Traffic Guy

The Traffic Guy Hears...

... that Sherman Avenue is still closed between Foster and Emerson during construction, as is Lake between Brown
and Grey. There will be a lot of other construction sites all over town this summer and the City is working on a great interactive map to let us know the hot spots and the trouble spots. TG will keep you posted.

... that the CTA is tamping, leveling and aligning their tracks along the Purple
Line "to improve ridability for the customers." The CTA folks say there will be some noise generated from the engines required to power the tamping and sweeping machinery, but the project will not require vehicle storage or work to occur from City streets. Get out your bikes and your walking shoes. Here's the schedule of repairs:
July 8-12, southbound track Church to Lee out of service; July 15-19, northbound track Church to Milburn out of service; July 22-26 southbound track Milburn to Church out of service; July 29-31, northbound track Milburn to Linden out of service; and Aug. 1-3, southbound track Linden to Milburn out of service.

... that the City's Site Plan and Appearance Review Committee (SPAARC} gave approval to phase 1 of the Mather reconstruction - an 11-story "continuing care retirement building." The architect said the developers have a better understanding of the trees, and some will be replaced, but the double row of aspens on the north border will remain, as will the "open landscaped yard with parking below." (A covenant to that effect should now have been recorded.) He said light would not spill outside of the property line. There were a few other changes as well, but the project seems to be progressing.

... that SPAARC also voted unanimously to approve a plan for condo conversions at 834-40 Judson, for 25 units,
24 above-grade and one garden unit.

... that there may soon be a drive-through facility for Fifth Third Bank at 2400 Main St., and a bike rack, too.

... that the City hopes to be able to bid out the contract for Noah's Playground for Everyone in Lawson Park (up near the lighthouse). The park, funded in part privately and in part by the City, honors Noah Cutter, who was born with severe disabilities and who died in 2005.

... that the city of Chicago is piloting green-colored bike lanes at eight tricky intersections ("conflict points"), in the hope that they will mitigate bicycle-car accidents. Apparently this has worked in Portland, Ore. The green lanes are to alert motorists and bicyclists of conflict areas at intersections and assign right-of-way to bicyclists, thereby increasing safety. These eight pilot locations are part of the Chicago Bike 2015 Plan, which aims to convert 5 percent of all trips under 5 miles to bicycle by 2015. Maybe Evanston could aspire to that. TG would like to see Dodge Avenue, and particularly the Dodge/Dempster intersection, become more bicycle-friendly.

... that some folks have come up with a concept to keep down parking tickets: the "parking meter with a brain" and "the world's friendliest parking meter." Created by Photo Violation Technologies Corporation, the PhotoViolationMeter (PVM). Here's some stuff from its PR: "Not only does it offer more convenient ways to pay, the PVM can actually call to warn you that your meter is running low and allows you to pay for more time over the phone. ... The ‘no-fine' feature offers you the option of automatically paying in timed increments with your credit card so you avoid the risk of a ticket. The city gives you a grace period by pre-programming a certain amount of time that you can pay for extra minutes before it turns into a parking violation." These parking meters are currently installed for a testing period in Vancouver, British Columbia and Niagra Falls, N.Y., and, according to the PR, the meters have "already earned top marks from users during a test run in San Francisco." Now, lest you go thinking that this is all very well and good for customers, but what about our poor City government that relies on all that parking-ticket revenue, just wait - there's more PR: "These ‘smart' parking meters are a dream come true for city governments for other practical reasons. The PVM photographs license plates of cars that do violate parking laws, creating evidence that's tough to dispute. Its sensors also reset each time a new vehicle pulls into the space, allowing cities to increase parking revenue.

From our readers: TG: How about moving Evanston's war memorials to a canal park, perhaps just west of the old Permalawn site?

That area became part of the canal park in 2006. As yet unnamed because it was simply absorbed into the existing Twiggs Park, this area could even be named Veterans Memorial Park.

Current and possible future war memorials would easily fit along the canal, and the City could probably cough up some cash to give the memorials a handsome design with walkways, benches, a flag and perhaps even a fountain.

