Wicker Park residents and visitors will soon have the opportunity to enjoy Milwaukee Avenue car-free this summer and fall, thanks to a new initiative from Ald. Daniel La Spata’s (1st) office.
The “pedestrianization” pilot program is set to close Milwaukee Avenue to vehicle traffic between the Damen/North intersection and Ashland Avenue on the last Sundays of August, September, and October.
The first event will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on August 31, with subsequent closures scheduled for September 28 and October 26.
While cars will be restricted from this stretch, bicycles will still be permitted in the middle of the street, allowing foot traffic to utilize the parking lanes.
Additionally, local businesses will be allowed to conduct sidewalk sales along the corridor, which spans more than half a mile.
This initiative, branded as Meet Me On Milwaukee, is being rolled out in collaboration with the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce.
Ald. La Spata, who serves as chair of the pedestrian safety committee and is known for advocating for transit issues, indicated that one of the primary aims of this program is to draw more shoppers to the businesses lining Wicker Park’s main commercial thoroughfare.
“There’s a broad tradition internationally around closing down streets periodically for commerce and community,” La Spata noted.
“The goal here is to rethink and reimagine what Milwaukee Avenue can look like and how it can function.”
La Spata emphasized that the initiative is designed to create vibrant spaces where people can interact and engage with local commerce.
His office is coordinating with the Chicago Department of Transportation for the street closures, and during these times, the CTA’s No. 56 Milwaukee bus line will be rerouted to accommodate the changes.
The Meet Me On Milwaukee program arrives as Chicago continues to explore pedestrianization efforts in various neighborhoods, including a transformation of a section of Kedzie Avenue into a public plaza in Logan Square.
Earlier this spring, the 4700 block of North Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Square experienced a temporary closure that encouraged community engagement, even though some businesses reported mixed outcomes regarding customer traffic.
La Spata acknowledged this mixed bag of results, stating that while some businesses saw increased foot traffic, others, particularly those dependent on drawing customers from outside the area, experienced challenges.
The Wicker Park endeavor is intended to be a more targeted experiment, designed to gauge community response without overwhelming local businesses.
“We’re piloting this once a month, on a day of the week that typically sees lower commercial activity; this is likely the safest, low-stress, and low-risk method for trying out this idea,” he explained.
As part of the pilot program, the 1st Ward office plans to acquire barricades to be placed along Milwaukee Avenue during the closures.
Residents interested in assisting with the barricade setup are encouraged to contact the office at [email protected].
La Spata expressed optimism that the community will respond positively to the car-free days, noting that if successful, there’s potential to expand this initiative in the future.
“The wonderful thing about municipal government is that it provides room for experimentation,” he remarked.
“If this works effectively, it could pave the way for future endeavors.”
As Wicker Park embarks on this initiative, both neighbors and businesses alike are eager to see how this pedestrian-friendly approach will reshape their experiences along Milwaukee Avenue.
image source from：blockclubchicago
