>> THE PASTOR SAYS THEY ARE NOT

HOPELESS THAT IS INSPIRING.

>> OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS SOME

CHICAGOANS HAVE HAD MORE ROOM TO

MOVE OUTSIDE AS SOME STREETS

OPENED UP FOR BICYCLISTS,

RUNNERS AND PEDESTRIANS AND

OTHER STREETS CONVERTED FOR

OUTDOOR DINING.

DESPITE ENTHUSIASM FROM

TRANSPORTATION ADVOCATES AND

EAGER RESIDENTS SOME OF THE

SHARED STREETS ARE NOT READY YET

AND ONE OF THE ANNOUNCED

LOCATIONS FOR OUTDOOR DINING IS

NOT HAPPENING AT ALL.

NICK BLUMBERG REPORTS.

>> LOCAL TRAFFIC IS STILL

ALLOWED ON DREXEL BETWEEN OAK

WOOD AND HYDE PARK BOULEVARD BUT

THE STREETS NOW OPEN FOR

PEDESTRIANS, JOGGERS,

ROLLERBLADERS AND BICYCLISTS

LIKE OWEN HIS REACTION?

>> I LOVE IT.

WHAT IS MY REACTION?

>> LAWSON SAYS MAKING BICYCLING

SAFER HELPS PROMOTE A GREAT WAY

TO GET AROUND INTEREST WHAT'S

NOT TO LOVE?

YOU'RE BURNING CALORIES,

EXERCISING, SAVING GAS MONEY,

INSURANCE, REPAIRS, REALLY?

>> DREXEL IS ONE OF THREE

STRETCHES OF SHARED STREETS

RIGHT NOW.

CORTLAND ARE OPEN AS AN

ALTERNATIVE TO THE 606 TRAIL.

IN LINCOLN SQUARE AND RAVENS

WOOD, LELAND IS A SHARED STREET

FROM LINCOLN TO ASHLAND.

>> PEOPLE HAVE APPRECIATED THIS

OPPORTUNITY ESPECIALLY FOLKS

WITH YOUNGER KIDS WHO WANT TO

MOVE AROUND FOR A FEW BLOCKS.

>> MATT MARTIN SAYS MAKING

STREETS MORE BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN

FRIENDLY AND CREATING SPACE FOR

OUTDOOR DINING DOESN'T

NECESSARILY HAVE TO GO AWAY WHEN

THE PANDEMIC DOES.

>> WE HAVE A PROGRAM OF COURSE

IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY WHERE

WE'RE CLOSING DOWN FOR A SHORT

PERIOD OF TIME STREETS ENTIRELY

TO TRAFFIC.

A NUMBER OF OTHER CITIES

THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AS WELL

AS EUROPE DO THAT.

THAT IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD

CONSIDER.

>> BROADWAY AND LAKEVIEW AND

RUSH STREET ON THE NORTH SIDE

HAVE STARTED CLOSING TO TRAFFIC

OVER THE WEEKEND AND OPENING FOR

OUTDOOR DINING.

AND IT'S COMING SOON IN CHATHAM

INCLUDING BROWN SUGAR BAKERY.

>> YOU CAN GET ALL KINDS OF

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT THINK YOU

SHOULD HAVE BUT HAVE A LITTLE

BIT OF THIS.

>> THE PLAN WAS TO CLOSE 75TH

STREET BETWEEN INDIANA AND

CALUMET BUT NOT EVERYONE WAS

ONBOARD.

SO STEPHANIE HART WITH LOCAL

LEADERS AND RESIDENTS CAME UP

WITH A PLAN TO MOVE THE OUTDOOR

SEATING OFF OF 75TH.

>> SO THAT TRAFFIC AND BUSES CAN

CONTINUE TO RUN AND TO THE SIDE

STREETS RIGHT BY THE MAIN

THOROUGHFARE.

I THINK IT IS A GREAT COMPROMISE

PLUS IT'S SHADY ON THE SIDE OVER

THERE.

>> HART HOPES THE SHADY SEATING

WILL BE READY BY JULY FIRST.

OUTDOOR DINING IS IN THE WORKS

ON TWO STRETCHES AS WELL.

THE WEST CENTRAL ASSOCIATION

HOPES TO OPEN TAYLOR STREET AS

SOON AS FRIDAY.

THAT ASSOCIATION IS WORKING

TOWARD OUTDOOR SEATING ON

RANDOLPH BETWEEN HALSTED AND

ELIZABETH AND PLANS TO GET THAT

APPLICATION INTO THE CITY THIS

WEEK.

BUT NOT EVERYONE IS INTERESTED

IN OUTDOOR DINING.

WHEN THE FIRST ANNOUNCED THE

PILOT PROGRAM ONE OF THE SIX

STREETS WAS 26TH IN LITTLE

VILLAGE.

BUT THE LITTLE VILLAGE CHAMBER

OF COMMERCE TOLD US THEY ARE NO

LONGER PLANNING TO PARTICIPATE

BECAUSE BUSINESSES IN THE AREA

SAY THEY LOSE MONEY ON DAYS WHEN

THE STREETS SHUTDOWN.

AS FOR MORE SHARED STREETS FOR

PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS THERE

IS NOTHING OFFICIAL BUT THE CITY

TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AND

ALDERMEN SAY THEY ARE WORKING ON

OUTREACH.

ALDERMAN MATT MARTIN HOPES TO

SEE SHARED STREETS LIKE LELAND

THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

>> TODAY AND MOST DAYS IT'S NOT

BEEN TOO BUSY WHICH IS GREAT BUT

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE

INSURING THAT IT DOESN'T GET TO

A POINT WHERE IT'S TOO BUSY.

>> FOR "CHICAGO TONIGHT" I'M

NICK BLUMBERG.

>> AND VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO

LEARN ABOUT A COUPLE OF

STRETCHES OF ROADWAY THAT ARE