A recently released interactive mapping tool identifies how Chicago residents get to work and which neighborhoods have very few cars, a useful tool for advocates when discussing equitable and practical distribution of resources for transportation.
“What myth are you trying to dispel?
The myth that most people own cars and we can’t take away the space for them. In the specific example of Broadway, if 50 percent (with a margin of error of ±5 percent) of homes have no cars at all, then that argument doesn’t hold up. I hope this will give people easy access to census data so these sorts of myths can be counter argued.
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How do you think people should use the map?
I really hope people use this not only just to waste a few minutes at work, but to print out or share online when it comes to planning decisions in their neighborhood. In my case, we’re going to have some meetings coming up in the 46th Ward about new bike infrastructure. If I can show that at least 40 percent of people living along the planned bike corridors are car-free, it might make a stronger case for removing space for parked cars in favor of an alternative like bike lanes, or to make the pedestrian space safer.”
