Off the Rails: How Transit Shaped Our City

Offered in partnership with Chicago for Chicagoans . Chicago is known around the world as the railroad capital of the US, and we owe much of our neighborhoods and urban development to the indelible mark of train tracks on our city. Discover clues hiding in plain sight that help you to understand what came before and how we got here. Why are Archer, Milwaukee, and Clark angled streets while the rest of the city is a strict grid? What happened to the former industrial land that, not even 30 years ago, was carrying freight to the Loop? How did the L end up serving the stations and communities that it does today? A lot of those historic clues to explain the transportation network we have today are hiding in plain sight, up an embankment or just under our feet.

Accessibility
Need sign language interpretation or other accessibility assistance for this event? Please call (312) 747-8184 or email access@chipublib.org to request accommodations. Requests must be made at least 14 business days before the event.

Registration: ACTIVE