Chicago City Counsel Passes Tax On Ride-Shares

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I wrote several weeks back about Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s budget proposal and her ideas to help reduce traffic conditions downtown. Her idea to increase taxes on ride-shares in the downtown loop area passed this week by the Chicago city counsel when they approved the 2020 budget.

Lightfoot’s office foresee’s this tax revenue will raise $40 million for the city, which will then be used to improve the busing lanes that lead in and out of downtown. The entire purpose, according to Lightfoot’s office, is an attempt to decrease congestion in the downtown loop during peak rush hours. The increased downtown fees would apply between 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., when traffic is worst. The rest of the time, trips downtown would have the same fees as the rest of the city.

The combined city taxes on a solo Uber, Lyft, of Via trip that starts or ends downtown will rise from 72 cents to $3. The taxes on a shared ride downtown would rise from 72 cents per trip to $1.25 per trip.

For the purposes of the congestion tax, the boundaries of downtown would be North Avenue from Lake Shore Drive to the north branch of the Chicago River, the north branch of the Chicago River from North Avenue to Grand Avenue, Grand Avenue from the north branch of the river to Ashland Avenue, Ashland from Grand to Van Buren Street, Van Buren from Ashland to Desplaines Street, Desplaines from Van Buren to Roosevelt Road, and Roosevelt from Desplaines to Lake Shore Drive.

Both Uber and Lyft have criticized this tax as they have stated it hurts low income passengers who need the app to travel downtown. This did not deter Lightfoot or the city council as the budget passed 37 to 11.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago CTA accident or Chicago truck crash, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

How To Prepare For Thanksgiving Travel Week

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According to AAA, the 2019 Thanksgiving Holiday will be the busiest travel week of all time. AAA estimates more than 55 million travelers this year. 49.3 million Americans are expected to travel by automobile, which would be the most since 2005 and a 2.8% increase from last year.

With that in mind the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Illinois State Police have provided the following travel tips, including what to bring with you before you hit the road. This is incredibly important this year as parts of central and southern Illinois could be hit with a couple different winter storms.

Cell phone and charger
• First aid kit
• Water and high-calorie, non-perishable food
• Boots, hats, gloves and extra clothing to keep dry
• Blanket
• Crank radio and flashlight
• Sack of sand or cat litter
• Shovel
• Windshield scraper and brush
• Tool kit and tow rope
• Booster cables
• Compass and road maps

Be careful this week if you are traveling by car to see family and friends. You could be faced with nasty weather along with an abnormal number of vehicles on the road.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago truck accident or Illinois traffic accident, then call Chicago accident attorney, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076

Chicago Traffic Fatalities Down In 2019

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There is encouraging news in Chicago traffic news. Traffic fatalities are down 30% in the city compared to this time last year. There were 108 traffic deaths through October 2018 compared to 77 so far this year.

This is good news for the city and particularly the cities’ transportation department which implemented “Vision Zero,” a plan aimed to eliminate all traffic fatalities in Chicago by 2026. Vision Zero’s plan includes changing intersections to make them safer, road user education and improving transit use in high crash areas, is an international road safety project.

The plan is also using used crash data to identify high-crash corridors and areas, which were prioritized for safety improvements. The areas include downtown Chicago and seven neighborhoods, such as Belmont-Cragin on the Northwest Side and Englewood on the South Side.

I don’t think anyone can say at this point what has caused the decrease in traffic deaths. I think we all hope that the money and time spent by Vision Zero is making our streets safer. I think a more detailed look at the data on the type and location of the traffic accidents will help us answer those questions. Let’s hope this trend continues.

If you or a loved one has been seroiusly injured in a Chicago truck accident or Chicago car crash, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J . Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Suburban Chicago Police Departments Focused On Driver Safety Over Halloween

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According to Patch.com, the St. Charles and Crystal Lake, Illinois police departments are cracking down on drunk drivers and taking extra precautions to promote safety for Halloween on Thursday.

The St. Charles and Crystal Lake police departments announced they will be conducting DUI and seat belt enforcement, in support of the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP). According to a police department news release, motorists are reminded to fasten their seat belts or risk receiving a ticket, during the campaign period, which continues through Nov. 3. The enforcement campaign is taking place along with the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over/Click It or Ticket programs.

