… that two peregrine falcon chicks (eyasses) have hatched outside the third floor of the Main Library. This is the 16th year the bookish peregrines have chosen the library as a place to hatch a family. The eyasses will be banded and named beginning at 10:30 a.m. on June 6. Mary Hennen, Assistant Collections Manager and Director of the Chicago Peregrine Program at The Field Museum will again this year do the banding and testing. Also, community members are invited to submit names for Evanston’s newest peregrines by emailing proposed names and the rationales to jschacter@cityofevanston.org by midnight May 30.

… that folks have probably noticed that the asphalt pavement-patching began last week. The City says the work “is anticipated to improve the condition of nearly 29,200 square yards of pavement at approximately 160 locations across the City.” Drivers could experience minor delays, and parkers should be alert for temporary “No Parking” signs in construction areas. The City advises, “Pavement patching on Ridge Avenue may require detours on one or two days, and will mostly affect northbound traffic between Main and Lake streets. If necessary, detours will be implemented between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and advance notice will be provided at least 48 hours prior to work on message boards placed along the route.”

… that, speaking of detours, folks visiting the east Central Street area may wish to create their own detours around the Welsh-Ryan area, as graduation ceremonies there have already begun.

• On June 2 Evanston Township High School will hold its commencement at 11 a.m., and New Trier at 5. Next month, on June 21 and 22, Northwestern will hold several commencement exercises: 

• On June 21, 9:30-11:30 a.m., Northwestern’s commencement, Ryan Field (gates to be open at 8 a.m.); 5-7 p.m. Kellogg School of Management graduation in Welsh-Ryan Arena.

• On June 22, 8:30-10 a.m., McCormick Master’s Degree Recognition; 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences, Ryan Field. 12:30 p.m., McCormick Master’s Degree Recognition; 4 p.m., School of Communication Undergraduate – all in Welsh-Ryan Arena.

… that a four-way stop sign is coming to Brown and Noyes. The intersection is just blocks from Kingsley and Haven schools.

… that the City is applying for a $700, 000 Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Grant Funds from Illinois Department of Transportation for intersection improvements along Ridge: at Oakton, Main, Greenleaf, Dempster, Lake, Davis and Church, where, the City says, “there is a significant documented accident history.”

The average daily traffic on Ridge Avenue is estimated at 15,000-20,000; the average daily traffic on the major side streets is estimated at 5,000-12,000.

The estimated cost of the design and construction is $860,000, so if all goes well, Evanston’s cost would be $160,000 (of course, it’s all taxpayer money, just more spread out when it comes through the State). If the City gets the grant, the money will target those intersections with the idea of improving safety.

… that parking relief is coming for some Howard Street businesses. The City will change the ban on parking between midnight and 6 a.m. to allow parking for patrons of Evanston restaurants until 3 a.m.

… that fossil fuels became a little cheaper earlier this month. GasBuddy’s daily survey of 1,437 gas stations in the Chicago area showed that gas prices fell 6.2 cents per gallon earlier this month, averaging $3.25/gallon. Summer driving and polluting is at hand.

… that Hacienda Landscaping of Minooka will be renovating Garden Park – that gem in far southeast Evanston – this summer. The park was last renovated in 1991 and the park and the playground are deteriorated and out of compliance with ADA requirements for accessibility as well as with playground safety standards, the City says. The City expects this $464,000 project will be completed in the fall; the projected reopening date is Nov. 29.

From our readers:

In the Traffic Guy column of May 16, the paragraph about the Main Street Improvement Project says “The (city limits) boundary there is not McCormick but the area just west of the canal.” However, this is contradicted by City maps on the City of Evanston website (e.g. https://www.cityofevanston.org/home/showdocument?id=4356). On the Citymaps, the east-west City limits boundary runs along the center of the canal north of Main Street, and the boundary runs to the EAST (not west) of the canal south of Main Street, between the parks/playing fields and the edge of the shopping center property.               

– Ken Sax

From TG: TG somewhat agrees and somewhat disagrees. This map, which City Community Engagement Manager Patrick Deignan sent to the RT after checking with the GIS folks, indicates that the City boundaries, which Mr. Deignan said are marked with the dotted lines, is east of
the canal.

TG: Here is a “No Parking” pic, taken between Church and Greenwood.

– Michael Levine

From TG: Wow. New turf for the Parking Enforcement Officers; TG thought they patrolled only the streets. Is there an app for that?

The Traffic Guy thinks …

… that Evanston’s parking situation is so clearly out of hand, running amok, heading off the rails – or however one would phrase it. TG hereby also announces the First-Ever (Hope It Does Not Have to Be Annual) Limited-Word Parking Vignette Contest: Pithy Parking Stories and What-Not. Send your pithy parking story to us at info@evanstonroundtable.com. It can be a haiku (“Want to have a bite to eat/30 minutes left …), a limerick (A parking app up on my phone …) or a joke: (A parking box walks into a bar …).

TG also suggests that readers register their complaints with their aldermen and City officials.