Traffic Guy

The Traffic Guy Hears...

... that the Sherman Avenue garage is set to open tomorrow.

... that the top floor of the new Maple Avenue garage has great views and is a perfect spot for tailgate parties on hot weekend nights.

... that Cozy Noodle and Rice on Davis Street suffered damage from a kitchen fire there last week - no injuries and not a lot of damage. Hope they can re-open soon.

... the YEA Festival was just magnificent. And the Garden Fair and the 20th anniversary of Evanston Community Media Center - what a way to usher in the summer. Get ready for those summer favorites, the Starlight Concerts; the Custer Street Festival; the downtown arts festival; the Fourth of July parade, games, concert and fireworks; the Ethnic Arts Festival; and the Lakeshore Arts Festival.

... that there are some very cool new banners in the Fifth Ward. If you look closely at the center of the flower, it's an "e" (upside down, but definitely, TG thinks, for Evanston).

... that the City is purchasing some big vehicles: two backhoe-loaders, one for Streets and San and the other for Park Maintenance, a tandem-axle truck with a grappler for Parks/Forestry and two trucks with utility bodies.

... that the fire department held aerial spotting training at the former Hines Lumber Company site. The training helps firefighters to properly position the aerial ladder around rooftops to gain proper and safe access.

... that the City is putting in some ADA-approved ramps at various street intersections. The City selects the locations based on aldermanic request, citizen input and field surveys by City staff. TG would suggest looking at the alleys along Main Street, particularly west of Dodge. In some places, the sidewalks drop straight down to the alleys, making it bumpy for bikes but, TG would guess, somewhat more hazardous for frail pedestrians.

Speaking of sidewalks, the City is going to replace quite a bit of the sidewalk along Oakton Street, from Dodge to the bridge over the canal, as well as some "deteriorated sections" of the sidewalk around the schools there. (Not clear if Oakton School is included but Chute and Dawes should get new sidewalks.)

... that Sheridan Road between Lincoln and Forest will be closed the morning of June 18 (which is also Father's Day) for the Ricky Byrdsong Memorial 5K race. Most of the staging will be at NU's Long Field.

... that neighbors in the Dodge/Crain area are still hoping for some traffic lane reconfigurations at Dempster/Dodge. One neighbor wrote to the City's traffic guy and sent a copy here: "It was said repetitively that the westernmost lane of southbound Dodge Avenue (at its intersection with Lake Street) be configured as a ‘right-turn only' lane. This could prevent accidents, particularly between the light itself and Smitty's Towing, by eliminating the opportunity for impatient motorists in the right lane to race ahead and cut off those in the center lane, who are also heading south. ...I'm sure that not only I, but other law-abiding resident motorists would appreciate your expediting this matter in whatever way possible." The City folks said they would see "if adding a right-turn lane is feasible," since they would need at least 20 feet to do that.

The City's bike plan also calls for bike lanes on Dodge. The bike lanes are five feet, which will squeeze the bikers and cars together a bit.

... that, speaking of roads, State Senator Jeff Schoenberg, chairman of the Senate Appropriations II Committee, is holding his first hearing today at the Thompson Center in Chicago about privatizing the 274-mile Illinois Tollway.

From our readers:
To TG: I just want to help spread the word so our canine and feline friends are protected. This morning while running around 5 a.m., I saw two coyotes headed towards the lake at Central and Orrington (I have also seen deer in this area). Several months ago, I saw a coyote in the graveyard that separates Evanston from Chicago. Evanston residents should be very careful not to leave their small dogs or house-cats unattended while outside. - Kate

From TG: This letter was sent in February to an old RoundTable e-mail address, which someone cleans out quarterly. Coyotes have been seen in Evanston for several years now, so TG assumes the advice is still good.

To TG: A writer recently lamented the loss of The Spot from Foster Street many years ago, along with its great pizza. Well, it's still available if you know where to look. I was walking in downtown La Jolla, Cal., a couple years ago and saw a place called "The Spot," using the same logo. Walk in, and pictures of the Evanston original are right there on the wall. The owner must have decided to move to a warmer Spot long ago. - Dave Borland

TheTraffic Guy Thinks...

... Here's a really good bike rack. It's made of recycled plastic and located (where else?) at the Ecology Center.

... that it's great that the Starlight Concerts are expanding to Twiggs Park, along the canal. Two of the Tuesday night concerts will be held there this summer: Lucy Smith on June 20 and Ethnic Heritage Ensemble on Aug. 22.