When a stretch of North Lincoln Avenue was closed to traffic for construction recently, it created a pedestrian-only zone for a block in Lincoln Square. So, we asked readers what road in Chicago they’d like to see closed to vehicles. Here’s what you told us, lightly edited for clarity:
“Blue Island between 18th and 21st streets. It’s a lively area with tons of foot traffic no matter the time of day.”
— Carina Chappell
“LSD every Sunday. Rio does it.”
— Melissa Smejkal
“Clark Street through Andersonville in the summer. The city did this in the Gay Village where I lived in Montreal. Cafes can use the street for dining, it opens everything up for festivals, and it gives everyone some breathing room to enjoy the weather.”
— Adrianne Schoen
“None, streets are for cars.”
— Bill Klosa
“In an ideal world, it would be Milwaukee from Division to North — pedestrian-only and open container. … More likely options would be a few different stretches of Lincoln or Armitage or Southport.”
— Robert Miller
“Every ward should have a space like that.”
— Chima Chima
“State Street downtown. Wide street, big enough for entertainment, shopping, iconic signage.”
— Dan Schiller
“None. They did that with State Street, and it killed off everything there, all business, retail and foot traffic. That was 40 years ago, and it never fully recovered.”
— Trey Hancock
“West Sheridan Road between inner LSD and Broadway because it’s such a pretty street but has so much noise from traffic and the bus route. At one end is a cute triangle park and at the other is a bodega and coffee shop. The area in between would serve as a nice in neighborhood pedestrian esplanade with benches and plantings.”
— Zach Waymer
“Milwaukee aka Kilwaukee. Just let the bicycles have it. The city tightened the street so much it’s impossible to get a bus up and down there safely.”
— Jay Ruff
“Michigan Avenue (partially) and extend sidewalks for public art and outdoor seating.”
— Johnny Ray Noon
“Southport in Lake View.”
— Stephen Wanca
“Lincoln Avenue from Armitage to Fullerton. Lincoln from Montrose to Lawrence.”
— Dan Boland
“Broadway from Belmont to Diversey.”
— Andres Chamorro
“The clubs down Hubbard. They already close the street at night. Why not just make it permanent?”
— Clif Schramm
“Let’s just make Wacker pedestrian because we know we all dread driving it.”
— MG Zee
“Every diagonal street, because cars have created enough carnage, pollution and noise to no longer deserve to use a hypotenuse as a shortcut. Ever.”
— Collin Pearsall