Goodbye 2020!
In this issue, we offer a few highlights from this last quarter. They are in good company with the projects and initiatives shared in this e-newsletter throughout this past year in which, in the face of unprecedented challenges and crises, we continued to move forward. We set records in bike share ridership; turned streets into outdoor dining rooms and play spaces; delivered new streetscapes and bikeways; renovated bridges, boulevards, and roadways; added new rapid bus lanes; and much more. And thanks to the leadership of Mayor Lightfoot, in 2021 and beyond, we are poised to deliver on more than $1 billion in infrastructure investments across the city. 

We look forward to the coming year and wish you and yours a peaceful, safe, and prosperous 2021.
CDOT Updates
Year 2 of the e-scooter pilot is in the books! This year's pilot ran from August 12 to December 12, with approximately 640,000 rides logged. As with all modes of transportation this year, there were fewer rides than last year; however, the average trip length was 14% longer than in 2019. We're happy to report that there were also far fewer complaints about sidewalk clutter due to changes in the requirements of the program. Whether you used an e-scooter in 2020 or not, please let us know your thoughts about the program by completing this survey. Stay tuned for a report summarizing the program in early 2021.
CDOT is currently constructing the final section of a long planned north-south connection from Chinatown to the South Loop. The project, along Wells and Wentworth from Cermak to Roosevelt, will provide a new street to improve safety, comfort, and a key connection for people walking, biking, driving, or taking transit. The section from Cermak to 18th is complete, providing new buffered bike lanes, improved access to Ping Tom Memorial Park, and a realigned intersection at Cermak and Wentworth. CDOT has made significant progress in 2020 on the final section from 18th to Roosevelt, starting work on two new rail road bridges over Wells/Wentworth and new roadway which will include innovative design treatments such as raised crosswalks and bicycle lanes to protect the most vulnerable roadway users. We anticipate the aggressive construction schedule to continue in 2021 with significant progress on the rail road bridges and new roadway connection. 
PeopleForBikes has included the Milwaukee Avenue protected bike lane in its list of the top 10 new bikeways of 2020! The new protected lane was installed this fall between Western and California in Logan Square. This bike lane was part of CDOT's work throughout the city in 2020 to expand our bike network. In total, CDOT installed or restriped 80 miles of bike lanes in 2020.
On November 4, CDOT joined 17th Ward Alderman David Moore at a ribbon cutting to celebrate the reconstruction of 73rd St between Hoyne and Damen. The original design of the road was built in the 1930's as part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and lacked curbs, gutters, and drainage structures. The street suffered from standing water and potholes; the newly reconstructed roadway is built to current standards with new streetlights ADA-compliant crosswalks. There are many blocks of WPA streets in Chicago and with the new capital program approved last month, we will be able to reconstruct 37 blocks each year.
On November 16, CDOT joined AARP and other Vision Zero advocates to commemorate World Day of Remembrance, an international movement to remember people lost in traffic crashes. As part of the virtual remembrance, we released our Vision Zero Downtown Plan. CDOT began plan implementation by installing Rapid Delivery pedestrian bumpouts and wider crosswalk markings at over 20 intersections within the Central Business District. Don't Block the Box pavement markings were also installed at 11 intersections to help keep crosswalks and intersections clear of car traffic.
Did you know that CDOT, in partnership with WRD Environmental, has been operating a green job-training program since 1994 for individuals with barriers to employment? Greencorps Chicago creates positive change both in the lives of our trainees and in the communities they live and work in. Despite a delayed launch this year due to COVID-19, 35 new green job trainees were enrolled by June. It was a productive year, with Greencorps’ paid trainees working 30 hours a week, performing work and gaining valuable experience at sites across the City, including the Burnham Wildlife Corridor, the Dan Ryan Woods, and INVEST South/West corridors. We are accepting applications for 2021 - send us your info and we'll be in touch!
Last month, CDOT announced that work is commencing on construction of a new, fully accessible pedestrian and bike bridge over the railroad tracks and South Lake Shore Drive at 43rd Street. The new replacement bridge will feature a similar, curving, S-shaped design to the new companion bridge at 41st Street that opened in 2018. It will be fully ADA accessible with ramps to accommodate bicycles, wheel chairs and emergency vehicles. The new bridge is expected to open for use at the end of 2022. 
CDOT joined Alderman Debra Silverstein (50th Ward) and community representatives in cutting the ribbon on the Lincoln Village Pedestrian Bridge. This new bridge connects the east and west sides of the North Shore Channel Trail, eliminating the need for pedestrians and bicyclists to use Lincoln Avenue to cross the Channel. In addition to constructing the bridge itself, the project also installed fencing and lighting along both approaches to the bridge, removed overgrown vegetation and included new trees and landscaping. The bridge is the final link in the creation of a continuous multi-use trail connecting four municipalities along the North Shore Channel. 
Best wishes for a safe and healthy 2021.