Snowy Evening Under the El Tracks was uploaded to Flickr

January, 2011, to be more precise

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http://flic.kr/p/DAGJa3

I took Snowy Evening Under the El Tracks on February 01, 2011 at 06:06PM

and processed it in my digital darkroom on February 03, 2016 at 10:30AM

Electric concrete to melt snow faster

Intensely Secular
Intensely Secular (snow plow)

Speaking of infrastructure improvements:

Dr. Chris Tuan, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and his team of researchers have developed a concrete mixture prototype that melts away falling snow and ice by conducting electricity.  

Steel rods beneath the concrete’s surface connect to electrodes, which connect to a 120-volt AC power source.

Carbon byproducts from coal mining and steel shavings from industrial waste make up only 20 percent of the otherwise typical concrete mixture, but the conductivity is strong enough to clear the surface. 

Still, it’s not cheap: Tuan’s concrete runs $300 per cubic yard, compared to $120 per cubic yard of regular concrete.

But the typical salt and de-icing chemicals used on streets can corrode concrete and lead to potholes. Tuan said this makes his conductive concrete an even more attractive option, with a greater upfront price tag offsetting later maintenance and operating costs.

“Bridges always freeze up first, because they’re exposed to the elements on top and bottom,” Tuan told UNL Today. “It’s not cost-effective to build entire roadways using conducive concrete, but you can use it at certain locations where you always get ice or have potholes.”

“Statistics indicate that 10 to 15 percent of all roadway accidents are directly related to weather conditions,” Tuan explains in his 2008 analysis of the bridge study. “This percentage alone represents thousands of human injuries and deaths and millions of dollars in property damage annually … The conductive concrete deicing technology is readily available for implementation at accident-prone areas such as bridge overpasses, exit ramps, airport runways, street intersections, sidewalks and driveways.” 

(click here to continue reading Electric concrete to melt snow faster – Business Insider.)

Cold Winter Streets
Cold Winter Streets

also, there are environmental advantages to using less de-icing materials:

Conductive concrete can alleviate environmental damage by reducing the amount of salt and chemicals dispersed on roads and sidewalks after storms. Melting snow and ice carries deicing chemicals into local waterways and nearby soils, which in turn can slow plant growth and attract animals into dangerous roadways.   

Cool. Err, well, interesting…

Scary
Scary snow plow.

Steam Rising Beneath Washington Bridge was uploaded to Flickr

January, 2014

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http://flic.kr/p/yaHBnY

I took Steam Rising Beneath Washington Bridge on January 06, 2014 at 01:39PM

and processed it in my digital darkroom on September 04, 2015 at 04:10PM

Hearing Those Voices On The Wind was uploaded to Flickr

Chicago – where the winters are mild enough to wear shorts…

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http://flic.kr/p/w6YYn2

I took Hearing Those Voices On The Wind on December 12, 2010 at 12:32PM

and processed it in my digital darkroom on July 17, 2015 at 12:39AM

Monday March Commute was uploaded to Flickr

Chicago

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http://flic.kr/p/rHEhUf

I took Monday March Commute on March 23, 2015 at 08:46AM

and processed it in my digital darkroom on March 23, 2015 at 02:52PM

Up to 5 inches of snow to drop during rush hour – Chicago Tribune: “Spin-outs and near white-out conditions slowed the morning rush Monday as a burst of spring snow hit just in time for the commute and could bring as much as 5 inches of snow in some parts of the Chicago area.”

(Via.)

Abstraction in Ice And Glass, Number 27 was uploaded to Flickr

Chicago skyline as viewed through ice, brightly

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http://flic.kr/p/roc4mS

I took Abstraction in Ice And Glass, Number 27 on February 27, 2015 at 02:22PM

and processed it in my digital darkroom on March 01, 2015 at 07:32PM

Flaunting Civic Responsibility Without Repercussions was uploaded to Flickr

So the owner of this parking lot-soon-to-be-something else (a hotel or an office building most likely) refuses to shovel their sidewalk. They didn’t shovel it after the snow in January, and in fact, since it warmed up a bit, this block is now solid ice. Seriously, you can skate the length of this block of Randolph.

Looks like the owner of the pin is JHM Hotels Inc, per this article from a couple years ago:
http://ift.tt/1BVJ7eW…
Last year, JHM Hotels paid $4.1 million for a, 11,700-square-foot parcel at 150 N. Jefferson St. near the Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago’s West Loop, where it plans to build a boutique hotel.

Maybe because they are a large corporation, the City of Chicago doesn’t want to tell them to follow the law and make the sidewalk passable.

I filed a report with the City’s 311 service on 2/6/15

Thank you for submitting your Snow – Uncleared Sidewalk service request on February 06, 2015.

no response as of yet, I still see pedestrians falling down, trying to navigate this block.

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http://flic.kr/p/qq3fBj

I took Flaunting Civic Responsibility Without Repercussions on February 24, 2015 at 12:58PM

and processed it in my digital darkroom on February 25, 2015 at 08:01PM

super Snow Day was uploaded to Flickr

snow still falling steadily

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http://flic.kr/p/q59F9n

I took super Snow Day on February 01, 2015 at 10:19AM

and processed it in my digital darkroom on February 01, 2015 at 04:23PM

Shorter Cut Is Quicker was uploaded to Flickr

West Loop (Halsted, I think). Black and white, toned blue in Photoshop.

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http://flic.kr/p/mwf3Xj

I took Shorter Cut Is Quicker on December 08, 2013 at 01:18PM

and processed it in my digital darkroom on March 28, 2014 at 04:02PM

Diversey Harbor Panorama was uploaded to Flickr

Fighting for space with the Canadian Geese

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http://flic.kr/p/m1PZF1

I took Diversey Harbor Panorama on March 13, 2014 at 05:05PM

and processed it in my digital darkroom on March 13, 2014 at 11:31PM