How fitting to honor our soldiers there. After World War II, hundreds of Evanston veterans and their families lived on both sides of the canal in Quonset huts put up temporarily to meet urgent post-war housing needs.

I am against the war memorials being shifted to the triangle south of Fountain Square, as that space is ridiculously small and an after-thought at best. The memorials would be lost at the lakefront, which is already too busy. Neither Merrick Rose Garden nor its lovely roses are on a scale that could stand up to the giant memorials.

Let's honor our war dead by putting their memorials where they will have some gravitas and look great for decades to come.
- Janet G. Messenger

From TG: TG agrees that we need a fitting place to honor our veterans and with this horrible administration who knows how many more war memorials we're going to need. To paraphrase Joni Mitchell, raze paradise and put up a war memorial. TG would like to see the name Twiggs Park remain for the original park, though, to honor Mr. Twiggs's contributions to the City. Then, as you suggest, the new part could have a new name (not Permalawn Park, TG hopes).

TG: Normally I would ignore the type of statement made by your reader Jim Weiland in your June 27 issue. However, I am so tired of this generalized St. Francis-bashing that has taken over Evanston of late.
 
I'm wondering just what part of "Fee For Service" escapes Mr. Weiland. Is he proposing that St. Francis not charge anyone so as to avoid charging those in the lower socio-economic category? When one arrives in the ED, one is treated. There is no immediate assessment made of one's ability to reimburse. Patients are expected to offer insurance and/or Medicare and Medicaid information before departing, if available. Patients are also expected to make an effort to pay their account at a later date. They are expected to give the correct address, make scheduled payments of some sort to defray their costs or apply for Charity Care. I find nothing unorthodox with that approach, and I'm quite sure the same approach is found at most hospitals, including Evanston. Stroger Hospital sends out bills too. May I remind him, since he appears to have forgotten, of the fading notion of personal responsibility?
 
All large institutions make administrative decisions that are not always supported in the community and/or within their own institution.  Painting the bricks may be one of them, but apparently a survey was taken of the surrounding residents and they wholeheartedly approved.

 Mr. Weiland should spend a day at St. Francis and see for himself the number of patients arriving with no financial resources who receive care anyway. To see the number of patients who travel from the far South Side for that very reason and receive excellent care, or even to glimpse the number of bills that are returned with "Addressee Unknown" might just make him think before he makes such an ignorant assumption.

 While I personally disagree with the financial idea of staining the bricks, it was not my decision to make, nor do I know all of the ramifications, but I do know that operating St. Francis, and providing the care that it does to our community and our surrounding neighbors is not done on Monopoly money. If St. Francis is ever unable to meet its own financial responsibilities, it will close; and exactly what impact would that have on all of the people who currently use and appreciate the care they now receive? 

 The ball is now in Mr. Weiland's court.
- Kathryn Mark

TG: What's going on with restaurant inspections around Evanston? I saw the downtown cereal place closed with a notice from the City posted on its door and the same for a place on Central Street that I had thought was doing well but now has a "for sale" sign and a City notice on its door. Did either or both have major code violations?
- John Frank

From TG: Neither had code violations, according to information from Jay Terry, the City's director of health and human services. When a restaurant goes out of business, Mr. Terry said, the City puts up a notice so that prospective purchasers know that they will have to talk with health department officials.

The Traffic Guy Thinks...

... it was nice to see Al Jackson's flag up and flying again for the Fourth of July. It's surely one of the biggest in town and one that is a hallmark of the holiday almost as much as is the parade. Apparently it was vandalized but he got it repaired in time for the holiday. TG firmly believes in First Amendment rights and understands that a flag can be burned as a drastic political statement by people who still love their country but feel that it is in dire straits. But vandalizing someone else's flag is just petty and mean.

... that was some parade on July 4. TG particularly liked the entries that pulled no punches on the unconscionable Bush/Cheney administration.

... don't forget the Ethnic Arts Festival in about 10 days.