has its own version of an indoor pedestrian walkway system?
Mark Spiegl's Chicago Pedway Map

[GoCUBS1]

Originally Posted by sukwoo

You do know that Chicago has its own version of an indoor pedestrian walkway system?
Mark Spiegl's Chicago Pedway Map

Hey thanks, I've been on parts of this system but I did not realize it was so extensive.

[rgb123]

Originally Posted by GoCUBS1

Hey thanks, I've been on parts of this system but I did not realize it was so extensive.

and that is the thing..it does not compare to the minneapolis system. and its mostly underground...kinda scary. for it to really be attractive it needs to be a skyway where it has attention and people feel safe using it.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by rgb123

and that is the thing..it does not compare to the minneapolis system. and its mostly underground...kinda scary. for it to really be attractive it needs to be a skyway where it has attention and people feel safe using it.

Never used/seen it before, but Im only in Chicago about 5 times a year anyways, no need to. How scary is it? Dark and damp? Or just kinda scary--like a subway. MPLS utilizes some nice, glass covered walkways downtown. You can walk around down there w/o a coat on, its really neat.

[GoCUBS1]

Yeah, the MPLS system really stood out. I remember it as being a bright, clean skyway and you could get anywhere in the city. Here's some Wiki stats: Chicago has tunnels covering 10 blocks. Minneapolis has 5 miles of skyways and the St. Paul skyway covers 30 blocks.
We need more skyways!

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Chicago, Illinois - (Chicago Pedway) consists of approximately 4 disjoint tunnel systems, the largest covering about 10 blocks, connecting such buildings and transit stations as Metra's Randolph Street Station, the Chicago Cultural Center, the Macy's (former Marshall Field's) store at State and Randolph, Chicago Transit Authority's State Street and Dearborn Street subway stations, City Hall, and the James R. Thompson Center. Pedway Map

Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota - There are three major systems consisting mostly of above-ground skyways in the Twin Cities. Minneapolis's skyway system covers approximately five miles with 62 skyways. [9] (broken link) St. Paul's skyway system connects buildings in a 30-block radius in the downtown core. [10] On the University of Minnesota campus, the Gopher Way connects most buildings and parking structures together using a number of skyway links and underground tunnels.

[oakparkdude]

I'm no expert on the Chicago pedway, but what I've seen its not damp, and its only dark in the sense that there are no windows. I've seen homeless people in the pedway, and maybe that's enough to scare some people.

The problem with indoor pedways is that they suck the life of the city away from the sidewalks. This has obviously negative effects on stores and restaurants which rely on pedestrian traffic for business. In Minneapolis where its miserably cold 13 months* out of the year, it may well be an acceptable tradeoff to have a decent walking environment. However, Chicago weather isn't nearly as bad, and it'd be a net loss for the Loop to have "too nice" of a pedway.

* - Note to Minneapolis fans, just a joke.

[Frank the Tank]

Originally Posted by sukwoo

I'm no expert on the Chicago pedway, but what I've seen its not damp, and its only dark in the sense that there are no windows. I've seen homeless people in the pedway, and maybe that's enough to scare some people.

The problem with indoor pedways is that they suck the life of the city away from the sidewalks. This has obviously negative effects on stores and restaurants which rely on pedestrian traffic for business. In Minneapolis where its miserably cold 13 months* out of the year, it may well be an acceptable tradeoff to have a decent walking environment. However, Chicago weather isn't nearly as bad, and it'd be a net loss for the Loop to have "too nice" of a pedway.

* - Note to Minneapolis fans, just a joke.

Yeah, the covered walkways do take away from the vibrancy of streets in Minneapolis - Chicago's walkability is one of its greatest attributes, so I think a covered walkway system would end up doing more harm than good.

I think both public transit AND the roadways need drastic improvement - it shouldn't be an either/or argument. It starts with streamlining the transportation agencies - there's the CTA, Metra, IDOT and Tollway Authority, just to start with off the top of my head - so that they focus less on protecting their own respective turfs and start putting together comprehensive regional transportation solutions.

As noted by others, the public school system in the city also needs to be turned around if Chicago wants to keep affluent families within its borders for the long term.

Finally, we need a complete turnover in the owners of our sports teams. How did the third-largest market in the nation end up with small market-minded owners across the board? It's pathetic.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by sukwoo

I'm no expert on the Chicago pedway, but what I've seen its not damp, and its only dark in the sense that there are no windows. I've seen homeless people in the pedway, and maybe that's enough to scare some people.

The problem with indoor pedways is that they suck the life of the city away from the sidewalks. This has obviously negative effects on stores and restaurants which rely on pedestrian traffic for business. In Minneapolis where its miserably cold 13 months* out of the year, it may well be an acceptable tradeoff to have a decent walking environment. However, Chicago weather isn't nearly as bad, and it'd be a net loss for the Loop to have "too nice" of a pedway.

* - Note to Minneapolis fans, just a joke.

You are 100% correct about the Minneapolis sky bridges ruining pedestrian life. These walkways are routinely attacked by today's urban planning orthodoxy, so you won't be seeing them any time soon. They are in the same ballpark as pedestrian malls (remember the State Street Pedestrian Mall?)--relics of the 1970s.

As far as expanding the highways, I hope it doesn't happen. Let's expand Metra and the CTA first.