American Eagle Airlines has been handed the first fines to be meted out since an April 2010 rule change by the Transportation Department limiting tarmac delays to three hours. more ›

CTA will use the money to upgrade its bus fleet, renovate the Wilson Red Line “El” stop and fund a study to improve lakefront bus service. more ›

The Transportation Department said today that a series of storms in late May led to 14 American Eagle flights being delayed at O'Hare International Airport for longer than three hours in a single day. that made up the majority of 16 total flights that experienced extended delays in May. more ›

On Thursday, the Chicago Transit Authority received a $2.2 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to buy two all-electric buses. The battery-powered buses will be tested to see how they perform during CTA's regular service, officials said to the Chicago Tribune. "We anticipate that the buses will be used for shorter runs," CTA spokeswoman Noelle Gaffney said to the Tribune. Gaffney also noted that the buses will be used as part of the CTA's initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. more ›

According to Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig via the Chicago Sun-Times, the percentage of Illinois drivers using seat belts has hit a new high, with an estimated 92.6 percent of drivers and front-seat passengers choosing to buckle up. Traffic deaths in the first six months of 2010 were down 16.8 percent--only 361 in the first half, compared with 434 in 2009. Seat-belt use has also gone up by 16 percent since 2003, which could be attributed to the state law that changed in 2004 and gave police the right to stop drivers solely for not wearing their seat belts. more ›

Chicago will receive a $36 million grant for two CTA bus projects designed to improve transportation within the Loop and to the South Side. The grants were awarded as part of two competitive grant programs through the U.S. Dept. of Transportation totaling $293 million. "The process was very competitive. The FTA received 65 applications totaling more than $1 billion, all vying for a $130 million pot of money," Paul Griffo, Federal Transit Administration spokesperson, told Zach Behrens of our sister site LAist, referring to the first type of grant, Urban Circular. The FTA also received 281 applications totaling over $2 billion for the second type of grant, Bus and Bus Livability. more ›

If there's a silver lining to the long stretch of frigid weather we've had this season, it's that there's been a limit to the freeze-thaw cycles. In fact, this is really our first thaw in three weeks. And that means fewer potholes on city streets to swallow up our cars and bikes. Of course, it's only mid-January; the real freeze-thaw cycle won't start until into mid-March. Still, that's not stopping the city's Department of Transportation from bragging about the lack of potholes so far and the new, tougher material used on the roads that are proving more resistant to potholes. The Tribune notes that last year the city spent $35 million in stimulus money to repave 31 miles of arterial streets (we bet the streets the IOC traveled last spring are still looking nice). The city's stats say that 12,000 less potholes have been filled so far this winter (45,000 last year compared to 33,000 this year) but, as we noted, there's a long way to go. Come back to us in April when people are putting trashcans in potholes as safety measures and we'll discuss this new "resistant" material then. more ›

Corruption in Chicago has evolved, according to federal hiring monitor Noelle Brennan. According to the annual report Brennan released yesterday, blatant abuses and manipulation of the hiring system in the city is no longer a problem. But patronage has moved to "more subtle types of manipulations of the hiring process." Brennan has been the hiring monitor since August of 2005, when federal prosecutors uncovered a fraudulent hiring scheme that led to Daley's former patronage chief Robert Sorich in prison being sentenced to 46 months in prison. more ›

Using racist slurs and donning a tablecloth and pretending you're in the Klan won't get you fired from your City job. Joseph Annunzio, you're having the best, most inappropriate and offensive week ever! Congrats on retaining your $77K per year gig with the City's Department of Transportation. If the name "Annunzio" sounds familiar, it's because Joseph's uncle was 14-term Illinois Rep Frank Annunzio. The HR review board decided that Annunzio did make "racist, derogatory and... more ›

Watch out, Chicago: Death is coming to town. Lest we sound a tad dramatic, let us clarify ourselves. Selected Independent Funeral Homes is having their 89th annual meeting this week at downtown’s Fairmont Hotel. Finally, a convention we can get excited about! Among the more interesting events to take place during the Oct. 14-17 summit are a discussion on the pros and cons of green burials (a movement that Chicagoist wholeheartedly supports), a banquet at... more ›

Chicagoist is gearing up for this weekend's annual Air & Water Show along the lakefront. In what's becoming an annual tradition around there, staff member Todd McClamroch even got to fly with one of the participants. Chicagoist's decidedly opinionated readership was also appalled that one of their staffers found a popular local brewpub to be a great place to bring a kid. They also think that an unlikely activist for immigration rights should just take... more ›

As all of us watch the terrible news in Minnesota unfold, many state governments are starting to look at their own inventory of bridges. Illinois ranks in the middle of bridge condition when compared to other states, according to an AP article in The Daily Southtown, with around 10% of our bridges rated "structurally deficient" - slightly better than the national average of 12%. Yesterday Governor Rod Blagojevich ordered immediate inspections of high-volume bridges and... more ›

The northbound Edens Expressway was closed for over seven hours yesterday when a semi truck carrying cooking oil, pigs feet and pig ears turned over, spilling across the three northbound lanes. more ›

DuSable Park should have its own place in history as a figure of speech. Example: “Sure, I’ll call you back, when DuSable Park is finished”. DuSable was originally discussed in 1988. Wrigley got lights, the Bears lost to the 49ers in the NFC Championship, Daley was a year away from being mayor, and DuSable Park was only going to cost $1.2 million. Today, estimates put the completion of DuSable park at around $12 million,... more ›

As March comes roaring in like a lion, our fearless leaders here in town and downstate have been doing some roaring of their own. Let's take a look back at some of the more noteworthy events thus far: Illinois' crappy reputation with elections is yielding news calls for an audit. State rep Mike Boland (D - Moline) has introduced an amendment to the election code requiring an election-night audit in each precinct in Illinois instead... more ›

