Smart Transportation in Chicago

摘要

I wanted to start by giving you some background on Chicago. There are more than 8 million people in our six-county metropolitan area as of 2000, and about 2.9 million live in the city itself. Chicago reached a peak population of 3.5 million or 3.6 million in the 1950s. We have come down somewhat, but during the 1990s we grew from 2.7 million to 2.9 million, so we are on our way back up toward the 3 million range. When we think of smart growth and what places epitomize it, older central cities quickly come to mind. I was speaking with someone today from Boston, and we were saying that some of the issues discussed this morning—what people are trying to achieve in their communities—we already have in our old central cities. Cities like Chicago grew up before the automobile age and are thus already suited for a less auto-dependent way of life. This is particularly true of Chicago's downtown. Transit, including our commuter rail system Metra, rapid transit, and bus, is readily available there. Indeed, the downtown is the hub of all the transit services in the region. Our blocks are short. Our sidewalks tend to be wide. Buildings hug the property line and face the street, providing a walkable environment.