The Subversive Car-Free Guide to Trump's Great American Road Trip

Car-free ways to access Chicagoland’s best tourist attractions.

1 minute read

July 3, 2025, 7:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Large spinning swing ride at Chicago's Navy Pier.

Chicago's Navy Pier is easily accessible by public transit. | Jillian Cain / Adobe Stock

In response to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s issuance of a “Great American Summer Roadtrip” list, Streetsblog Chicago’s John Greenfield highlights car-free ways to visit several Chicagoland attractions from the list.

First on the list: Millennium Park, which is easily accessible by Amtrak, Metra, or CTA. Navy Pier is also nearby and reachable by CTA buses. Slightly less central attractions include Indiana Dunes National Park, about an hour from Millennium Station, and Lincoln Tomb, a three-hour Amtrak trip to Springfield.

Road trips can be great, but as Greenfield points out, there are plenty of tourist attractions that can be visited by transit, too.

Tuesday, July 1, 2025 in Streetsblog Chicago

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

5 seconds ago - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

2 hours ago - InTransition Magazine

Row of older brick houses in Detroit with front porches and front lawns.

Detroit Says Problems With Property Tax Assessments are Fixed. Advocates Disagree.

With higher-valued properties under assessed and lower-valued properties over assessed, advocates say there's still a problem with Detroit's property tax system.

4 hours ago - Shelterforce Magazine