… that Bike the Ridge was again a wonderful event. Even though it was cold in the early morning, hundreds of folks showed up by warmer noontide to enjoy the vehicle-free pavement.
… that the Dempster/Dodge Business District is getting some money ($9,000 in fact) from the City “to support street beautification and marketing” (to make the area look better and help the businesses form relationships with each other.)
… that – more good news – the City will again offer free parking in the three downtown garages and the one at 1234 Chicago Ave. after 5 and all day on Saturday between Nov. 25 and New Year’s Day. Even more good news: It seems, from a local ordinance in the works, that we may be getting a brew pub.
… that the City plans to ban parking on the south side of Lincoln opposite the water treatment facility entrance, in order to “facilitate deliveries to the water treatment plant.”
… that the City has contracted with Creative Outdoor Advertising of America to allow the group to install bus shelters around town, mount advertising thereon and remit to the City either $250 per shelter per year or 10 percent of the net advertising revenues. Now, how is anyone going to show what revenue comes from a specific bus shelter ad? Let’s hope the advertising is internal and that we won’t have shrink-wrapped shelters with garish ads covering the outside.
… speaking of “covering the outside,” what’s with the new colors and words on “the house” on Emerson? There were assurances more than a year ago that the owner of the property, who (TG hears) lives in a tony part of town, was going to repaint the house in a less garish manner.
… that the City is going to install new and brighter lights on Jackson from Foster to Emerson as part of the Safer Neighborhood Area Project (SNAP). And we’ve also contracted with Hecker & Company of Wheeling to replace, where needed, davit-arm street light fixtures. Other contracts of possible noteworthiness are one with A&A Transmissions on Dodge Avenue to do transmission work on sedans, vans and pickups in the City’s fleet, the renewal of the contract with Garda Armored Car Services and one with Sprint/Nextel for all of the City’s cellular service.
… that we’re purchasing five replacement (that is, new, but not additional to the fleet) vehicles: 2 Ford Focus cars, two Ford F-350 vehicles and a tandem-axle dump truck with plow attached.
… that the City has ordered $18,000 of cold-patch material for cold-weather street maintenance activities from Healy
Asphalt Company in Mount Prospect. According to the City, “Healy Asphalt is the only regional supplier of UPM (unique paving materials) high performance cold- patch mix.” We’re also buying a new 105-foot long Pierce aerial ladder truck, a tractor-drawn, rear-tiller-steered vehicle, for about a million dollars. This is not the one promised by NU.
… that Council has approved of the purchase and planting of 300 trees for the fall and next spring.
… that from now on the City must notify property owners within 250 feet of any proposed new cellular pole or tower at least ten days before the item is reviewed by staff at the Site Plan and Appearance Review Committee, prior to issuing a building permit. Speaking of SPARC, TG hears that Andy Spatz has a new project on Simpson: He’ll be combining two single-story “storefronts” with a middle link and building an addition at the rear of the west building to create a sanctuary for a local church. Mr. Spatz said the project will have “energy efficiency, day-lighting and natural ventilation, on-site water management, ‘sensible’ green design and flexibility to adapt to future technologies incorporated into the design.”
… that in the last two months, two pedestrians have been hit by vehciles in separate accidents in the Central/Greenbay area. In the first, a City vehicle hit a pedstrian who was not in a crosswalk. The second was apparently a hit-and-run. Signs are up in the area asking for help from witnesses. Some think that if any intersection cries out for cameras, it is this one.
The Traffic Guy thinks …
… that an interesting fact about October 2010 is: This October has five Fridays, five Saturdays and five Sundays, all in one month.
It happens once in 823 years.
… that the folks on the sign review board ought to review the signs that are already up and embarrassing (TG already commented on the “Please Eliminate Dogs” sign). Now TG would like to prod the gentle folk of said review board to rethink the signs in some school yards explaining that even leashed cats are banned:
TG would also (as has been previously pontificated) like to see said ordinance enforced.