… that Evanston Transit Alliance is proposing a temporary greenway – that is, bike path – along the lakefront to connect the Rogers Park Greenway to Evanston bike trails. The ETA (great acronym), together with Go Evanston and Citizens Greener Evanston, envisions a bike route from the Rogers Park Greenway to the downtown protected bike paths at Church, Davis and Sheridan. John Fervoy of ETA send the RoundTable some information about this. The Rogers Park Greenway ends at Juneway Terrace, and the group proposes a continuation of the route thus: going under the Metra overpass at Mulford to Custer, continuing north on Custer and then on Sherman, crossing Chicago at Greenleaf, going east to Hinman and then north on Hinman to Clark. And there they are at the protected bike lane – or nearly so. The groups have applied for a grant to offset some of the cost, but they also say no infrastructure improvements would be involved and no parking spaces lost.
… that, speaking of paths, the pedestrian path in the east part of the Ladd Arboretum is being lengthened branch by branch and chip by chip. Piles of woodchips deposited between found branches form a sylvan path parallel to the canal with turnouts for social distancing or for a closer look at birds or trees or water. Graceful fungi spring up in the moisture of the woodchips.
… that another green measure for the community is six car-charging stations that Alternative Transportation for Chicagoland has donated to the City.
… that the patching work on Elgin Road between Benson and Orrington, just north of downtown, should be finished in about a week – beginning or Monday and ending on the 24th. As always, folks should observe the temporary but serious “No Parking” signs in the area.
… that Northwestern may cap its football crowds at 7,000.
Some nearby residents may be glad for the reprieve from the parking and driving snarls on game day , but this could have some serious economic repercussions for Central Street businesses and of course the City.
… that, also affecting the northeast section of the community, the Central Street Bridge Project may be getting underway. The City signed some agreements to allow federal and state participation in the project. The City will likely receive $7.5 million toward the project $6 million in a grant and $1.5 million in matching funds.
Stanley Consultants also built the pumping station on Church at McDaniel. TG hopes the plan for the bridge will not be so, well, pedestrian as the pumping station. Readers may remember the beautiful designs proposed a couple of years ago by Richard Miller
and echoed by John McCarron.
… that the Evanston Police Department released a list of tickets issued over the Fourth of July weekend during its “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Click It or Ticket” safety campaigns.
- 8 citations for failure to secure child citations
- 31 cell phone violations
- 28 speeding citations
- 15 violations for not having insurance
- 21 other citations
- 1 open alcohol citation
- 1 vehicle seized, driver was suspended for DUI
… that, speaking of scofflaws, TG came across an interesting item from the City bills list approved on March 11 of last year: Council approved a payment of $222.25 for a missed toll payment in 2016. Apparently the driver of a van registered to Robert Crown went through a toll without an IPass. A City staff member wrote thus: “Staff were unaware of the $.85 missed toll and it eventually went to collections. We received notice in January of 2019 of the violation. The toll accrued a total of $218.45 and a $5.95 charge for paying the toll online. All PRCS [Parks, Recreation and Community Services] vehicles should now have transponders in them.” So not paying a fine merits not even a blink, but paying fines …. Well…Wasn’t it that same department, PRCS, that complained about the Youth and Young Adult Program Manager for paying parking tickets? The tickets were issued to staff-driven cars parked in the Civic Center lot while the staff engaged in City business there – and to one car moved by a different employee to the street, where it was ticketed.
… that the City cancelled its We’re Out Walking program for this year because of the pandemic but the Health Department still urges residents to get outside and walk. Even solitary walkers should wear a mask and folks should remember to maintain an adequate social distance.
The Traffic Guy thinks …
… that the City should cooperate as much as possible with proposal of ETA et al for a South Evanston Greenway. They propose using “low-stress” streets for the route. This is a strategy of tactical urbanism. , expanding the use of streets from just motorized vehicles only. The Age of COVID is a good time to do this. Folks are not likely to carpool and may be reluctant to board a commuter train, so why not accommodate more bikes. And the Main Street businesses’ using Custer for sales and dining is another example of this innovative visioning.
