Downtown Chicago struggling with low Friday foot traffic - Axios ChicagoLog InLog InAxios Chicago is an Axios company.

Downtown Chicago struggling with low Friday foot traffic

A River North restauarnt on a recent Friday. Photo: Justin Kaufmann/Axios Hey, Monica here. Last Friday I ventured downtown and learned that the rumors are true.Traffic is easy, street parking is plentiful, and you can eat lunch pretty much anywhere without a reservation. Why it matters: Thousands of businesses rely on downtown workers' foot traffic, but those workers have returned to only about , according to office card swipe data from Kastle Systems. Those levels drop by about half again on Friday, which could mean lasting changes for downtown cultural venues and businesses. Chart: Axios visuals. Source: Kastle By the numbers: Rush-hour CTA ridership has , but only Tuesday through Thursday — the highest ridership days. Local workers reserve desk space most on Thursdays and least on Fridays, per office booking platform . The intrigue: In recent U.S. Census data, Chicago didn't even rank as a Top 10 city for highest percentage of remote workers.About said they work primarily outside home. Yes, but: Many in that 80% are still allowed to work remotely a few days a week. And guess which days they pick. What they're saying: Employees are reshaping "their workweek to be more flexible, supporting a work-life balance of efficiency, well-being, and creativity," Robin co-founder Zach Dunn tells Axios. "As time continues, the teams that prioritize connections, employee experiences and modern workplaces that maximize in-person collaboration will see better outcomes." Zoom in: These Friday doldrums allowed me to walk right into Rick Bayless' Frontera Grill for a delicious lunch last week with no wait. Great for me, but sad for restaurants.Maybe we can work to change this by planning Friday lunches — even collaborative meetings — at Chicago gems.My scrumptious lunch at Frontera Grill last Friday. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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