Stone lying down in the street

When Kedzie Avenue was widened and extended between Albion and Pratt Ave. in the 1970s, 50th ward Alderman Bernard Stone said he would “lie down in the street,” if necessary, to prevent a bus route from traversing the street.

The people who lived in the townhouses and walk-up apartments on Kedzie between Devon and Albion didn’t want a bus on their street. But the many more people who lived in the high-rises on Kedzie between Pratt and Touhy did.

When I ran against Stone in 1983, I supported a bus route on Kedzie and rented a bus that drove up and down the street all day long, carrying people to Devon Avenue for free.  I reminded the high-rise residents of Stone’s statement and told them I was looking forward to seeing him lie down in the street.

A bus route was established on Kedzie shortly after the election. (Today, it’s the #11 Lincoln Ave. bus).