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John Greenfield

@johngreenfield.bsky.social
297 followers 53 following 395 posts

Streetsblog Chicago editor. Creator of the Mellow Chicago Bike Map and the Iconic Chicago Restaurants Map. He/him/yinz. jgreenfield (at) streetsblog (dot) org.

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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The Northern Illinois Transit Authority launched last month, with the goal of transforming Chicagoland into an Oasis of world-class public transportation. chi.streetsblog.org/2026/09/10/n...
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Some wards w/ bike-friendly alders are pretty rideable nowadays. Here's a trip I did w/ a traffic-shy friend for Octoberfest dinner at Laschet's Inn: All side streets w/ signalized crossings of main streets, thanks to contraflow lanes on Leland, Leavitt, and Berteau. 👍 www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/e...
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
We should require all politicians making decisions about AI policy to watch the prophetic 1999 film "The Matrix" by the Chicago-raised Wachowskis (one of whom has donated to Streetsblog Chicago). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mat... @lillywachowski.bsky.social
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
On the Red Line around midnight, there was a boy, maybe 12, sketching. I had earbuds on. When he approached me, I just said, "No thanks." He dropped a piece of paper next to me. It wasn't until he got off the train that I looked at the drawing. I guess I owe him a few bucks. @chicagocta.bsky.social
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Last night's 1,000+ rider @chicritmass.bsky.social arrives at La Villita Park in Little Village.
youtube.com
Chicago Critical Mass arrives at La Villita Park 9/25/26
YouTube video by John Greenfield
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Time Out rated Chicago's West Town community as one of "The 40 coolest neighbourhoods in the world in 2026." That's fun, but their statement, "The official boundaries vary depending on who you ask," is incorrect. Here are the official boundaries, per the City: data.cityofchicago.org/Facilities-G...
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
A metaphor for our current era: Dozens of transit riders wait behind a solo driver in a Musk Mobile. @thewaroncars.bsky.social
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
@chicritmass.bsky.social's 29th anniversary is F 9/25. A few of my friends met their spouses through CCM, and now their kids are in high school and college. Last weekend I was at a garden party where one of the teens did an excellent 90's Mazzy Star cover, which reminded me of this Onion headline.
theonion.com
Cool Dad Raising Daughter On Media That Will Put Her Entirely Out Of Touch With Her Generation
RENTON, WA—Local man Paul Campbell confirmed Saturday he was raising his daughter Emma on a variety of media carefully selected to help her cultivate an appreciation for artistic quality, a move that ...
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
A NIMBY strategy: Say things about proposed zoning changes that are nonsense. A "fear-mongering" video implies that if Oak Park's zoning change proposal passes, Frank Lloyd Wright houses will be demolished to make room for affordable housing. www.chicagobusiness.com/real-estate/... @stevevance.net
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
I can't help but point out that the communications director for the Northern Illinois Transit Authority, NITA, is named TINA. #AnagramsRuleEverythingAroundMe @nitachicago.bsky.social
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Concrete Beach enthusiast @stevevance.net will appreciate this Creach-oriented @leinenkugels.bsky.social marketing.
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
A friend got some cheap tickets to hear John Fogerty from Creedence Clearwater Revival and his sons play at the Tinley Park amphitheater last night. Here's a rough approximation of our train + bike route. Fogerty was terrific – at 81, his singing and guitar playing still sound great.
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Seriously, I haven't figured this out yet, so Internet hive mind, please tell me: The font for the new Northern Illinois Transit Authority is reminiscent of the logo of which '90s Britpop band? @nitachicago.bsky.social @stevevance.net @ellensteinke.bsky.social @latrace.bsky.social
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
The O'Hare Flyer proposal got a warm reception from rail experts like Chaddick Institute and High Speed Rail Alliance. OTOH it does raise equity questions, so maybe we'll see some discussion of this in @blockclubchi.bsky.social and/or @chicagoreader.com. chi.streetsblog.org/2026/08/25/d...
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
A new @chicagotribune.com editorial essentially advocates for more driving, i.e. more crashes, pollution, wear-and-tear, and traffic jams, on local highways: "Free Illinois tollways? Show us the math, Darren Bailey. But keep the conversation going." www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/19/e...
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Thanks to Green Machine Cycles owner Ezra Hozinsky for all the positive impact he's had on the Chicago bike scene in the past 13 years. @blockclubchi.bsky.social @kadeheather.bsky.social @chicritmass.bsky.social @westtownbikes.bsky.social @activetransportation.org @rideillinois.bsky.social
blockclubchicago.org
Green Machine Cycles Closing After 13 Years In Ravenswood Amid Lease Dispute
Green Machine owner Ezra Hozinsky says neighboring Dollop Coffee pushed to take over the space, a claim cafe owner Dan Weiss strongly denies.
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
On the homepage of @blockclubchi.bsky.social Chicago right now, there's a story about Greek-American Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announcing his mayoral candidacy *and* an article extolling Greek frozen yogurt as "Chicago's Hottest Sweet Treat." Coincidence? 🇬🇷 🇺🇸 🍦 🤔 (I'm kidding here.)
