Good afternoon, Chicago.
Cyclists commuting to work, school, social outings and errands have become an increasingly common sight in Chicago, as bike use has skyrocketed in the city since the onset of the pandemic. Another increasingly common sight are cyclists toting children and other supplies in the large buckets that extend from their cargo bikes or on carriers overtop of the back wheels.
For these parents, a cargo bike is the family vehicle of choice. While for some, loading a child into a car can seem like the fastest, most convenient and safest option to get around, cargo-bike parents say the bikes offer the ability to avoid increasingly bad traffic and make travel around the city more pleasant and accessible.
Advocates and riders say adding more bike lanes, improving existing ones and creating bikeable routes that extend across neighborhoods could convince more people to ride.
Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.
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Mayor Johnson to name former progressive North Side alderman Helen Shiller to zoning board
Mayor Brandon Johnson plans to appoint former 46th Ward Ald. Helen Shiller to the Zoning Board of Appeals, his biggest bid yet to shift the makeup of the influential board with a longtime progressive with an outsized reputation in Uptown. Read more here.
More top news stories:
- Vehicle veers into building overnight during crash after driving in wrong lane on South Side
- Woman critically wounded among 5 injured in drive-by shooting overnight on West Side
Lincoln Park mansion that was once listed for $50M has a buyer
The six-bedroom limestone mansion in Lincoln Park belonging to United Automobile Insurance Company Chairman and CEO Richard Parrillo and his wife, Michaela, has been on the market since 2016. Read more here.
More top business stories:
- Bally’s Chicago secures casino financing, unveils new hotel design
- Illinois touts diversity in pot industry, but new owners say they need financial help
From Harvard to the Chicago Cubs, rookie reliever Hunter Bigge embraces the ‘weirdest, craziest’ ride
A 12th-round pick of the Cubs in 2019, Hunter Bigge methodically worked his way through the minors to reach Triple-A Iowa for the first time last year. But after 5 ½ weeks, with an 8.71 ERA and 13 walks in 10 ⅓ innings and inconsistent outings, the Cubs sent Bigge back to Double-A Tennessee where he finished the season. It became a turning point in Bigge’s journey. Read more here.
More top sports stories:
- Sean Burroughs, former Little League star and MLB player, died of fentanyl intoxication
- Serena Williams hosts an ESPY awards show celebrating a landmark year for women’s sports
Review: Opera Festival of Chicago hits its stride with a Dallapiccola/Menotti double bill
Now in its fourth season, the company has plugged the summer opera void here with lean realizations of Italian repertoire. It’s hosted belated Chicago premieres (Ildebrando Pizzetti’s rarely heard “Assassinio nella Cattedrale”), swung for the fences (Verdi’s “Il corsaro”) and occasionally fallen flat in the doing (see: last year’s “Attila”). Read more here.
More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories:
- Review: Buscabulla’s concert in Millennium Park had its distinctive, danceable blend and hinted at what’s to come
- Peoria native Liv Warfield talks past, present and future after Golden Buzzer moment on ‘America’s Got Talent’
Biden pushes on ‘blue wall’ sprint with Michigan trip as he continues to make the case for candidacy
In the two weeks since his debate debacle, Joe Biden and his team have been on a relentless sprint to persuade fretting lawmakers, nervous donors and a skeptical electorate that at the age of 81, he is still capable of being president. Read more here.
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