Ryan Richter, AICP

Awesome. I could not make this meeting but thanks for reporting out on this. Looks like a good turnout.

So many neighborhoods at the edge of the city are more NIMBY on development than their neighboring suburbs. It's wild.

I mean, it has a Metra station on site! Lolol. I wonder if Pritzker's BUILD Act would be a workaround here?

Gatekeeping and NIMBYism at its finest. The neighbors contend their community is "overdeveloped" (it's mostly SFH). Oh, and the site has a Metra station adjacent to it.

What's Next For Austin's Mars Candy Factory? Neighbors Weigh Development Proposals The Wrigley Mars factory, closed in 2024, was to be redeveloped into 500 residences and other amenities. Unsatisfied with those plans, neighbors have released their own proposal for the site.

I love how the neighborhood organization decided that there's no need for housing. "Nothing to look at here. We're good!" blockclubchicago.org/2026/03/03/w...

Problem is everyone who knew this was a stupid idea has been DOGE'd out of the federal government. I can't believe we're making the same mistake in the Middle East for the third time this century.

Well, you don't say?

I gotta check that place out again. Been too long.

And follow the same service pattern IC had like 100 years ago. No need to reinvent the wheel.

Isn't that the roadhouse that's like 150 years old?

Plus they have the ROW along significant portions of the line between Rondout and Techny. Probably was a third main at some point.

Oh 100%. Metra has been around for 42 years and they most definitely could have in that time prioritized more off-peak schedules.

Though to be fair, Metra had 40 years to double track and/or add sidings to the single track branch north of Rondout to Fox Lake and they haven't. So we can't let them entirely off the hook.

Where at?

They absolutely did and continue to every day we ask why isn't there more service on the lines Metra actually owns.

Remember this? Hillary was the warmonger back in 2016.

This also may have been just before Metra was organized and the Milwaukee Road was being subsidized by the RTA to passenger services. I'd have to double check my timelines.

My understanding, and @starlinechicago.bsky.social can fact check me on this, is that when Metra bought the Milwaukee lines they entered into a 99 year agreement with the old Canadian Pacific to handle dispatch duties.

Our neighborgood association has been trying for years to get public restrooms at the Jeff Park transit center. But no one wants the maintenance responsibilities.

Gonna end up at a great dive in Fox Lake: ZJ Mines.

Always love seeing old Milwaukee Road maintenance of way equipment (at Rondout) 40+ years after Metra has been in operation.

Ah well, can't say I'm not relaxed.

This is fantastic.

I really dislike the two hour headways on the Milwaukee North line. Good thing Metra let's CPKC dispatch.

Far more stores should have dense parking lots

To be fair, this is practically a turnkey site for TJ. City could have rezoned it, I suppose.

These vehicles will only compound traffic congestion in cities, with all the negative externalities that entails.

Self-driving cars spotted in Chicago: What Waymo is actually doing The company is expanding service in multiple cities in February, though not in Chicago.

It's interesting how car-brained we are. The excitement around autonomous cars vs autonomous trains, which largely do not exist in the US (Honolulu Skyline and airport transit bring notable exceptions), but is an extremely proven technology with large scale benefits. www.axios.com/local/chicag...

I hate the idea of these tax breaks to billionaire sports team owners. Zero public benefit.

Waymo? He has been very good in the transit reform space.