Local officials lament the recent deaths of pedestrians hit by cars in Chicago (“Spate of traffic fatalities a concern,” May 28). They mention police are stretched too thin and surmise that speeding drivers have no fear of legal reprisal. The Chicago Department of Transportation says that the city’s speed cameras target locations of severe crashes and the agency positions cameras on a “case-by-case basis.” It says there are about 200 cameras across the city.
Contrast Chicago’s approach with New York City’s aggressive and more effective approach. New York has more than 10 times the number of cameras than Chicago — more than 2,400 cameras. New York has found that speeding and fatal crashes have been reduced. It believes that having a proliferation of cameras contributes to drivers being safer since drivers adopt an overall slower speed to avoid a ticket.
Perhaps if Chicago changes its approach from a “case-by-case basis” to a more aggressive deployment, we would have safer streets and need not worry about stretching police thinner. And families would be spared the loss of loved ones out for a simple walk who were killed at the hands of reckless, speeding drivers.
— Bill DeMarco, Chicago
Culpability of cyclist
Regarding the May 27 news story “Teen bicyclist struck by SUV on Michigan Ave. dies from injuries,” a man rode his bike into the path of a vehicle. The driver of the SUV had the green light. The bike rider apparently went through a red light. How is it, then, that the SUV driver was cited for “failure to yield”? I guess bike riders can do no wrong, no matter what.
However, in this case, sadly, the bike rider paid the price.
— Mario Caruso, Chicago
Transit needs makeover
I respect Tiffany Rebb’s perspective as a CTA bus driver (“CTA bus driver’s POV,” May 28). I also appreciate the time she took to share it. I have no doubt that Rebb represents the best of CTA’s workforce. Unfortunately, many passengers, me included, have been forced to rely on the rest of it for far too long.
I want to see my regional transit services get all the support they need. Let’s start there. I do not own a car, and I rely on transit. It was, in part, Chicago’s transit system that first attracted me to the area.
However, it would be a waste to pour more money into a broken system. Not only would it be a waste, but it also would continue to fuel and reinforce a broken system that, from a passenger’s perspective, is becoming increasingly undependable and inhospitable.
It is as clear as day to any person who routinely uses CTA and Pace buses that the system is broken. I have, on multiple occasions, stood with a group of tired people, freezing in the dead of winter while bus after bus fails to show. We watch buses zip by, broadcasting that they are out of service. Or we try not to make eye contact with the driver of a bus that is stopped within eyesight but with doors that remain closed.
Rainy days aren’t much better, and the summers are quickly becoming just as tortuous. I have stood with people who were missing work and would get docked critical pay or perhaps fired if the bus didn’t show soon. I have watched the elderly and people with disabilities get left in the dust by drivers. I have seen people with untreated mental health conditions go ignored by drivers. Two weeks ago, I was assaulted on a bus by a passenger experiencing a mental health crisis; the driver did not do or say anything.
Then, passengers such as me read about the malfeasance taking place at the other levels of our transit services in the pages of this newspaper. Despite Rebb’s personal observations and commitments, I am afraid that this passenger sees something very different: a broken culture that pervades throughout the CTA and Pace. While I agree that our transit should get fully funded, it must come with a total reorganization of the regional transit, as has been proposed.
— Mike Belle, Cicero
Disturbed by helicopter
I attended the Sueños festival on Saturday where Shakira played. As I’ve seen before at Chicago events, a helicopter was flying close and once even flew over the concert above tens of thousands of people.
It was noisy, unpleasant, dangerous and unnecessary. Both news and police helicopters should be banned from flying close to events unless there is an urgent need.
— Craig Birkett, Naperville
An eloquent tribute
Thanks to Michael P. Walsh of Chicago for his touching letter, printed on Memorial Day, about a fellow Marine who gave his life defending other service members in Vietnam (“Saved by fellow Marine”). Almost everyone of a certain age has a family member or friend who fought in that terrible waste of young American lives, and most who returned physically unharmed have a similar story to tell.
I’m taking a leap of faith in believing that others who considered writing but didn’t are appreciative of letter writer Walsh for eloquently speaking for them.
— Christine Craven, Evergreen Park
Remembering veteran
Owen Weber’s letter about a nearly forgotten veteran named Kurt Leibe (“A buried history,” May 25) is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever read. Thanks to Weber for helping all of us keep alive the name of Kurt Leibe.
— Joe Paszczyk, Chicago
Piping plovers a delight
I always get a kick out of reading about the Great Lakes piping plovers because these sweet little birds are all given such quirky and charming names by their conservationist friends and overseers. Regular folks, too, come to the beaches and often refer to the birds by their names.
What great fun to read about Monty and Rose, Searocket and Imani, Sage, Uncle Larry, Pepper and Blaze, just to name a few, and actually see photos of them, courtesy of skilled photojournalists. I wonder what other charismatic names are in store for future generations of these rare and endangered birds?
When we give names to things, we form a definite bond with them, even if they are totally inanimate. My car isn’t just a Chevy; she’s Irene, who starts just fine in summer but is finicky in winter. The squirrel on my patio isn’t just a visiting squirrel; he’s Kevin, who always seems to wink when hoisting a peanut to his mouth.
Thank you to newspaper editors and photographers for sharing with us the comings and goings of our piping plovers. They truly give us welcome respite from the relentless and sometimes ponderous news of the day.
— Kathleen Melia, Niles
The risks to wildlife
Thank you for the disturbing account of the death of one of America’s most majestic creatures; a grizzly bear who fell victim to the growth of Jackson Hole, Wyoming (“The disappearing home and doomed fate of a Grand Teton bear,” May 24).
The question of whether we can coexist with a threatened species is one that is continually debated without any clear answers. Pieces like this seem to indicate that we simply cannot unless we refrain from intruding on the ranges of creatures that require large blocks of wilderness.
Population growth, unrelenting development and a culture that refuses to change all combined to tragically kill a grizzly outside Jackson.
As the op-ed asks, let us take this moment to examine the toll our wildlife pays for our way of life.
— John Caldas, Johnstown, New York
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