606 Trail Helped Reduce Crime in Chicago Neighborhoods, Study Says
A recent study shows neighborhoods closest to Chicago’s 606 trail, the 2.7 mile-long linear park and trail built on a former train line, have seen reduced crime since the trail opened in 2015.
Crime of all types in the neighborhoods closest to the trail—Bucktown, Wicker Park, Logan Square, and Humboldt Park —fell at a faster rate than in similar neighborhoods over a four-year period before the 606 debuted and after, according to the study published in the the journal Environment and Behavior. Logan Square and Humboldt Park specifically saw the biggest crime decrease.
The researchers behind the study attribute many factors to this crime drop. The 606 prompted an increase in pedestrian traffic, new lighting and security cameras, extra police presence, and a “greater sense of community” along the trail, contributing to lower crime in surrounding neighborhoods.