Traffic Guy

The Traffic Guy Hears...

... that traffic on Ridge between Crain and Greenwood was wet and wild last week, as crews continued repairing the water mains in preparation for resurfacing most of the street (Howard to Church).

... that Dodge Avenue around Oakton was almost cleaned up in time for the first day of school for kids at Dawes last Wednesday. Not that it was entirely done - curbing on the southeast corner could use a little help. And the street has to be repaved and the lanes marked - but both lanes can travel in each direction now. McCormick was set and reconfigured in time for the Haven and Kingsley kids to show up. Crews just seem to be travelin' on, because they've dug up (and presumably are going to replace) the circular drive at the Ecology Center.

... that on the south side of Oakton, between the animal shelter and the canal, the mini shopping plaza is getting some work. Does anyone know if an ice-cream shop is still in the works for there?

... that Vineyard Christian Fellowship is officially in its new digs, which eases Sunday morning traffic on Dodge Avenue.

... that the North Shore Century (a 100-mile bike ride) will take place Sept. 17, originating at Dawes Park. Visit the website.

... that Senator Jeff Schoenberg is holding hearings throughout the state on the possibility of leasing the Illinois Tollway to a private entity. He says he's looking for a "responsible public-private partnership" for the deal.

... that a reader caught a slip in the last column, when TG referred to "manholes" as opposed to the usual "personholes." Speaking of which, City crews were inspecting the personhole covers at Sherman and Main last Thursday.

... that BEHIV is looking for participants to join them in the AIDS Run & Walk on Sept. 16. Registration is $20; BEHIV at kevinrichards@behiv.org.

... that, over at the lake, the Alliance for the Great Lakes' (formerly the Lake Michigan Federation) "Lake Effect" reports "global warming to put heat on Great Lakes waters. ... Global warming scenarios for the Great Lakes region project higher temperatures and lower lake levels in the coming decades, with profound effects for the natural environment, public health, and how we work and play.

"Scientists say such changes will pressure the Great Lakes' delicate ecology, alter forests, fish and wildlife, and change the very character of the Lakes - as most scenarios show warmer temperatures pushing lake levels down more than five feet by 2100."

... From our readers: To TG: What happened to the bugs? Do you remember when bugs on the windshield were a problem? You always had to scrape them off after a road trip, even one of a short distance. You don't anymore. What has happened?-- Reader in Connecticut

From TG: TG agrees there are fewer bugs coating the fronts of cars these days but thought maybe bugs were getting more adept at dodging windshields. Maybe there is a greater ecological significance to this. Can anyone help out? Has anyone noticed that bugs are fewer in these parts?

TG: A passage in your Aug. 23 column caught my eye, and not just because it was a monument to the use of passive voice. It read, "the City has added the alley north of Colfax and east of Pioneer to its paving schedule for the year. Residents had contested the project but lost their case in court." It should be noted that 16 homes abut the alley and that a majority of the households, including my family, indicated their support for the project on multiple occasions to the City. Yes, it is true "residents" opposed the alley in court -- two households to be precise. So while factually correct, you reported the story in a way that leads one to believe all residents of the block opposed the project, which is far from the case.-- Ross Buchaan.

From TG: You have the City to thank for the item, for the phrasing and for the passive voice. The residents' vote was 9-7 in favor of paving. Since two of the seven residents who voted against the alley paving took their case to court, that alley was omitted from the original vote. When the City prevailed, Council had to vote on that specific alley.

To TG: The older parkway trees that line Chicago Avenue from Main to about Dempster look very mistreated and are overdue for some pruning. Does the forestry department have a scheduled maintenance plan for the parkway trees? Also, the parkway trees on the Evanston side of Howard are in the same neglected shape. -- Lamont Lynn

From TG: Paul D'Agostino, superintendent of the Parks/Forestry replies thus to your inquiry: "The Parks/Forestry Division currently has an eight-year tree trimming cycle, which means we normally trim trees once every eight years.

"If a tree becomes hazardous or diseased, or if it dies before our regularly scheduled trimming, we always address these issues promptly when they occur.

"As for the specific trees that you mention, the majority of them are in sidewalk openings, and not on actual parkways. Additionally, most of them also happen to be ashes. Last year's drought was especially hard on ash trees Citywide and even tougher on the trees in sidewalk openings.

"This is an extremely tough environment for trees, and very few species are able to tolerate, much less thrive, in these restricted conditions. The average life span for trees in this type of situation is approximately seven years.

"Forestry staff will inspect the trees on Chicago and on Howard and take appropriate action within the next 30 days."

The Traffic Guy thinks ...
... that the Alliance for the Great Lakes is seeking a smoking ban on beaches in Chicago. Sounds like that would be a good plan for Evanston, too. Don't forget to help at the Adopt-a-Beach day, 9 a.m.- noon on Sept. 16. Register online, or to learn more contact adoptabeach@greatlakes.org.

... here's an example of pretty quick destruction: The pictures were taken less than two weeks apart:

... that there's been some conversation in the past month (at least vis-a-vis this newspaper) about the relative merits of the Joseph Hill Education Center.

Seems one of the aldermen suggested it was pretentious and not the best use of funds, pointing out that the District cut educational programs a number of years ago.

Some former and current School Board members are defending the building, saying the funds came out of capital, not operating funds, so it did not adversely impact educational programs. No matter what immediate pot the money comes from, it ultimately comes from the taxpayers.

... it was a great summer, a little on the dry side overall (despite last week). Seems that the skin on local tomatoes is a little thick. Is that from the hot sun and dry summer, or does it mean something about winter, the way caterpillars' coats do?

... that, as most of you know, Pluto, having enjoyed planetary status since 1930, is now a dwarf planet, thanks to a vote by the International Astronomical Union. Given that Pluto (and the others) have been around for 30 million years or so, TG thinks "planet emeritus" could suffice.

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