Category City in Motion

The changes reshaping Chicagoland: transit projects, development, stadium moves, budgets, and what each one means for the people who live here.

Chicago’s Pensions, as the Documents State Them: $14.2 Billion Held Against $50.6 Billion of Pension Liability at the End of 2025, 28 Percent Funded — and No Fund Projected to Pass 50 Percent Before 2043 on the Schedule State Law Sets

LaSalle Street in downtown Chicago looking south toward the Board of Trade on an overcast day

By the city's own 2025 financial report, Chicago's four pension funds held $14.20 billion against $50.63 billion of pension liability at the end of 2025 - 28.1 percent funded, up from 25.4. The funds' own actuaries project none passing 50 percent before 2043 on the statutory schedule, which they call back-loaded; the same day's press release states 28.15 percent on a different liability basis. Every figure from the city's report, the funds' valuations, the state's biennial report and the Council's analysts, page-checked.

Chicago’s Environmental Complaints, Inspections and Enforcement Files Each Split at January 1, 2012 — and the Older Half of the Complaints and Inspections Files Records No Outcomes at All

Chicago industrial block with a scrapyard fence and smokestack, a city sedan parked at the curb

The city's three environmental files - 65,402 complaint rows, 282,616 inspection rows, 37,927 enforcement rows - each split at January 1, 2012 between the Department of Environment's system and the Department of Public Health's. The older half of the complaints and inspections files records no outcome on any row; the newer half records one on every row but leaves half its complaints undated; inspection dates run from 1753 to 4202; and the enforcement fine column repeats and goes negative, so no dollar total appears.

Chicago’s New Air-Sensor Network, Its First 391 Days: 102,907 Sensor-Days, a Median Day Near 9 Micrograms — and Two July 2026 Days When the Network-Wide PM2.5 Mean Hit 133 and 168

Air-quality sensor on a Chicago light pole with the skyline dimmed by smoke haze

Open Air Chicago's 277 non-regulatory sensors, read from the program's daily file: 102,907 sensor-days from July 26, 2025 through August 20, 2026, a median day at 9.02 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter, half of sensor-days Good and most of the rest Moderate by the file's own AQI column - and July 16 and 17, 2026, when the network-wide mean hit 133 and 168 inside a stretch the state EPA and the city flagged for wildfire smoke. Provider-calibrated values, UTC days, no compliance finding.

Chicago Reversed Its River in 1900. MWRD’s Own Log Shows It Has Released Water Back Into Lake Michigan 36 Times From 1985 Through 2025 — 52.5 Billion Gallons, the Last in July 2023, None in 2024 or 2025

Lock gates and controlling works where the Chicago River meets Lake Michigan under a stormy sky

Chicago reversed its river in 1900 - and MWRD's own posted log shows the district has released waterway water back into Lake Michigan 36 times from 1985 through 2025: 52.5 billion gallons, 41 percent of it in the September 2008 and April 2013 storms, the last in July 2023, none in 2024 or 2025 - with the district's own definition of a 'reversal' and its note that TARP reduced them.

Chicago’s Deep Tunnel, by MWRD’s Own Records: 1.55 Trillion Gallons Pumped Back in 28 Logged Years, $3.86 Billion in Contract Dollars — and the Last Reservoir Stage Has Slipped From 2029 to 2032

Terraced limestone walls of a reservoir quarry under excavation beside a canal near Chicago

The Deep Tunnel from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District's own records: 1.55 trillion gallons pumped back out of TARP to the Stickney and Calumet plants in the 28 years the district's daily logs carry in full, 2018 the record year; $3.856 billion in contract dollars; 110.4 miles and 15.15 billion gallons of reservoirs - and a last reservoir stage the district's own documents moved from 2029 to 2032, with an 18-month hole in the posted logs stated, not filled.

Chicago’s Skyway Lease, From the Documents: $1.83 Billion Up Front in 2005, Two of Three Reserve Funds Drawn Near Zero by 2016, and $1.44 Billion Still Being Counted Through 2103

Elevated steel toll bridge carrying traffic over an industrial river channel on Chicago's Southeast Side

The Skyway lease from the city's posted documents and the owners' own filings: $1.83 billion up front in January 2005 for 99 years, $446.3 million of it refunding Skyway bonds; three reserve funds whose schedules show two drawn to $134,000 and $4,000 by 2016; $11,977,992 in deal fees; and $1,441,818,000 still unrecognized at the end of 2025, counted $18.5 million a year through 2103. Control of the concessionaire has changed twice; the city's record stops at 2016.

Chicago’s 69,852 Water-in-Basement 311 Requests Since 2018 Follow the Storms: One Day in August 2025 Holds 5 Percent of Them, and Twenty Days Hold a Third

Rainwater pooled over a catch-basin grate on a Chicago bungalow block after a storm

Chicago's 311 file holds 69,852 Water in Basement requests since December 2018, and they arrive with the storms: one day in August 2025 holds 5.4 percent of them, the twenty busiest days a third, July and August half. Austin leads at 8,207. Requests, not verified floods - and a closing clock that records status, not findings.

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