Heard this 848 interview of Chicago Reader reporter Mick Dumke who’s story about the leasing of Chicago’s parking meters (cowritten with Ben Joravsky) ran in last week’s Reader.
In the story, Dumke and Jarovsky explore the lack of transparency running up to a deal in which the city signed a 75 year and $1.2 billion lease of its parking meters.
Through the Freedom of Information Act, Dumke and Jarovsky were able to get their hands of documents that shed new light on the negotiations surrounding the parking meter deal that led to higher meter prices across the city.
They, in turn, have mapped it all out for us to see.
If you’ve ever tried getting around Chicago by wheel, you’ve probably felt the wrath of the Chicago pothole. As we enter the season of outdoor excursions and urban biking, potholes are becoming even more of a nuisance than they were in the winter — when I was happy to plant myself on the couch rather than take on Lake Shore in sub-zero temperatures.
So, what’s the city doing about the Chicago’s pothole acne?
WBEZ is reporting that the city plans to increase pothole-filling efforts later this month and there are even hopes that the Illinois Department of Transportation might lend a hand. Mayor Daley has said that so far, the city has filled more than 300,000 potholes this season at a pace of 3,000 to 5,000 a day, seven days a week.
So what do you think? Is the city doing enough to combat the pothole plague? They say they will be increasing efforts later this month, but should they have been on top of it all along?
Also, ever wonder where potholes come from?