Dear Roundtable,
Below is a letter sent to all Evanston Aldermen whose wards lie along a proposed temporary “greenway” we at Evanston Transit Alliance are advocating for. As most aldermen do not intend to attend, I’m sharing with you in case you would like to join the route ride this Saturday 11am to report on the proposal. We have applied for funding and hope to implement this route through Evanston this summer. Currently the Rogers Park greenway ends at our border and we hope to extend this north to the Northwestern campus. Please let me know if you have any questions.
-John Fervoy
847-903-7572
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Thank you for your leadership and commitment to public health during this unusual time. We are writing to ask you to support a project that can directly benefit community health as Evanstonians return to public life and seek safe and healthy mobility options. We ask for your support of a greenway connection to link the existing Rogers Park Greenway to existing bicycle facilities in Evanston.
In 2018, the City of Chicago completed the Rogers Park Greenway, a low-stress bicycle route that includes design treatments to create a safe and direct route to the Evanston border. Evanston has yet to respond to this popular facility; cyclists are forced to find their own route to and from the Greenway.
We represent a large community-based group comprising the Evanston Transit Alliance, Go Evanston, and Citizens’ Greener Evanston. Together we propose a route connecting the Rogers Park Greenway to downtown Evanston, where bicycles can access existing protected bicycle facilities on Church, Davis, Chicago/Sheridan Road. We have applied for a grant for this South Evanston Greenway, which would offset its costs.
Cities worldwide are responding to a new demand for bicycling and micromobility, in the COVID-19 era. Travel demand is down as former commuters work from home and more people walk or bicycle for local trips. Many cities are accommodating these choices by designating “slow streets” that are safer for pedestrians and cyclists, and repurposing curbside space for outdoor dining and queueing.
Using “Tactical urbanism,” cities are improving street treatments to encourage greener, more active transportation modes. Tactical urbanism generally refers to flexible and temporary treatments, with movable objects. We propose a tactical urbanism approach to the Evanston Greenway, using low-stress streets. We have recommendations regarding route and design, which we have shared with City staff–we would like to discuss these with you also. No parking spaces would be sacrificed for this project, no existing infrastructure would be affected, and no construction would be necessary.
Our group proposes the following alignment.
City to Begin Pavement Patching on Elgin Road and Orrington Avenue the Week of July 20
The City of Evanston will be patching large areas of asphalt pavement on Elgin Road from Benson Avenue to Orrington Avenue and on Orrington Avenue from Davis Street to Clark Street beginning the week of July 20. The work is scheduled to be completed by July 24, weather permitting, as part of the 2020 Motor Fuel Tax Street Resurfacing Project.
This project will entail removing the top distressed and failing asphalt surface and replacing it with a fresh, smooth asphalt surface coarse material.
During construction, motorists should expect minor delays near work zones as flaggers route traffic around the work crews. Traffic will be maintained on Elgin Road and Orrington Avenue during street grinding and asphalt patching operations. “No Parking” restrictions should be short in duration and specific to the daily work zones. “No Parking” signs will be posted 48 hours in advance of when the restriction is enforced and will be removed as soon as the work is completed.
Contractor
The contractor for this project is J.A. Johnson Paving, 1025 E. Addison Court, Arlington Heights, IL 60005.
