And We're Back!
And We're Back!
Pedal For The Planet | Jefferson Park Tour de Grid | New Leadership Structure | Bike Jam Planning| Bike Grid Expansion | Bike Grid Adjacent
Happy Spring, Bike Grid Enthusiasts!
While we didn’t completely go into hibernation, our newsletter did! But we’re back and gearing up for another season of making good trouble. Here’s some things we’re excited about: Pedal for the Planet, Jefferson Park Tour de Grid, New Leadership Structure, Bike Jam Planning; Hope for Lakefront; and Hope for our Dysfunctional City Council; Bike Grid Expansion. Let’s dig in!
Pedal For The Planet
Join Chicago, Bike Grid Now! and CTU Climate Justice Committee for a pedal-powered Earth Day event to build solidarity for a just and sustainable city and planet. Take a bike bus from Lakeview, Hyde Park, or Wicker Park. See flyer for details.
Tour de Grid - Jefferson Park Edition on 4/28
We’re pumped to have our first Tour de Grid of the season in Jefferson Park. Get a glimpse of what could be, with the help of some political will. Meet at the Jefferson Park Memorial (near the CTA station) at 10:45 for 11:00 roll out. All the local alders and state legislators are invited, so we should greet them with lots of smiling cyclists.
New Leadership Structure
Part of our hibernation was due to the need for a new shared and transparent leadership structure, so we can empower more people to participate in making the Grid a reality. We are moving in that direction and hope to have a more robust and resilient structure soon. Stay tuned!
Bike Grid Expansion
Plans are in the works to build alliances and support where we haven’t jammed or toured before; we’re always looking for community group partners throughout the galaxy, so hit us up at grassroots@bikegridnow.org.
Bike Grid Adjacent
Our Fragmented Bike Network is a Symptom. And there’s Hope.
While Chicago’s democratic machine has largely died off, we still have a system of government of fifty separate fiefdoms that was built for delivering city services and patronage jobs. When we have a patchwork government, we get patchwork solutions, like a fragmented bike network for example. Each alderperson’s power to veto any project in their ward is also why we don’t have Bus Rapid Transit or an adequate supply of affordable housing. These are symptoms of a system that isn’t equipped to address big challenges and opportunities in an equitable way.
Let’s not advocate for a better system of government, let’s organize for one. Bike Grid Now will continue to organize events that build political will to build a city-wide bike grid. And at the same time, we should work to build a coalition of other change makers that are frustrated by our fragmented government. Between now and the municipal election of 2027 we can create a referendum on the fifty fiefdom system by giving aspiring candidates a compelling issue to run on. Learn more or reach out to hutcheson.nate@gmail.com to get involved.
DLSD, the Lakefront, the Grid, and Hope for the Planet
Getting under the highway to get to the lakefront trail is not safe or pleasant because, um there’s an 8 lane speedway that severely restricts access. The speedway/traffic jam also degrades the quality and benefits of the open space. Just because Chicago made the mistake 60+ years ago doesn’t mean we should force future generations to live with it. This is a completely winnable cause, but we have to show politicians and institutional nonprofits that they're not sticking their necks out there alone.
How do we do this? By getting lots of us together and stirring up some good trouble. Please spread the word about this movement-building event: The Lakefront and “The Lorax”.
See you on the Grid!