Steve Hoffner

I’m down to my last 1% of my project to ride every street in Chicago. My goal is to raise $4,265 ($1 for every mile of Chicago’s 4,265 miles of road) for Active Transportation Alliance, an organization advocating for cyclists/pedestrians and accessibility to public transportation. Would you donate $42.65, one penny for every mile in Chicago? Or $68.65, a penny for every km?

Now, for the longer story (and some favorite pics from the road):

In early 2021, I headed into Chicago to the Back-of-the-Yards neighborhood to visit Sputnik, a south side coffee roaster whose beans I had recently bought in an Evanston grocery store. On that ride, I fell in love with exploring more of the city: riding the boulevards, viewing the architecture, talking with people, the smells from chocolate factories, bakeries, and taquerias. That ride started what has evolved into a three-year project to ride every street in Chicago. By August 2021, I had ridden 25% of the streets and thought I would just cover the major streets to see most of the city. I kept going and eventually aimed for 50% so I could see most neighborhoods. When I got close to 60%, I wanted to finish the whole city…and that’s when I wished I hadn’t skipped all those dead ends early on because I had to go back to ride them all. In 2023 alone, I rode 942 dead-ends.

Close-up of Beverly, Morgan Park, Wash Heights, and Roseland; about 300 miles of road in these 'hoods. Gotta go back for the red bits.

I’ve been up and down California Ave and Kedzie Ave more often than I can remember, going through Logan Square and South Lawndale. I’ve ridden Western Avenue from top to bottom many times on my way to Beverly and Morgan Park, as well as Halsted Street from Lake View to Roseland, West Pullman, and Riverdale. Neighborhoods like these have tens or even a 100 miles of road and require multiple visits to finish. I’ve ridden all the way around O'Hare and–legally, but perhaps foolishly–through Departures at Midway.

I’ve now been in every neighborhood. I’ve learned what the government calls Humboldt Park and what the residents call Humboldt Park are not the same. I’ve learned that there is a neighborhood called Hegewisch. And, thanks to the guy playing Bocci Ball in the East Side neighborhood, I learned how to correctly say “Hegewisch.”

I’ve been to almost every coffee shop and tried to hunt down every donut shop. I’ve learned that the best nutrition for an 80 mile trek through the city comes from donuts, tamales, tacos, and hot dogs (no ketchup!). Sometimes the best food (and people) is on residential streets, like Rico’s Tacos out of a garage in Little Village, and Holla Holla Hot Dogs, a front yard grill in Englewood. (Btw, the best donuts in Chicago were at D&D’s Place in Ashburn. The county judge in line described it as a “religious experience” and he wasn’t wrong.)

I will miss this when it’s over. There has been so much to see.

The city is full of contrasts: There are perfectly smooth roads in Grand Boulevard but also speed bumps so big in Portage Park that I’ve bent spokes. There are dense industrial areas on the Near West Side and, of course, the high-rises in the Loop, yet some stretches in South Deering feel like the countryside. I’ve been chased by German Shepherds in Burnside and Brighton Park, but also by white miniature poodles with their ears and feet dyed bright pink in Fuller Park. There are Lincoln Park and Hyde Park mansions that stand in sharp contrast to the manifestation of decades of red-lining and devastating resource allocation in Englewood.

When I tell people about this project, they often ask whether it’s safe to ride everywhere. "Every neighborhood is safe…if you get there early enough," a retired police officer in Hegewisch once told me. However, I’ve only met friendly people all over the city. There were helpers everywhere. When going down some dead-ends, for example, someone often yells “Are you lost?” or calls out “Yo! You can’t go through that way!” Or that I can, but only through an inconspicuous gate, which they point out to me. My highest helper-count on one ride stands at four. Chicagoans have been awesome.

But risk of crashes and collisions with cars was always present. Each year in Chicago, there is an average of 7 bike related fatalities and 1200 non-fatal injuries. This is why I’m asking you to join me to support Active Transportation Alliance, to make the city safer for future generations. Please help!

Finally, if you’d ever like a bike tour of Chicago–let me know!

One of many colorful garage doors.
Some roads are barely roads.An early pic of a mural inspiring me to ride the whole city.Little Village: Some of the best taquerias here.fBlues Brothers mural in East Garfield Park (I think)
Ghost bike memorial for a cyclist killed by a motoristaMany southside blocks have signs encouraging community.