Chicago's Complete Streets policy, in place since 2007, is the impetus behind a major road renovation aimed at balancing the use of all types of traffic:
Placing oversized streets on a so-called "Road diet" has already been tested on at least ten of Chicago's residential streets in recent years, but with the upcoming repaving project on one of the city's busy corridors, the time is right to take the concept mainstream. A mile-long stretch of Lawrence Avenue between Western and Ashland avenues with four travel lanes will be cut to three with full bike lanes and wider sidewalks. Janet Attarian, a streetscape project director at CDOT, said a few targeted changes will go a long way toward improving a neighborhood. And providing opportunities for sidewalk dining with new benches, lighting, and 150 new trees should make heavily trafficked Lawrence far more appealing.
Original Post from The Architect's Newspaper: http://www.archpaper.com/e-board_rev.asp?News_ID=5145