The Crystal Lake police also provided the following tips to help make everyone’s Halloween more safe:

Plan a safe way to get home before you attend a party.
-Give your designated driver your keys before you go out.
-If you are drunk or impaired by marijuana or other drugs, call a taxi, take mass transit, use your favorite ride-sharing service, or call a sober friend or family member to get you home safely.
-Promptly report drunk drivers to law enforcement by pulling over and dialing 911.
-Make sure everyone in your vehicle wears their seat belt. Not only is it the law, it’s your best defense against an impaired driver.

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a Chicago car crash or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation.

Chicago Mayor Proposes Rideshare Tax Increase

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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot addressed the city council and the media earlier this week to discuss her proposed budget. I wrote about part of her plan in my last post. As discussed, Lightfoot has earmarked $20 million towards Chicago’s department of transportation to help improve bus lines in and around downtown. The goal is to make bus trips quicker and to encourage for CTA riders, which in turn will hopefully decrease the amount of traffic congestion downtown.

Lightfoot also proposed drastic increases to rideshares that take place in the downtown loop corridor. Her reasoning is first to raise money to fill a budget gap, and also to hopefully decrease the amount of Uber and Lyft vehicles clogging the dowtown area.

Chicago Curbed provided a nice of summaary of the proposed increases: ” Across the city, single riders will pay $1.25, about 53 cents more than they do now. In a special downtown zone, single trips fees will add up to $3 which will total to $2.28 more than riders pay now. Opting for a shared trip in the downtown zone will cost riders $1.25 in fees, about 53 cents more than now. The only riders to pay less in fees, only 7 cents, are those selecting shared rides in neighborhoods outside the downtown zone. “

I understand that many local residents will be upset about this new fees should the proposal pass. But similar fees are already going on in big cities like New York and San Francisco. There is a clear traffic congestion problem downtown, which has been caused, in party, by the increase in the number of rideshare vehicles swamping the loop during rush hour. I understand Lightfoot’s reasoning hear and would not be opposed seeing this within the new budget.

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a Chicago traffic accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076

Chicago Aims To Combat Downtown Traffic Congestion

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Multiple news outlets, including Chicago Curbed, reported last week that Chicago’s new Mayor Lori Lightfoot is looking decrease downtown traffic congestion with improvements to the CTA bus system and an overhaul of ride sharing laws.

First, the city announced a $20 million budget for the Bus Priority Zone Program. This budget aims to add additional bus-only lanes, queue jump signals, and better traffic light timing to some of Chicago’s highest ridership routes. These traffic improvements aim to remove slow zones, bottlenecks, delays, and bunched up buses that come one right after the other.

Safety improvements will make it easier to walk and bike to bus stops as well. Riders will notice new pavement markers, clearer street-level and overhead signs, safer bus stop locations with curb extensions and pedestrian refuge islands.

This is a huge step by the city’s Department of Transportation as it continues to battle ride sharing companies for ridership. The amount of congestion seen on our roads can easily pointed to the number of rideshare vehicle on the road. Commuters don’t mind paying a few extra dollars for an Uber or Lyft ride in order to avoid a packed bus that is constantly in traffic gridlock during peak rush hours. Why not attempt to improve buse rides with bus only lanes, which will then lead to a quicker commute. This will then lead to less congestion on the road which is decrases commute time and better for our environment.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago car crash or Chicago bus accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076

CDOT Proposing New Greenway And Bike Route In Lincoln Park Neighborhood

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Multiple news outlets reported last week that the Chicago Department of Transportation (“CDOT”) has proposed a new pedestrian and bicycle route on Dickens Avenue in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. The proposed route would run east-west on Dickens from Clybourn Street all the way to the lakefront trail. The proposed pathway would allow much easier access for pedestrians and bicyclists to access the Lincoln Park, Lincoln Park Zoo and the lakefront.

