Traffic Guy

The Traffic Guy Hears...

... that the final signs are up for the Sherman Avenue garage. Here's a pic of City crews hanging the sign along the Benson Avenue side. Sherman Avenue itself is still one-way in front of the plaza, between Church and Davis, as the workers there are putting in new sidewalks and finishing up the retail space. The expected move-in date for some of the stores is mid-August. Don't forget that Benson is still only lane in each direction, north of Church.

... Speaking of that area, TG hears that the manager of the Evanston Athletic Club asked the City for free parking for her members in either the Maple Avenue or Sherman Plaza garages until the viaduct work is done. Seems some of the members are complaining about having to walk a couple of blocks to work out. Third Ward Alderman Melissa Wynne suggested offering the members free calorie counters to show how much walking an extra block or two from the garage lets them subtract from their workout time.

... that construction has begun on Ridge Avenue; it's one lane each direction between Church and Greenwood now.

... that Chicago Avenue south of Dempster is jammed, stop-and-go and frustrating – though not wholly gridlocked. Between Dempster and Hamilton there's only one lane, so you have to wait your turn between the oncoming traffic and the machines on the side. Further south, between Kedzie and just south of South, it's a little better, but still only one lane in each direction.

... that the 1200 block of Wesley, just south of Dempster, is getting a new surface, a paradise for skate-boarders and roller-bladers until the first bumps come.

... that Bridge Street is one-way south across McCormick, so if you're heading north on Dodge, for example, and want to cross the canal, use Green Bay or Emerson. Speaking of Green Bay, traffic there between Lincoln and Noyes is onelane in each direction and thus sometimes jammed a bit. Watch out for some pretty large humps around the person-hole covers, particularly going north. As you remember, Green Bay is being widened in front of Kingsley School there to allow for a right-turn lane for southbound traffic to get onto McCormick – part of the whole reconfiguration. Grant will end at Prairie and Prairie will extend to McCormick, making it safer for pedestrians, particularly school children. TG also hears that the City may place the Silver Wings public art piece at the head of the arboretum nearby.

... that one group of Kendall neighbors has come to an agreement with developer Smithfield Properties to put only single-family homes on the former college site. While that might satisfy the R1 folks, the preservationists may not be too happy to see the administration building come down. They had hoped to have it preserved as a landmark, since it housed the former Swedish Theological Seminary.

... that there's a new political party in town: Enough Is Enough. An anonymous press release to the RoundTable said the party was organized in opposition to the growing number of high-rises and dense developments, particularly in the downtown area. (TG might have added that some of them are mighty ugly, but the release did not issue an invitation to join.) There are now 10 members, including local businesspersons, residents of high-rises and people who have lived in Evanston for a long time, and they say they will make themselves known when the time is right.

... that there is some lovely sweet clover growing out of the sidewalk cracks along Sherman Avenue south of Greenwood.

... that National College of Education, reborn as National-Louis University, has finally forsaken Evanston. The new NLU is over in Skokie and Baker Demonstration School has moved to Wilmette. Kind of sad, since National College came here because, in the 1960s, Evanston's public schools were the best in the country.

Speaking of at least one school district, here's the progress being made on the development at 1314 Ridge, the site of the former District 65 administration building: The old mansion looks great all cleaned up, wouldn't you say? Hope it still looks that nice when the seven detached homes are built.

... that the Chicago Bicycle Federation's 18th annual Boulevard Lakefront Tour will begin at 7 a.m. on Sept. 10 at the Midway Plaisance, south of the corner of 59th Street and Woodlawn Avenue, two blocks south of Jimmy's. Registration is $30 for Chicagoland Bicycle Federation members and $35 for non-members. Visit http://www.boulevardtour.org or call 312-427-3325, ext. 251.

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