Traffic Guy

The Traffic Guy Hears ...

... that last weekend was the official beginning of the summer. A few local restaurants have already got their sidewalk cafés approved: J.K. Sweet on Clark, Blind Faith Café on Dempster and Ommagio Restaurant on Orrington. And, of course, it's the beginning of construction season. Here is a list of the proposed street repairs: Chicago Avenue from Madison to Washington; Colfax from McDaniel to Prairie; Crain from Asbury to Ridge; Darrow from Greenwood to Grove; Eastwood from Central to Isabella; Florence from Greenleaf to Dempster; Greenwood from Asbury to Ridge; Livingston from Stewart to Green Bay Road; Madison Place from the dead end with Hartrey to Grey; Mulford from Custer to Callan; Sherman from Simpson to Garfield; Simpson from Asbury to Ridge; South from Callan to Chicago; and Woodbine from Livingston to Jenks.

The City folks say they expect the entire project "to be fully completed by the end of July." Watch out for "No Parking" signs, which are to be posted 48 hours prior to the start of work. Most of these will be daytime bans; the City says. Nighttime parking (5 p.m.-7 a.m.) will be available. Here's what you get for the (it is hoped) slight inconvenience of dust and detours: removal and replacement of concrete curbs and removal of asphalt pavement, followed by pavement stripping. Street-sweeping restrictions will be waived within a one-block radius of the construction zone when the temporary daytime parking ban is in effect. The contractor for this street improvement is J.A. Johnson Paving Company, 1025 E. Addison Court, Arlington Heights. 60005. The City has hired Gewalt-Hamilton Associates, Inc., a consulting engineering firm, to oversee the construction activities. The resident engineer in the field will be Dan Manis, 847-343-1814. Questions about the project in general should be directed to the Engineering Section, Division of Transportation, 847-866-2924.

... that, in other projects, Emerson Street is under repair at both ends. The bridge at McCormick is being redone as part of a statewide bolstering of infrastructure. To the east, the sewer replacement and rehab continues. And guess what? Kenney Construction - according to the City's construction website (at cityofevanston.org) - "fully expects to proceed uninterrupted to complete the project by July of 2008."

... that Ridge Avenue repairs continue. Many of you probably noticed already that the southbound lanes are closed up to Greenleaf as of last Friday. Watch for closings to continue to the north.

... that "Oakton Shoppes," the development on Oakton just west of the animal shelter, is getting its own traffic light.

... that Davis Street is closed east of Hinman for the construction of the Mather Lifeways tunnel, which will link the two new buildings that will replace Mather Gardens and The Georgian.

... that the police department is joining other law enforcement agencies in the nationwide Click It or Ticket "seat belt enforcement mobilization to increase seat belt use and reduce highway fatalities" 24/7. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 15,046 passenger vehicle occupants died in traffic crashes between the nighttime hours of 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m. in 2006 - and 64 percent of those passenger-vehicle occupants killed were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the fatal crashes. A word from the chief, Richard Eddington: "Research shows us that there is a problem with drivers and passengers not buckling up at night - when the risk of a fatal crash is greatest. Clearly this is an indication that these individuals are not taking the law seriously. That's why we'll be out in force, making sure that all passengers, in all vehicles, are buckled up - day and night."

... that Sheridan Road will be closed from 8 a.m. to noon on June 22 for the ninth annual Ricky Byrdsong Race Against Hate.

... that the annual Bike the Drive was last weekend. Hope it enticed some folks to consider biking instead of driving to work.

... that only a few weeks after a reader complained about the crowded intersection with insufficient directions for traffic - the one at Bridge,

Payne and Grey - the City has now put up a sign advising Bridge Street traffic to
yield to traffic from Grey, since there is a stop sign at Payne. Perhaps it would be helpful to have a similar sign on Grey.

... that this comment on the University's monopoly of good Evanston land was overheard recently: "What sort of strip do they have across the deed of the Dawes House? I'll bet it was blue, and they're going to put a hotel on it."

... that the annual "Nichols Has a Heart" walk by Nichols Middle School students will take place at 10:45 a.m. on June 6. The kids are seeking sponsorships from friends and family. This year the money raised will benefit the American Heart Association Research, PTA programs and the Sandy McDermott Scholarship at Evanston Township High School for Nichols Middle School alumni.

From our readers: TG: There are no bike racks along the Main Street shopping district. None. What a perfect little bikeable business strip, except for that glaring omission. It's not good enough to expect people to lock bikes to trees and parking meters. I wonder how many other streets are lacking in this amenity. Davis between Maple and Oak is another. I'm spoiled from riding my bike in Chicago, where all through the Loop you can find a secure and easy place to park. Hope you can help. - Elizabeth Beckman

From TG: What a good idea. You're right; Chicago is far ahead of Evanston in bike riding. Part of the City's strategic plan is to encourage bike-riding. Perhaps the merchant association there could apply for some economic development funds to underwrite costs of a bike rack. Maybe the corner of Custer, by the post office or in a section of the parking lot near Sherman would work.

TG: For the first time ever, an attempt to put speed humps on an Evanston street has been rejected by the residents and the Public Works Department. By a vote of almost 2-1 against, residents of the 700 block of Michigan have rejected an attempt to get speed humps put in. The opposition was spearheaded by neighbors who said they had never seen anyone on their block get hit by a car, and that a world full of speed humps would be terminally boring. The actual vote was 20-11 opposed.

From TG: Congratulations to your block. TG shares your antipathy toward speed humps but thinks that yours may
not be the first block to defeat speed humps, although it's sure up there with the pioneers.

The Traffic Guy thinks ...

... that maybe the reason Northwestern has decided to name its new music school after a certain retiring university president - who raised hundreds of millions for NU - is that money is music to his ears.