I do agree that most rich white neighborhoods have better roads, better bike infrastructure (not just lanes, but bike racks and Divvy stations). But Chicago is still a city with two great rail systems (the local L and then the commuter Metra) and a great bus network that makes it a lot easier to get around without a car.
And geographically, Chicago is flat enough that biking is less physically demanding, and allows for more direct routes. On the other hand, Chicago weather probably has significant stretches where biking isn’t feasible.
And I don’t have a breakdown of neighborhood, but nearly 30% of the households in Chicago don’t own a car. And anecdotally, from my admittedly limited experience of living in Chicago for a summer without a car, it did seem that Pilsen and some of the near West Side and near South Side have options for getting around without cars, and had some decent grocery options.
I do agree that most rich white neighborhoods have better roads, better bike infrastructure (not just lanes, but bike racks and Divvy stations). But Chicago is still a city with two great rail systems (the local L and then the commuter Metra) and a great bus network that makes it a lot easier to get around without a car.
And geographically, Chicago is flat enough that biking is less physically demanding, and allows for more direct routes. On the other hand, Chicago weather probably has significant stretches where biking isn’t feasible.
And I don’t have a breakdown of neighborhood, but nearly 30% of the households in Chicago don’t own a car. And anecdotally, from my admittedly limited experience of living in Chicago for a summer without a car, it did seem that Pilsen and some of the near West Side and near South Side have options for getting around without cars, and had some decent grocery options.