Ald. Hopkins prioritizes businesses over cyclists' safety

The Sun-Times' recent article on the rejected traffic safety proposal ordinance that would have stepped-up parking enforcement in bike lanes and crosswalks sets up a false tension between the "business community" and people who want to travel around the city safely.

When 2nd Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins asks, "Am I supposed to close all of the restaurants?" he's presenting a false choice. I invite him to visit any city in Europe, where the streets with bike lanes (and even fully pedestrianized areas) are full of crowded, bustling restaurants.

I run three retail businesses in the city and am opening a fourth. We receive 40 to 50 deliveries a week and make our own deliveries. I bike to work every day. Safely getting to work without being killed or maimed by a driver is a higher priority for me than making the deliveries slightly more convenient.

We know parking in the bike lane is dangerous, as it forces cyclists unexpectedly into fast-moving car traffic. That's why we have laws against it.

We can argue whether the citizen enforcement idea is good. We can argue about whether the bike lanes should be better designed. We can argue about whether there should be more loading zones. But we should not — we cannot — say the lives of pedestrians and cyclists are just the cost of doing business.

Hopkins should worry less about getting an "angry phone call from Budweiser beer trucks and lobster companies" and worry more about getting angry calls from bereaved parents and spouses.

Steven Lucy, Hyde Park

Shame on U. of C.

Universities in this country used to be leaders. They were the centers of protest against injustice and leaders in the fight for equality and fairness.

And now, the (formerly) esteemed University of Chicago has caved to the bullying and blackmail of the Trump administration by severing its long and productive partnership with the PhD Project aimed at diversifying the pool of students who pursue postgraduate degrees.

This is depressing, disheartening and disappointing! Why is U. of C. allowing this administration to define an outstanding program as "discriminatory"? Clearly, it is not. It is righting a long-standing wrong by allowing outstanding students with limited resources to have a chance to fulfill their potential, which benefits our country in myriad ways. Maybe one of those students will cure cancer or develop a viable system of fusion energy.

When our institutions fail, autocracy thrives. You have failed your country, University of Chicago.

Carol Kraines, Deerfield

Repeal of climate change finding destructive to economy

In the real estate industry, everything starts with a solid foundation. Federal regulations are no different. For nearly two decades, the Environmental Protection Agency’s endangerment finding was the legal bedrock for limiting greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks. Recently, the Trump administration repealed the endangerment finding for greenhouse gas emissions and eliminated clean vehicle standards, delivering a potentially fatal blow to the foundation of our economy.

This is not just a fight for automakers or environmental groups. In the U.S., vehicles are the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions; emissions that are already reshaping the built environment and shrinking our wallets.

Hurricane Helene caused nearly $80 billion in damage and killed more than 250 people. Last year’s Los Angeles wildfires destroyed more than 16,000 homes and businesses.

My company, Banner Real Estate Group, has had to halt construction due to previous wildfires in California. We’ve developed projects in Florida impacted by rising sea levels; wind and hail have delayed our work in Dallas; extreme heat impedes attempts to erect apartment complexes in Arizona. Rebuilding gets harder and more expensive every time for companies and consumers alike.

From a business perspective, climate‑driven disruptions also lead to lost productivity and wages and supply chain disruptions. Transportation is one of the most weather‑sensitive parts of development, according to The Economist. When those costs spike, every project becomes more expensive.

Insurance markets are already buckling under emissions-driven losses, with insurers raising premiums and fleeing major markets like Florida and California, as well as Texas and Louisiana. That’s a harbinger for the entire economy. Reinsurance firm Swiss RE estimates that greenhouse gas emissions could reduce the U.S. gross domestic product by 10% annually by 2050.

Revoking the endangerment finding for cars and trucks doesn't just change policy; it removes the legal framework that has guided nearly 20 years of vehicle investment and planning; sidelining capital and delaying much-needed growth.

That’s why business leaders, in real estate and other industries, should care about the Trump administration’s vehicle emissions and endangerment policy. The consequences reach far beyond the tailpipe, shaping broader market stability, supply chain reliability, the cost of capital and the resilience of the communities we’re all trying to build.

Milton Pinsky, chairman, Banner Real Estate Group LLC

Name airport after Jackson

The coverage of the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s career and national impact on racial equality reminds us that he will long be remembered as one of the most impactful individuals ever from Chicago. Surely, he deserves a meaningful, lasting, memorial in his home city. I would suggest renaming Midway Airport the Reverend Jackson Memorial Airport, giving Chicago O'Hare and Jackson airports.

Joseph Kimmell, Gold Coast

Olympic omission

Congratulations to all the athletes who participated in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. They gave it their all, and that is what sport is, or should be all about.

I am sad, nevertheless, that the International Olympic Committee violated the spirit of the Olympics — the idea that it should be a competition for athletes from all over the world — by its shameful exclusion of Russia. No one should be excluded from the Games because of politics.

Bert Rice, Edgewater

Name change

Would a name change be in order if Hammond happens? Perhaps Da Chicagiana Bearz?

John McClelland, Evanston