New Updates on SCRC

As a result of budgetary constraints, the June 2013 issue of HUD’s Sustainable Communities eNews will be our last. All issues of the newsletter are available for viewing here.

New on SCRC

Chicago Opens First Two-Way Protected Bike Lane in the Loop
Chicago has a long history of supporting cycling. The city opened its first bike trail in 1963 and its first on-street bike lane in 1971. The city’s Bicycle Advisory Council prepared bicycle plans in 1992 and 2006 that have guided the growth of Chicago’s bike network, leading Bicycling magazine to name Chicago the country’s fifth most bicycle-friendly city in 2012. More than 130 miles of standard bike lanes, 40 miles of shared bike lanes, 18 miles of buffer-protected bike lanes, and 12 miles of barrier-protected bike lanes had been installed by 2012, when the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) released the Chicago Streets for Cycling Plan 2020. The plan furthers the city’s commitment to cycling and sets a goal of providing bicycle accommodations within a half mile of every Chicago residence, as well as expanding the bicycle network to 645 miles by 2020. One of the plan’s interim targets is to create 100 miles of protected lanes by 2015.Read More

Grantee Spotlight: A Plan to Foster Community Development and Benefit Residents in Southeast D.C.
Neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River in the District of Columbia have long suffered from disinvestment, but they are about to be transformed by a wave of public and private investment. To help foster and coordinate this transformation, the District of Columbia’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is using a $3 million Community Challenge Planning Grant awarded by HUD in 2010. DHCD is using the grant to expand and sustain affordable housing options, foster entrepreneurship, and support small businesses while including the community in the revitalization process. Read More