On a recent sunny spring afternoon on one block in Lincoln Square, children run and blow bubbles, make chalk drawings on the pavement and zip by on scooters.
Pedestrians, dog walkers and cyclists pass through the 4700 block of North Lincoln Avenue — without concern for vehicles speeding by.
It’s a stark contrast to the typical rush hour on the block, when cars would come to a standstill on the narrow street, drivers honking at each other.
That stretch of Lincoln Avenue, between West Lawrence Avenue and West Leland Avenue, has been closed to vehicle traffic since April 21 to accommodate construction at the Lincoln and Leland intersection.
When Rony Islam, a member of the Heart of Lincoln Square Neighbors Association, heard about the closure, he gathered some friends and went to a hardware store for supplies to build benches that they’ve placed on the block, along with chalk.
“Once we put benches down, within 30 seconds kids were sitting on them, playing on them,” said Islam.
“We wanted to take advantage of having this opportunity where we have this open street and wanted to create a place where people could hang out, shop at the local businesses, spend time with their families,” Islam, 29, said.
Rony Islam, a bike safety advocate and Heart of Lincoln Square Neighbors Association board member stands in the middle of a temporarily shutdown section of North Lincoln Avenue between West Lawrence Avenue and West Leland Avenue, in the Lincoln Square neighborhood, Tuesday, April 29, 2025.
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times
He hopes the impromptu pedestrian way can catch the eyes of city officials who work to make Chicago’s streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists.
The construction is part of a city Department of Transportation initiative to improve Leland Avenue between Western and Lincoln avenues. It builds off the 2019 Lincoln Square Master Plan, which sought to enhance traffic flow and improve road safety through building low stress roads, known as greenways, and protected bike lanes.
“The [current] project aims to increase safety, improve walkability, support community and economic development, and enhance public spaces, including the Plaza adjacent to the CTA Brown Line Station,” a CDOT spokesperson said.
The construction was extended another week and is expected to be finished by late next week.
The construction on Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Square is part of a city Department of Transportation initiative to improve Leland Avenue between Western and Lincoln avenues. It builds off the 2019 Lincoln Square Master Plan, which sought to enhance traffic flow and improve road safety through building low stress roads, known as greenways, and protected bike lanes.
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Meantime, some residents and businesses on the block have enjoyed “a nice little breather” from the traffic.
“[The closure has] actually increased our business,” said Sean Herron, general manager of Gearhead Outfitters, 4724 N. Lincoln Ave., which has placed a sales rack full of merchandise on the sidewalk since the road closed.
“From a personal perspective, living here in Lincoln Square, I think it’s a fabulous idea and I love seeing people out here,” Herron said. “But from a business side, we’ve got to do more studies.”
While the road closure is taking place in the spring, Herron questioned what happens to a car-free road in the winter and pointed out the need for ADA compliance and other regulations. end
Derek Luszcz, co-owner of Gene’s Sausage Shop and Delicatessen, 4750 N. Lincoln Ave., said the deli’s business has slowed a bit since the road closure due to people who don’t live in the area steering clear.
“It’s the people that are from outside the community that are having the hardest time getting here,” Luszcz said. “And we see that with ZIP code transactions … they’re coming from the immediate area. We’re not seeing the people coming from the northern suburbs, the western suburbs, like we would on an average weekend.”
Luszcz supports the idea of a vehicle-less pedestrian way in the neighborhood, but he questions whether the 4700 block of North Lincoln Avenue is the right place for one. He said a lack of parking and public restrooms makes it “not sustainable.”
“It’s kind of been, let’s just wing it and see what happens, and the winging it is not happening,” Luszcz said, adding that the pedestrian area should include plans for infrastructure to make it sustainable for businesses and the community.
Islam said any permanent pedestrian way would entail rigorous planning with each stakeholder.
“Obviously a road closure related to construction is not ideal, where we’re kind of figuring things out on the fly,” Islam said.
Islam envisions Chicago one day having the widespread pedestrian ways like the vibrant plazas in some countries in Europe and Asia.
“European pedestrian plazas and central business districts are light years ahead of anything that we’re doing in Chicago, and I think it’s something that we should be piloting outside of just street festivals,” Islam said.
The Heart of Lincoln Square Neighbors Association has received more than 1,000 responses to its survey of neighbors and businesses seeking feedback about the pedestrian way. About 70% of respondents said they strongly support a greater role of pedestrianization on the block, and about 83% said they think pedestrian-only access should be expanded beyond street festivals.
The group plans to continue collecting surveys, then meet with the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce and Ald. Matt Martin (47th) to discuss the possibility of a permanent public way in the area.
Islam at least hopes the road closure offers a glimpse to residents of what could be possible across the city.
“Seeing so many kids play in the street while their parents are eating at one of the restaurants, having the kid run up, say something to them and then run back out on the street and the families don’t have to worry about car traffic, which could be incredibly fatal — it’s really incredible seeing this kind of space, and it’s something I want for every neighborhood in Chicago.”
