Traffic Guy

The Traffic Guy Hears...

... that the repairs to the Asbury bridge appear to be complete, as all lanes are open north of Howard.

... that on July 24 the CTA will begin field work to replace the nearly century-old viaduct over Church Street.

… that winds blew down this branch of an ash tree on Florence a couple of weeks ago. It wasn't a lightning strike, according to the Forestry folk. The tree was already diseased at the fork, and probably weakened, so the wind just snapped it off.

… that, according to the sustainable transportation folks, Evanston's Transportation Future, Pace responded to some of their requests by installing some additional bus signs in Evanston. ETF would like more and maybe Pace will get around to more. CTA will look at improving signage in Evanston after adjustments are made for getting the Pink Line up and going. ETF says the CTA "contemplates signed bus stops every eighth of a mile, which would make flag stops unnecessary. CTA indicates that flag stops are unique to Evanston, creating training problems for drivers, among other difficulties. ETF members have cited CTA buses passing them up."

… speaking of the CTA, did everyone catch the CTA train in Julie Hamos' contingent at the Fourth of July parade? She's our State Representative and chair of the mass transit committee.

… that half of the funding for the City's bike plan has been approved - this part from Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP). We trust the City will come up with the money for the other half.

... that a team of Northwestern University scientists using Global Positioning System (GPS) software developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena have shown that GPS can determine within minutes whether an earthquake is big enough to generate an ocean-wide tsunami. This NASA-funded technology can be used to provide faster tsunami warnings.  The team of NU scientists Seth Stein and Emile Okal, led by Geoffrey Blewitt of the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology and Seismological Laboratory, University of Nevada, Reno, demonstrated that a large quake's true size can be determined within 15 minutes using GPS data. The new method, called "GPS displacement," works by measuring the time it takes for radio signals from GPS satellites to arrive at ground stations located within a few thousand kilometers of a quake. From these data, scientists can calculate how far the stations moved because of the quake and can then derive an earthquake model and the quake's true size, called its "moment magnitude." This magnitude is directly related to a quake's potential for generating tsunamis, the scientists say. 

From our readers: TG: I enjoy your column and thought you were talking to me about biking through the Asbury and Davis intersection. I do it about four times a week, and it is never easy. The rule of the road is "bike in the rightmost lane going in your direction of travel." In this case, going northbound, it is the middle lane. Normally the safest thing to do in such tight lanes is to "take the lane." Asbury is so narrow that is usually the best advice for that intersection.

In some situations where you have a wider lane, it is okay, even advisable sometimes, to get between the cars. If you are confident that the car in the right- turn lane will indeed turn right, it is safe to move up between the cars. By staying far to the right in the straight-ahead lane you will make it possible for cars behind you to pass. The correct way to make these maneuvers is covered on page 20 of "Safe Bicycling in Illinois," published by the Illinois Department of Transportation." -- Norbert Budde, north suburban community director, Chicagoland Bicycle Federation

From TG: Thanks for the helpful advice, Mr. Budde and thank you for taking the trouble to drop off two copies of "Safe Bicycling in Illinois." This is a must-read for bikers and drivers alike - so each will know what the other is about to do.

To TG: Well, TG, I think I count as a "really seasoned bike rider." I've been commuting by bicycle for 26 years, the last 20 of which have been all year around.

As a commuter, I find that I tend to see the same people driving on my route every day. So I found a long time ago, that by obeying the traffic laws, I have a lot less hassle than bike riders who don't obey the law. Want respect? Act respectfully. So your question becomes quite simple: What would a car have to do in the same spot?

I also find that for the most part, going around cars on the right is a bad idea. If there is a clear parking lane with lots of room, then I will go around a long line. But if it's a narrow street (like most streets in Evanston), it's better to "get in line."

Road sneaks are a bad idea as well. I take the center of the lane when I'm stopped in line. I'll move over when traffic gets up to speed.

On a completely different topic, but related to bikes, I'm appalled at the low number of bike riders at ETHS who have helmets. My twins just started there for the summer, and since it's on my way to work, I ride with them to ETHS. Even the adults riding to ETHS (there are a few) don't seem to wear helmets. My son related a story to me about another student's attitude towards helmets. He asked my son, "Why don't you take the helmet off a few blocks from home, and put it back on when you get within a few blocks from home? Then your parents will never know you're not wearing it." Must be a fairly prevalent attitude; I see a fair number of kids with helmets hanging on their handlebars. -- Charles Pint

From TG: Kids are too often impervious to suggestions of parents and laws of nature. Also, as they believe but we adults tend to doubt, they are invulnerable. That's why they can drive too fast, drink too early and not wear bike helmets or seat belts.

To TG: Has anyone else noticed that the corner of Maple and Dempster appears to be very dangerous? There is an accident there just about once every other week. The same goes for the corner of Oak and Dempster. Are there any plans to address this obvious safety concern?

Also, two other things: (1) Food memories: Inferno's pizza near the Central Street El Station, back in the 1960s. It was genuinely spooky. Even the pizza had burnt edges and a smoky flavor. The delivery guy, Wes, looked like James Dean and never spoke. If you're going to mention the Spot, you have to mention Inferno's also! (2) Does anyone know what is happening with the DeStefano development near 1333 Maple?

From TG: This is a problem. Sometimes it seems much of the stream of traffic on Dempster east of Ridge finds it hard to stop for the relatively minor rivulets on Oak and Maple - which leads to Maple and Oak cars trying to squeeze in through steady traffic (especially if they have to cross a lane) and Dempster cars speeding up to stop them from even thinking about it. TG does not know if a solution is in the works but suggests coordinating the stop lights at Asbury, Ridge, Elmwood and Main so east-west traffic will have a few breaks and the north-south traffic can get through. Thanks for the food memories - Inferno's sounds like it was a pretty interesting place. TG will try to find out what's up with 1333 Maple.

State Rep. Julie Hamos, head of the Mass Transit Committee, had her own CTA bus and train retinue in the parade.

The Traffic Guy Thinks...

... that the RoundTable had a pretty cool entry in the Fourth of July parade:

presenting some of the stars of the First Amendment: U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Brennan, John Denver, Frederick Douglass, Katharine Graham, Langston Hughes, Thomas Paine, Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, Dee Snider, Ida Tarbell, Sojourner Truth, Ida B. Wells and Frank Zappa. The poster on the passenger-door panel showed the dark moon of the USA Patriot Act threatening to eclipse the sun of the First Amendment. Those who thought they saw TG at the parade probably did. Hope everyone had a happy Fourth.

... that maybe next year (per a friend of TG) the City or the Fourth of July Association can make some money out of some folks' eagerness to put out chairs for parade-watching: Have a "Chair Factor" kind of race at 6 a.m. on July 1, starting at Ackerman Park, McDaniel and Central, or maybe even further west, at Bent Park. The event can be done in one of two ways: First idea: When the starting gun goes off (neighbors will love this), people run with their chairs to secure a place. The first one to sit down comfortably and, say, open a copy of the morning newspaper (preferably the RoundTable) is the winner. Second idea, a sort of musical chairs. The City or the Association puts out chairs and again the race starts in one of the parks. To the tune of "The Stars and Stripes Forever," everyone looks for a place to stake out viewing room for friends and family. In either case, people have to pay an entry fee, which could go to the City or the Fourth of July Association.

... that everyone should get to as many of the remaining summer festivals and starlight concerts as possible. And put on your dancin' shoes for It's Thursday. There's nothing like summer in Evanston.

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