[harryc]

Originally Posted by emathias

It would require some planning and coordination, but I think with good planning you could activate some of the alleys while maintaining their functional use, too. Trash bins are already mostly set back from the pathway portion of alleys so that vehicles can traverse. If you limited/coordinated the hours for delivery drivers, that can be managed, too. As the article mentioned, places like Three Dots and a Dash already utilize alleyways, and they're not alone. There are alleys in the Loop also treated like actual streets or at least made more welcoming for pedestrian use, with their own names, like Benton Place, Arcade Place, and Couch Place - those are so heavily traveled that there are Google Streetviews of them. Then there are alleys fully given over the being streets, like Quincy St. and Financial Place.

Alleys are ... alleys .... they are a vital part of the urban fabric, and even the River North nightlife ( e.g. next to Rossi's ). MEWs are NOT alleys.