City Monitoring
The project is under the supervision of the City’s Capital Planning & Engineering Bureau. For questions or concerns regarding this project, please contact Resident Engineer Pankaj Chokshi at 224-723-8237. For questions about the street resurfacing project in general, contact Senior Project Man
Approval of Contract Award with Wiss, Janney, Elstner, Associates, Inc. for Parking Garage Structural Assessment (RFP 20-19) Staff recommends the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Wiss, Janney, Elstner, Associates, Inc. (330 Pfingsten Road, Northbrook, Illinois 60062) to provide engineering services for the Parking Garage Structural Assessment (RFP 20-19) in the amount of $149,500. Funding is provided from the Capital Improvement Fund 2020 General Obligation Bonds in the amount of $8,805 and from the Parking Fund in the amount of $140,695. A detailed summary is included in the memo below. For Action Approval of Contract Award with Wiss, Janney, Elstner, Associates, Inc. for Parking Garage Structural Assessment (RFP 20-19) 118 – 123 A9. Approval of the Purchase of a Replacement Public Works Agency Refuse Vehicle from National Fleet Auto Group Staff recommends City Council approval of the purchase of a replacement refuse vehicle (#718) for operations by the Public Works Agency (PWA) Public Services Bureau. The replacement vehicle will be purchased from National Fleet Auto Group (490 Auto Center Drive, Watsonville, CA 95076) in the amount of $287,605.86 through the Sourcewell contract. Funding for the vehicle will be from the Solid Waste Fund (Account 520.40.4310.65550) with a budget of $283,900, and a YTD balance of $177,983. As was done with the last recycling truck purchased and due to the long time to build the truck, the chassis will be paid out of the FY 2020 budget and the remainder will be from the FY 2021 budget. For Action Approval of the Purchase of a Replacement Public Works Agency Refuse Vehicle from National Fleet Auto Group
Approval of a Contract Award with Garland/DBS, Inc. for the Building Exterior Repairs of Various City Facilities Staff recommends City Council authorize the City Manager to execute a contract for Building Exterior Repairs of Various City Facilities with Garland/DBS, Inc. (3800 East 91st St., Cleveland, OH) in the amount of $514,693. Funding will be provided from the Capital Improvement Fund 2019 General Obligation Bonds in the amount of $35,000, and from the 2020 General Obligation Bonds in the amount of $479,693. A detailed funding summary is included in the memo below. For Action Approval of a Contract Award with Garland/DBS, Inc. for the Building Exterior Repairs of Various City Facilities 74 – 77
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Brian George, Assistant City Attorney
Subject: Resolution 53-R-20 Authorizing the City Manager to Consent to a
Permit for Northwestern Football Parking and Tailgating Events for the
2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 Seasons
Date: June 22, 2020
Recommended Action:
Staff recommends City Council adoption of Resolution 53-R-20 authorizing the City Manager
to give consent to a permit for Northwestern Football parking and tailgating events for the
2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 seasons.
Council Action:
For Action
Summary:
Since 1919, the City has leased property along the North Shore Channel from the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (“MWRD”), for public recreational
use and has subleased a portion of the leased property to an entity to operate a public golf
course. In order to supplement golf course revenue, parking and tailgating agreements were
reached with Northwestern University. A question arose as to whether these supplemental
uses were authorized by the lease with MWRD, so in 2019, City Council adopted Resolution
60-R-19, which authorized the City Manager to provide consent to the MWRD permit to
Northwestern University for parking and tailgating activities on the property during the 2019
football season home games.
The City has determined that it is in the interest of the parties to continue this relationship and
continue to permit these parking and tailgating activities. Resolution 53-R-20 therefore
authorizes the City Manager to provide consent to the MWRD permit to Northwestern
University for parking and tailgating activities on the property during the 2020 through 2024
football season home games.
