SOUTH SHORE — A small loop on the western edge of South Shore will become the South Side’s second stretch in the city’s “shared streets” program, the Chicago Department of Transportation confirmed Friday.
A loop along 68th Street, Dorchester Avenue, 70th Street and Kenwood Avenue will be closed to through traffic, allowing pedestrians and cyclists more space to social distance while getting fresh air.
The temporary closures were implemented Friday morning, according to a CDOT spokesperson.
The program to turn residential streets into open spaces was announced late last month. Each shared street will initially run for 30 days. The designation could be extended another 30 days as officials gauge the neighborhood’s response.
Shared streets were South Shore’s most requested item in a coronavirus mobility survey carried out May 3–June 15. CDOT officials are encouraging residents to continue giving feedback on ways the city should encourage mobility during the pandemic.
The announcement of South Shore’s shared streets comes a week after the 3900–5100 blocks of South Drexel Boulevard became the South Side’s first stretch in the program.
Parts of Wabansia Avenue and Cortland Street were converted into shared streets earlier this month, following Leland Avenue’s designation in Ravenswood May 29.
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