Chicago to Experiment with ‘Shared Street’ Concept

On one street in downtown Chicago, pedestrians and cyclists will have just as much priority as vehicles. David Rogers reports for Global Construction Review that a portion of Argyle Street is being transformed into a shared street.

That means a speed limit of 15 miles per hour (24 kilometers per hour). The street will also feature a “plaza-like setting” with ample space for sidewalk cafes and street fairs, the city says here. Curbs, traffic lights and signage for vehicles will be removed to signal that the street is no longer the domain of cars, the article says.

The $3.5 million experiment is part of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s “Make Way for People” initiative designed to make city streets safer for walkers, Rogers notes. The reconstruction of Argyle Street is headed by the Chicago Department of Transportation. The street already draws ample pedestrians because it is home to Chinese New Year celebrations and weekly night markets.

The project is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2016.


This article originally appeared on Citiscope.org. Citiscore is a nonprofit news outlet that covers innovations in cities arouns the world.