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Lollapalooza is on Chicago's lakefront today. Is anyone interested in doing some LSD... activism?
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
H/T to my 90-year-old dad (who only retired from cycling a couple months ago) for sending me the @wsj.com article immediately after it was published yesterday, since I don't have a subscription. "Death may have no master, but the bicycle is, most emphatically, not its servant." James E. Starrs
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Indiana resident John Kass on his latest podcast: "There was a little rat at the @chicagoreader.com. His name was Jon Greenfeld, and he was doing columns about the bikes, the little bike people."
chicagoreader.com
Mission accomplished: John Kass has been deplatformed - Chicago Reader
Yes, it’s part of the tragic gutting of the Tribune. But John Kass’s departure is still good news.
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
"Domo origato" to Chicago's Loop North News for a hilarious anti-bike rant from columnist Don DeBat, not to be confused with Chicago-born singer Dennis "Mr. Roboto" DeYoung, formerly of Styx. chi.streetsblog.org/2026/07/28/s...
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Bummed by the current Chicago thunderstorm? Here's fun car-free Wisconsin supper club journey a buddy and I did this weekend using Metra to get to Harvard, IL, and the Van Galder bus to get home from Madison. It's part of a series of supper club rides I've done. chi.streetsblog.org/2025/05/27/w...
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Reposted by John Greenfield
wiiman9999.bsky.social @wiiman9999.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Kareem/SubwayTakes has already had a few sessions on the CTA, but a more Chicago focused program would be fantastic. youtube.com/shorts/d7VO2...
youtube.com
Chicago IS NOT the MIDWEST!!!! #chicago #midwest #usa
YouTube video by SubwayTakes with Kareem Rahma
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Steal this idea: A Chicagoan should launch a @chicagocta.bsky.social-set response to the @mta.info-set Internet talk show "SubwayTakes" and call it "'L' Takes." @chiwho.bike, feel like switching from bike interviews to train interviews?
en.wikipedia.org
SubwayTakes - Wikipedia
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
After I biked in rain all weekend, at Montrose Beach last night, my u-lock froze up. So I grabbed an e-Divvy, rode home, grabbed lube, rode back, got the lock unstuck. 3 mile roundtrip, 18 minutes, < cost of a bus RT. 13+ years ago, this would have been a big hassle. Thanks @divvybikes.bsky.social!
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
New article in @chicagoreader.com: "Inside the Chicago Courier Classic, bike messenger culture refuses to die" by Andrew Stojkovich. And here's my first-ever Reader article about Chicago's Cyclists Annual Messenger Picnic (CAMP) from [checks notes] 27 years ago! chicagoreader.com/news/wheel-p...
chicagoreader.com
Inside the Chicago Courier Classic, bike messenger culture refuses to die - Chicago Reader
A three-day race brought together over a hundred couriers who raced, partied, and crashed their way through a revived alleycat tradition.
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
Well said!
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
Social media was not the right place for me to respond to Chicago, Bike Grid Now! organizer / SBC contributing writer Nik Hunder's post stating my article on CBGN's 6/15 protest had "a factual error." I apologize for doing that, and I've deleted my side of that exchange. 1/X bsky.app/profile/nikh...
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Several Edgewater clergy members wrote a letter to Inside Publications. It's in response to Bob Zuley's op-ed that compared Emanuel Congregation, which has proposed a transit-friendly synagogue/housing redevelopment, to "money changers in the temple." The article is also attached here.
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Last night I was riding the Red Line home from Bridgeport, and someone was playing "No Ordinary Love" at full volume. "The CTA is really out of control nowadays," I said loudly. "Someone is blasting Sade on the 'L'. Is there no decency anymore?" People around me chuckled. @chicagocta.bsky.social
youtube.com
Sade - No Ordinary Love - Official - 1992
YouTube video by SadeVEVO
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Hoosier new Chicago Bears city? @neilsteinberg.bsky.social discusses the pros and cons of the Bears moving to Hammond, IN. The first thing you need to know about that place is that the eponymous organ used for jazz trios was *not* invented there.
chicago.suntimes.com
Bears fans, have you ever actually been to Hammond?
I have. While not precisely a garden spot, it is not without merits, and snagging the Bears will only enhance the place.
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
I shared this evergreen Streetsblog USA piece with a colleague who used the word "accident" to describe the killing of CDOT Planner Riley O'Neil, biking in a non-protected bike lane, by a driver w/ a suspended license who illegally opened his door w/o checking for traffic. @schmangee.bsky.social
usa.streetsblog.org
It's Time for the AP to Nix the Term "Accident" to Describe Car Collisions — Streetsblog USA
Earlier this year, the NYPD adopted a policy to stop using the term "accident" to describe traffic collisions. The San Francisco police department made similar changes a few months later. The problem ...
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Here's a new (dog-whistle-free) article in Inside Publications about the Edgewater synagogue redevelopment near Thorndale Station. Opponents are using the NIMBY strategy of proposing something unrealistic (expanding the beach) to block something you don't want (more housing.)