The proposal has been named the Dickens Avenue Greenway Project and it would lower the speed limit to 20 miles per hour, add speed bumps and raised crosswalks with an aim to create an east/west bike route between a low-traffic connection between the 606 and the lakefront trail. Proponents include 43rd Ward Alderman Michelle Smith, 43rd Ward Alderman, who issued a statement saying “CDOT approached us about the greenway concept. Constituents have been asking for solutions to increase traffic safety.” Opponents have stated they have concerns about increased bicycle traffic, which would just be a duplicate of the dedicated bicycle lanes one block south on Armitage Avenue.

I would like to see the full proposal from CDOT, which would include an actual layout of the design of the plan. I actually live in this neighborhood, and am a proponent of increasing green traffic solutions. If this could possibly decrease the amount of vehicle traffic in the neighborhood, then I think this is a no-brainer. I just would like to see the full plan first.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago bicycle accident or Chicago traffic accident, then call Chicago car crash lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

New Study Details Chicago’s Traffic Congestion

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Multiple news outlets reported this week that Chicago drivers spend a total of three (3) days a year caught in traffic. This is the 8th worst total in the U.S. These findings come from a study prepared by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, who published their findings last week.

On average Chicago drivers spend 73 hours a year stuck in traffic. The report found that traffic delays cost commuters $1,307 per year.

Those of us who live in Chicago are probably not surprised by these numbers. There always seems to be heavy traffic on the main highways and on Lake Shore Drive, regardless of the time or the day of the week. Experts have stated in the past and continue to state that the main cause of traffic congestion is that more people are working than ever. The economy remains strong and the majority of households have duel incomes.

The only solution appears to be alternative mass transit options. The irony with Chicago is that we already have some of the best train and bus lines in the country. The CTA provides multiple train line options into downtown from all directions along with a constant flow of buses. Those who live in the suburbs have the Metra train lines. Also, over the last 15 to 20 years Chicago has added more dedicated bike lanes than any other major metropolitan city. The only other option appears to be building more roads, but experts have said that this only contributes to the problem. I guess some people will seek employment that allows them to work remotely or from home. Right now I do not see any real solutions for traffic congestion in Chicago.

If you or a loved one have become seriously injured in a Chicago car crash or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Will County Sheriff Launches Labor Day Traffic Safety Campaign

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Will County Illinois, which is adjacent and directly south of Cook County, decided to launch a traffic safety campaign with started August 16 and run through Labor Day weekend. The campaign is aims to stop drunk, unbuckled and distracted drivers.

“Our goal is to help ensure that our community’s residents and visitors make it home safely after the party ends,” Traffic Sergeant Kyle Lakomiak said in a release. “We will be out in force to keep impaired drivers off the roads. If you will be celebrating, we urge you to plan for a sober ride home. It could be a matter of life and death.”

The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign is funded by federal traffic safety funds administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Labor Day weekend is one of the busiest traffic weekends of the year. Be sure to to aware of your surroundings, buckle up and put your phone down when behind the wheel.

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in an Illinois traffic accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago accident attorney, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Safe Swimming Tips For Young Children

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The summer is almost over but it is never too late to discuss safe swimming tips for kids or young children learning to swim. Gold Fish Swim School, which provides swim classes for toddlers and young children recently joined ABC 7 in Chicago, and provided the following safety tips for parents of young children or toddlers just learning to swim.

1. Sign your children up for swimming lessons. Swimming lessons are the number one thing you can do to prepare your children for the potential dangers of water.

2. Use a Water Watcher Card. A water watcher card is designated to an adult who is not distracted by a phone, drink, etc., tand is paying close attention to kids who are swimming.

3. Buy your children a USCG (United States Coast Guard) approved life jacket. It’s a mistake to think floaties and pool toys are life-saving devices.

4. Most drownings happen during non-swimming times, so make sure there are appropriate barriers around pools and doors are locked so children cannot get in the water when it’s not a designated swim time.

These are just a few tips. I think the tip to pay most attention to right now is for parents to put their phones down and focus on their children. This is especially true for those with very young children. It’s very easy for all of us to become preoccupied with reading our smart phones. Pools can be incredibly dangerous areas for inexperienced and young swimmers and they need parent’s attention and focus the whole time.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago personal injury accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago accident lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.