19-Mar-20 – The decline in foot traffic may not be surprising but at least we know how much the Loop, particularly State Street, has been affected by the COVID-19 virus.

Chicago Loop Alliance, which has been counting pedestrians since 2016, says foot traffic on Tuesday, March 17, was down 63 percent from a week earlier, Tuesday, March 10.

Last Saturday, March 14, with the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and greening of the Chicago River canceled, foot traffic was down 42 percent from the same weekend last year.

“It is no surprise that pedestrian activity in the Loop is declining as Chicagoans heed officials’ calls for social distancing, and we expect this activity will decline even further this week with the shutdown of bars, restaurants, and major retailers, as well as Chicago Public Schools,” said Michael Edwards (left), President/CEO of Chicago Loop Alliance.

“We think it’s important to connect data to these assumptions, and we will continue to monitor pedestrian counts and act as a resource,” he said.

The counting is done automatically by equipment made by Springboard, a company based in the United Kingdom. Eighteen counters are installed on both sides of State Street from Wacker Drive south to Ida B. Wells Drive. Additional counters are at Michigan Avenue & Wacker Drive, Michigan Avenue & Washington Street, and in the Pedway.

With fewer pedestrians, Chicago Loop Alliance is taking the opportunity to thoroughly clean all street furniture, fixtures, and equipment on State Street. Workers have been equipped with rags and disinfectant to wipe down newspaper racks, trash cans, benches, and other fixtures on public property.

The cleaning and disinfecting are done by Streetplus, an organization that provides such services to 60 districts nationwide. With the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Streetplus says it has ramped up its efforts.

“Please take comfort in knowing that Streetplus is committed to the health, safety, and well-being of all our customers and the districts that we serve,” read a statement from Streetplus. “We will do all that we can to help battle the transmission of COVID-19.”

Normally, about 370,000 people work in the Loop, according to a 2018 economic profile by Chicago Loop Alliance, representing about 28 percent of the city’s entire private-sector workforce.

Edwards says CLA is confident the Loop will recover from the downturn.

“The priority right now has to be public safety,” he said, “but our hearts are with Loop businesses that are facing what seems to be an impossible challenge. We will continue to act as a resource during this time, and we are looking forward to the day when we can lend our help in getting the Loop back to normal.”