Our Advice to Mayor Lightfoot: The River is the Lifeblood of the City. We Should Treat It That Way
As the 100th day of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot's term approached, Crain's Chicago Business asked Friends of the Chicago River to weigh in on the environment. Asked Crain's: "The new mayor’s to-do list should include protecting the city’s air, water and land, these advocates argue. But which priorities should she place first?"
Friends Executive Director Margaret Frisbie responded:
1. Zero tolerance for sewage and litter in the river and commit to upholding the ideals of the Clean Water Act.
2. Join forces with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and Lake County Stormwater Management Commission to control stormwater and lead the development of a watershed-wide, nature-based green infrastructure plan.
3.Enforce and enhance the Chicago River Corridor Design Guidelines, designed to increase our natural assets, and drive the development of the river as a blue/green corridor of open space.
"To share the wealth of the Chicago River with all Chicagoans we need clean water, healthy natural open space which will help us combat and withstand the climate crisis. Done right, investing in the Chicago River will pay us all back, and Lightfoot should take the lead," Frisbie wrote.