Attachments:
Resolution 53-R-20 Authorizing Northwestern
Attendance capped at 7,000
Resolution 6-R-20 Authorizing the City Manager to Accept Donation of Six Car Charging Stations from Alternative Transportation for Chicagoland Staff recommends City Council adoption of Resolution 6-R-20 Authorizing the City Manager to Accept Donation of Six Car Charging Stations from Alternative Transportation for Chicagoland. For Action Resolution 6-R-20 Authorizing the City Manager to Accept Donation of Six Car Charging Stations from Alternative Transportation for Chicagoland
Ordinance 24-O-20 Amending Section 7-2-9-3, Sidewalks to be Clear of Snow, Ice, Dirt and Weeds Staff recommends adoption of Ordinance 24-O-20, “Amending Section 7-2-9-3, Sidewalks to be Clear of Snow, Ice, Dirt and Weeds”. This ordinance revises sections of the code related to sidewalk snow and ice removal. Ordinance 24-O-20 was introduced at the February 10, 2020 City Council meeting and was subsequently tabled at the February 24, 2020 City Council meeting until the June 22, 2020 meeting for further review and research of snow removal laws and consideration of revisions of the ordinance. For Action Ordinance 24-O-20 Amending Section 7-2-9-3, Sidewalks to be Clear of Snow, Ice, Dirt and Weeds
Resolution 56-R-20, Authorizing the Interim City Manager to Sign a Construction Engineering Services Agreement for Federal Participation with the Illinois Department of Transportation and Stanley Consultants, Inc. for the Central Street Bridge Replacement Project Staff recommends adoption of Resolution 56-R-20 authorizing the City Manager to execute the Construction Engineering Services Funding Agreement with Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and Stanley Consultants Inc. for the Central Street Bridge Replacement Project. Funding will be provided from the Capital Improvement Fund 2019 General Obligation Bonds in the amount of $60,000, from 2020 General Obligation bonds in the amount of $91,400 and $605,600 in Federal Surface Transportation Program (STP-BR grant funds). A detailed funding analysis in included below. For Action Resolution 56-R-20, Authorizing the Interim City Manager to Sign an Agreement for Federal Participation with IDOT for the Central St Bridge Replacement 158 – 200 A14. Resolution 57-R-20, Authorizing the Mayor to Sign a Local Public Agency Funding Agreement for Federal Participation with the Illinois Department of Transportation to commit matching funds for the Central Street Bridge Replacement Project Staff recommends adoption of Resolution 57-R-20 authorizing the Mayor to execute the Local Public Agency Funding Agreement for Federal Participation required for the Central Street Bridge Replacement Project. Execution of the Agreement will allow Evanston to receive $6,331,200 in Surface Transportation Program (STP-BR) funding and commits Evanston for matching funds in the amount of $1,582,800 for the project. Funding will be provided from Capital Improvement Fund 2020 General Obligation Bonds in the amount of $250,000, 2021 General Obligation Bonds in the amount of $1,302,800, the Water Fund in the amount of $30,000 and from the Federal Surface Transportation Program (STP-BR) grant funds in the amount of $6,331,200. A detailed funding analysis is included below. For Action Resolution 57-R-20, Authorizing the Mayor to Sign a Local Public Agency Funding Agreement with IDOT for the Central Street Bridge Replacement
The Evanston Police Department releases Fourth of July enforcement numbers
EVANSTON, IL – The Evanston Police Department issued 110 seat belt citations during the recent Fourth of July “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Click It or Ticket” safety campaigns. Other noted enforcement during the campaign includes:
8 Failure to secure child citations
31 cell phone violations
28 Speeding citations
15 No Insurance violatons
21 other citations
1 Open alcohol citation
1 Vehicle seized, driver was suspended for DUI
The Evanston Police Department joined forces with more than 200 other state and local enforcement agencies to get drunk and drugged drivers off our roads and encourage seat belt use. The effort featured high-visibility enforcement combined with a variety of outreach activities including a media campaign.
The effort period was funded by federal traffic safety funds administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation as part of the statewide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Click It or Ticket” programs.
We’re Out Walking (WOW) 2020 update
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be canceling the We’re Out Walking (WOW) program for 2020. Don’t worry though—we’ll be back in the near future! For those that registered for the 2020 WOW program, we will transfer your registration to the next WOW program. If you have already paid the $5 entry fee and would like a refund, please email Kristin Monnard at kmonnard@cityofevanston.org with your name and address; however, you will not be automatically registered for the next program and you will have to register again.
While we wait until 2021 for the WOW program to return, walking is still one of the best and easiest ways to stay healthy and active! Stay safe while walking outside by keeping a healthy distance from others and wearing a face covering when social distancing isn’t possible. Try these tips for getting more steps in this summer:
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