… that the City decided to retain Stanley Consultants, Inc. to provide Phase I engineering services aimed at ultimately replacing the Central Street Bridge over the Northshore Channel (the canal). Last April, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) told the City that the bridge’s concrete columns were deteriorating, maybe because it was built 110 years ago. Although the City made temporary repairs, the bridge is still considered structurally deficient. Three months later, in July, IDOT approved funding to reconstruct the bridge, and the first step in the process is to complete a Phase I engineering analysis. The overall cost for engineering and construction of a new bridge is estimated at about $7 million, with the City bearing about 20% of the cost.
… that last week, the City began patching 26,067 square yards of asphalt pavement at 112 locations across the City. This project involves removing the top two inches of asphalt where there are potholes, and replacing the pocked layer with a fresh, smooth asphalt surface. Weather permitting, the work could take about three weeks. Drivers should expect short delays in specific work zones, and should keep an eye out for parking restrictions. The work in each location will typically take about an hour to complete.
… that the City is also moving ahead with a “crack-sealing program” (nothing to do with plumbers) at 12 priority locations, at a cost of about $70,000. The program, now in its seventh year, is designed to extend the life of streets, when cracks develop three to five years after they have been resurfaced. The sealing of cracks can help prevent moisture and road salt from seeping into the base, which can lead to potholes and more serious road failures. The six primary locations this year are Isabella from Green Bay to Ewing; Thayer from Central Park to Gross Point; Pioneer from Hartrey to Colfax; Hovland from Church to Emerson; Emerson from Dodge to Asbury; and Maple from Simpson to Noyes.
… that beginning this week, the City will be making main improvements at the following locations: Dewey between Oakton and Keeney; Hastings between Colfax and Harrison; and South Boulevard between Dodge and Wesley. The work on Dewey and Hastings will involve digging trenches to replace the pipes, and then street resurfacing. The work on South Boulevard will involve trenchless pipe lining and asphalt street patching, as needed. The work will be completed in stages and the entire project will take three months. Watch for “No Parking” signs. Street cleaning and/or neighborhood parking restrictions will be waived for a one-block radius around the construction zone when temporary daytime no-parking regulations are in effect.
… that SmithGroup JJR will design plans to reconstruct the Church Street south pier at a cost of $80,000. Currently the harbor is undergoing several Phase 1 improvements including extension and repair of the concrete ramp, installation of a new seasonal floating dock, safety modification of the existing central pier and temporary safety modification of the existing south breakwater. The intent of the Phase 2 project will be to reconstruct the south pier.
… that the City is poised to hire a firm to provide engineering services for the Dodge Avenue bike lane project at a cost of about $31,000.
… that the City has partnered with the donation platform iKeedo to offer residents a new way to support and diversify Evanston’s tree population. Using the iKeedo platform, at ikeedo.com/cause/Evanston-trees, community members can set a donation rate, such as $1 per tree, and a maximum total donation amount. Each time a tree is removed, a donation is made to the Evanston Tree Fund until the supporter’s donation cap is met. The donations will be used to replace trees felled by storm damage, disease, pests
and other factors.
… that the City has been awarded the Public Technology Institute’s (PTI) 2016 Technology Solutions Award in the category of Web Services, E-Government and Mobile Apps. The City received the award for its 311 About My Place web application, available at cityofevanston.org/aboutmyplace, which provides residents with a one-stop-shop for City information and services 24 hours a day.
… that the house at 1030 Forest is being restored and put on the market. It’s the former home of the sausage king. Oscar Meyer, not Abe Frohman, lived there from 1927 to 1965.
… that the bells of St. Mark’s Church played “We Shall Overcome” during last Friday’s Stand Against Racism.
… that the forecast calls for the greatest number of Eta Aquarid meteors to light up the predawn darkness on May 5 and 6. mid-northern meteor watchers in the mid-northern hemisphere may be lucky enough to catch an earthgrazer – a bright, long-lasting meteor that travels horizontally across the sky – before dawn. The Eta Aquarids are mainly a predawn shower.
… that Chris Manning, an ETHS grad and former teacher at Oakton Elementary School, was named United Art & Education Teacher of the Year in Ohio. Mr. Manning, who was also a reporter for the RoundTable, now teaches fourth grade at Scottish Corners Elementary School in Dublin, Ohio. Some of his students said, “Mr. Manning is patient; he makes books come alive; he is fair to the whole class; he is patient and kind to us; he loves to read to us. … I hope to be a teacher like him some day.”
From our readers:
TG: I’m surprised Traffic Guy seems to enjoy the idea of the parklet, having given several pix and items to it.
Personally, I think it’s an accident waiting to happen. What’s wrong with the bakery providing a bench and flowers like stores do along Central. At least then the benches are protected from traffic by a lane of parking, and they are used.
In the April 21 issue, you suggest it offers “a place to eat bakery goods and relax.” Who can relax there with traffic whizzing by within a feet of the benches? In fact, I have never seen anyone sit at the Dempster parklet except in the original pix you had
with Mayor Tisdahl.
It would be comparable to taking all those 4th of July chairs along Central St off the parkway, setting them in the street and providing each one with a planter as sentinel – as if that would protect them from a swerving car, van or truck.
My fight-or-flight level must be set a lot lower than Traffic Guy’s. — Janet G. Messenger
TG Response: TG enjoys the parklet as much as TG enjoys the NU bird sanctuary.
The Traffic Guy thinks …
… that Dirk Cumulo thought he was being satirical when he wrote the April Fool story that the City planned to put stop signs in alleys. TG, however, has found the mother lode. There is a 4-way stop where two alleys running to the side of and behind St. Nicholas church intersect. From the looks of one of the signs, they have been there a while.