Wicker Park neighbors and visitors will have a chance to stroll down Milwaukee Avenue without having to dodge cars or wait to cross the street this summer and fall.
Ald. Daniel La Spata’s (1st) office is launching a “pedestrianization” pilot program on Milwaukee Avenue between the Damen/North intersection and Ashland Avenue that will close off the stretch to car traffic on the last Sundays of August, September and October.
The first event is 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 31, with following dates Sept. 28 and Oct. 26.
Milwaukee Avenue will still be open to bike traffic in the middle of the street, with foot traffic relegated to the parking lanes. The sidewalks will be available for use for sidewalk sales by local businesses along the more-than-half-mile-long corridor.
Dubbed Meet Me On Milwaukee, the monthly pilot is being put on in collaboration with the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce, La Spata said.
La Spata said his office is working with the Chicago Department of Transportation to coordinate the street closures, and the CTA’s No. 56 Milwaukee bus line will be rerouted around the closure during the affected timeframe.
The Meet Me On Milwaukee pilot comes as Chicago has slowly started to experiment with pedestrianizing certain streets, including a section of Kedzie Avenue in Logan Square that’s been converted into a plaza.
The Wicker Park program is a more limited chance to see how businesses and neighbors use Milwaukee without cars — and if there will be a noticeable impact on commerce, La Spata said.
Depending on its response, the initiative could be brought back in 2026 or even expanded in scope.