The Illinois Department of Transportation is still sticking to completion date for the Dan Ryan reconstruction project. Resuming heavy work on the project, the department has indicated that the ramp from the Skyway to the Dan Ryan local lanes will be closed until June. For those that can't take an alternate route, it's a little confusing. All Skyway traffic will be directed into the express lanes. If you normally exit at 59th Street, Garfield Boulevard, 47th Street or 43rd Street, you must exit the Skyway at State Street. Yeah, we say just don't take it. more ›

The good news: Metra posted a single-year ridership record with approximately 80 million passengers. This was partly due to construction on the Dan Ryan, expanded rail service, and high gas prices. Amtrak also rang in with a 69 percent increase on expanded routes between Chicago and St. Louis, Carbondale and Quincy. The Chicago-to-St. Louis line showed a 95 percent increase in riders for last quarter over the same period last year. The news: The Regional... more ›

The Indiana Department of Transportation says quit yer bellyachin'. The proposed "Illiana" expressway route will not be determined by evil, land-grabbing developers; it will be determined by a state environmental study. more ›

If you are near a window of some type, then this isn't news to you; it's disgusting outside. Cold, snowy, windy — all the trademarks of our beloved Chicago winters. And not surprisingly, commutes of all types are screwed up. While there are many reasons to dump on the CTA, we hold the Pink Line above almost all others as evidence of why things need to change. Maybe the fact that it derailed this... more ›

One provision of President Bush's proposed budget could affect Chicagoans and city-dwellers all over the country. Bush is proposing a "congestion initiative" that would award federal grants to cities and states for building toll systems that charge drivers new or increased tolls for traveling in and out of cities during peak times. Congestion pricing could take the form of "cordon tolls," charges to enter the city proper, or monthly/annual fees for using High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV)... more ›

What's Going on with the North Avenue Bridge? more ›

Architect Santiago Calatrava and developer Garrett Kelleher are making the rounds, looking to generate buzz for their newly redesigned Drill Bit on the Lake. The Chicago Spire (nee Calatrava Spire) as planned will be exceedingly thin and stand around 2,000 feet tall (160 stories): the Manute Bol of skyscrapers. When completed (or if, if you ask Donald “you’re fired” Trump), it could be the world’s tallest, eclipsing Taipei 101 and NYC’s planned Freedom Tower. The... more ›

In today's Getting Around column, the Tribune's Jon Hilkevitch says that this spring, the city of Chicago will start sending officials posing as pedestrians to bust drivers who endanger walkers at intersections. The Department of Transportation and Office of Emergency Management will work with the police to conduct stings on reckless drivers, particularly those making right turns through crosswalks. On average, more than one pedestrian is killed in a traffic accident each week in the city. Mayor Daley has also created a Pedestrian Advisory Council and a Safe Streets for Chicago plan that will look to build more pedestrian-friendly intersections, coupled with a marketing campaign to promote pedestrian safety. more ›

A man sleeps pleasantly inside his home. Suddenly a phalanx of backhoes rumble toward his property. The man, discombobulated and outraged, takes action and tries to block the machines the only way he knows how. No, the story we describe isn't the beginning of Hitchhiker's Guide, but it's just as surreal. On Friday morning, Monee resident Mark Baugh was awoken by his wife when a crew of Illinois Department of Transportation workers showed up at... more ›

Chicagoist won't rehash the ol' "Two Seasons In Chicago" joke because it's tired and you all know it. There is some truth to it, of course, and if you're a regular driver on the city streets, as well as the surrounding expressways, construction is the bane of your existence. Hopefully, though, construction woes didn't cost any of you $3K in damage to your car as it did to West Dundee's Matt Wilkerson. In today's Getting... more ›

Tuesday morning, the Chicago Department of Transportation discovered that some crafty thieves broke into the gears of a bridge at 24th and Halsted to strip away copper wiring. In an ironic name twist, spokesperson Brian Steele said that this was the first incident of its kind in many years. What Mr. Steele didn't mention was that scrap metal prices are currently at an all-time high. Bringing in the copper nets some Jacksons, not just pennies. But the vandals' (we're not sure stealing something counts as vandalism) scramble for cash will not entirely affect the bridge's ability to lift, thus ensuring the richy mcrichersons can get their yachts and sailboats to the harbors (hopefully *you* have one as a friend). Whew. That was a close one. more ›

So far this week Chicagoist had an argument with our siblings over baseball, endured a date with a guy who isn't even registered to vote, forgot to set our alarm clock, thus making us late for a big meeting at work, fell down some stairs, and accidentally threw our favorite cashmere sweater into the dryer. And it's only Wednesday! Sigh. Even with all of that, our week is still not going as poorly as Governor... more ›

A recent report from the state’s Auditor General says the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) hired inexperienced workers, did not fully utilize federal funding for safety projects, and mismanaged a reorganization of the agency in 2004. It goes on to criticize the hiring of two friends of Governor Blagojevich with histories of drunk driving into the department. Last month Blago’s longtime friend Dan Stefanski was quietly let go from his special assistant position after being... more ›

If you rely on the Dan Ryan Expressway to get anywhere on a regular basis, we feel really sorry for you. Starting on April 1, the Illinois Department of Transportation will begin a major renovation of the roadway that is scheduled to last for nearly two years. The construction will modernize the Dan Ryan, which now handles twice as much traffic as it was originally built to handle, but in the meantime it will take... more ›

On April 2, when we move our clocks forward one hour to adjust for Daylight Saving Time, two counties in Indiana, Starke and Pulaski, and six in the southwestern corner of the state won't do anything, just like they have done for years, effectively switching them from Eastern time to Central. But this time they'll stay for good. more ›