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
A decade has passed since I wrote this. LA now has a new museum, and Chicago still has a big parking lot on our lakefront.
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
I got rid of some extra bike and camping gear, and doughnuts, at Saturday's yard sale in the Sunnyside Pedestrian Mall, attended by Uptown luminaries luminaries like Black Ensemble Theater CEO Jackie Taylor, and former alder and current Zoning Board Chair Hellen Shiller. 🚲⛺️ 🍩 @stevevance.net
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Interesting route proposal for tonight's @chicritmass.bsky.social, ending with a bonfire at 31st St. Beach. 🚲🏖️🔥 footpathapp.com/routes/101A0...
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Wow, it's almost as if it's possible to respect religions, but also understand that the First Amendment enshrines the concept (not the exact same wording) of "separation of church and state." @ctulocal1.bsky.social
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
LTTE about Bob Zuley's op-ed in Inside Publications against plans for CTA-friendly synagogue redevelopment in Edgewater. Zuley compared Emanuel Congregation to "money changers in the temple... hell-bent on monetizing their sacred space." Zuley's op-ed is also attached. @the48thward.bsky.social
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Sad news: Sam Sianis, the longtime owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, passed away peacefully at 91, a good run. I've hosted lots of bike- and politics-related meetups there, so it's time to pour out a Horny Goat cocktail for him. blockclubchicago.org/2026/05/15/s...
blockclubchicago.org
Sam Sianis, Steward Of Chicago’s Legendary Billy Goat Tavern, Dies At 91
Sianis spent decades leading and preserving one of Chicago’s most iconic taverns, known for its burgers, newspaper lore and Cubs curse history.
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
A car-free trip between Milwaukee and Chicago with lots of good food, in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. . milwaukeerecord.com/food-drink/s... I approve of this message! votewithyourfeetchicago.blogspot.com/2008/08/walk... @chicritmass.bsky.social @atalliance.bsky.social @rideillinois.bsky.social
milwaukeerecord.com
Sunday Sauce: A 98.3-mile bike ride to Chicago fueled by meatballs, pizza, and Italian beef
The goal: bike from Milwaukee to Chicago on a Super Sunday Sauce ride, all while immediately canceling out those burned calories with Italian food.
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Great times on a Metra + bike camping trip to Illinois' Chain O' Lake State Park last weekend including a foray across the Cheddar Curtain to Twin Lakes, WI. www.google.com/maps/dir/Cry...
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Friday I visited Holiday Club, 4000 N. Sheridan Rd., where we've had an SBC meetup or two, before it closes on 5/17. On the bright side, 91 apts. are coming across the street from CTA's Sheridan Station, w/ an OK > 2:1 apt: car spot ratio. blockclubchicago.org/2026/04/27/h... @stevevance.net
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
My main city bike for a quarter-century, the Rainbow Tiger is dead. (Long story.) Long live the Rainbow Tiger!
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
Homework assignment for folks with more data skills than me: If Chicago swapped our bizarre ward boundaries ("The Scorpion" [2], "Person Giving a Thumbs-Down" [15], "The Barbell" [36]) for representation by Community Area, what effect would that have on fair/efficient governance?
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Sadly, I see with my own two eyes that the rumors are true. The “Curbee” bicycle foot rest @stevevance.net installed is but a memory. 😭
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Spitballing: Instead of tearing down a historic Midcentury Modern church at 1315 W. Ohio, 0.4 miles from Chicago Ave. Blue stop, to make room for 6 fancy single-family homes, could they save the facade and build dense multi-unit housing, 20% affordable? 🤔 @blockclubchi.bsky.social @stevevance.net
blockclubchicago.org
Midcentury West Town Church Likely To Be Demolished, Replaced With 6 Single-Family Homes
A developer has applied for a permit to tear down the former Santa Maria Addolorata church, built in 1960. Neighbors have advocated for the building to be saved.
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Sad news: "The Rainbow Tiger," called that because it once had multicolored parts, died on the way home from the "Life After Cars" event in Evanston. I'll soon reincarnate it. Frame was weakened last Nov. from a run-in w/ a Trumper in front of an Iranian restaurant, a tale I may share in the future.
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
In fairness, I think Central Casting did a great of finding the actors to play the opponents to Chicago's Archer Avenue traffic safety project. They're hilarious! (I'm kidding here.) chi.streetsblog.org/2026/04/01/a... @thewaroncars.bsky.social
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
Yesterday I met up at Jimmy's Red Hots with stand-up comedian Chris Damen, who's visiting the places highlighted in the Iconic Chicago Restaurants Map that Steve Shanabruch & I made for the Reader. chicagoreader.com/food/the-ico... Chris' Instagram: www.instagram.com/damen79/ @chicagoreader.com
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John Greenfield @johngreenfield.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
As you’d guess, fun scenes on the Bloomingdale Trail / 606 earlier this afternoon. But when it’s nice out and crowded, don’t try to ride anywhere fast on this elevated greenway. Instead, head a couple blocks north to Armitage Avenue. @atalliance.bsky.social @chicritmass.bsky.social
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