As goes Chicago ...

As if we needed another reason to emulate Chicago -- beyond an extensive network of bike lanes and grass rooftops -- here's another: following the death of a four-year-old, Chicago has mobilized to crack down on pedestrian- threatening/-unfriendly driving. From Streetsblog.

Direct comparisons to Chicago are tough. It's a city of 2.8 million v. Newton's .08 million. And, the density is different. But some of these solutions scale. And, leadership always scales.

The Mayor of Chicago leads the call for bike and pedestrian accommodation. In Newton, it's a task force that's never been officially commissioned as a standing committee, a couple of vocal aldercritters, a generally well-disposed DPW department, unconnected citizens, and yours truly. Not a recipe for decisive action.