Jon Hilkevitch is responsible for covering all types of transportation for the Chicago Tribune, both locally and nationally, although his primary focus is on the Chicago metropolitan region. The common thread in his reporting is a strong consumer-oriented focus, whether the issue is flight delays at O'Hare International Airport or railroad grade-crossing safety. Hilkevitch also writes a weekly commuting column, called Getting Around, which allows him to interact more informally with readers and to help resolve major problems as well as annoyances they experience on the transportation scene.

Jon Hilkevitch, 55, has been the Chicago Tribune's transportation reporter since 1997. In 2001, a team of Tribune reporters co-led by Hilkevitch was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for explanatory journalism for their series "Gateway to Gridlock,'' which chronicled the capacity crisis confronting the airline industry and the nation's commercial airports. Since starting at the Tribune in 1979, first at the Suburban Trib, Hilkevitch has held a variety of reporting and editing jobs in the city, the suburbs and Washington. Hilkevitch lives in Lisle and commutes to work using Metra, the CTA, Chicago River water taxis and his own two feet. His son, Nicholas, is a pilot at a major airline.

Planes, trains and buses, fast cars, express ski lifts, golf carts, road bikes, motor scooters and folk music.

Smartphone thefts boost CTA robbery rate, Chicago police say 1/1/0001
Police say 'Apple picking' has helped increase robberies 23 percent through May The robbery rate is running higher this year on the Chicago Transit Authority system, new data show, and police link the crime increase to "Apple picking" by young thugs stealing smartphones from passengers.

South suburbs feel like they're on a toll road to nowhere 1/1/0001
Lack of blue hospitality signs doesn't mean there aren't places to stop for food and gas Entering Illinois from Indiana , drivers might be fooled into thinking there's almost no place to stop on the South Tri-State Tollway to fill up their stomachs or gas tanks or get a good night's sleep.

New screening will let pilots fly through security 6/26/2011
Opinions still clash on effective safety measures New security screening procedures will be tested at O'Hare International Airport starting this summer to allow pilots to speed through checkpoints without undergoing scans or pat-downs, officials said.

Chicago Pedestrian Plan: City strives to be more pedestrian-friendly city 6/19/2011
Work begins this week on the first-ever comprehensive pedestrian plan for Chicago, coming fresh off a tragic reminder that city efforts so far have yielded unexceptional results in safeguarding people walking across streets.

Chicago's new transportation chief sets a new course 1/1/0001
Klein hopes to drive city toward public transit options Gabe Klein shows no signs of being your typical transportation commissioner, which means if he makes no waves and leaves Chicago quietly after a couple of years he won't have done his job well.