Traffic Guy

That is the shadow of RT photographer Laura Rust, not of TG, taking this photo of the water main break on Payne Street.

Too many lawsuits spoil the sledding at Mt. Trashmore.
Photo by Levik Megerdichian

The Traffic Guy hears...

... that the 15th annual First Night Evanston celebration got off to a great start with a parade along Sherman Avenue.

Despite the cold wind and thickly falling snow, about 100 people made the loop from the Chase Bank Plaza on Davis Street down to Grove and back up again to Fountain Square. There were about 80 art and cultural performances that evening, in 14 different locations. The RoundTable was delighted to be a First Night Evanston sponsor.

... that the City of Evanston's Geographic Information System (GIS) Manager Pat Keegan was recently elected president of the Illinois Geographic Information Systems Association (ILGISA). With him around, nobody in Evanston should be getting lost.

... that this winter's freezing and melting is sure creating some fine icicles. TG supposes that it's also making some humongous potholes, as the water fills existing holes and expands with the cold.

... that a water main break at Central Park and Payne had crews out just before Christmas.

... that, speaking of water, it's reported that the water in Lake Michigan is about 13 inches below normal for this time of year. Is this cyclical or some sort of super-evaporation? Apparently our wet early winter saved the lake from hitting an all-time record low for January. Some folks believe that it's the Canadians up on Lake St. Clair that are stealing our water. Although there is a regional compact to restrict water withdrawals from the Great Lakes to levels that can be naturally replenished, it has to be approved by the legislatures of all eight Great Lakes states, as well as the U.S. Congress, according to information from Environment Illinois.

... that those who do not rely solely on the Internet for communication, bill-paying and the like may be interested in knowing that today the U.S. Postal Service will be dedicating its "Celebrating Lunar New Year: Year of the Rat" stamp today in San Francisco. The ChineseYear of the Rat begins Feb. 7; people born in the Year of the Rat are said to be industrious, adaptable and ambitious. Later this month, the 31st stamp in the Black Heritage series will honor Charles W. Chesnutt, a pioneering writer recognized today as a major innovator and singular voice among turn-of-the-century literary realists who probed the color line in American life.

... that three new laws initiated by Secretary of State Jesse White took effect Jan. 1. One relates to teen driving and curfew; another allows parents or guardians access to the driving records of their teenagers under age 18 for free via the Internet at www.CyberdriveIllinois.com; the third makes it a crime to falsify one's military service in order to receive special license plates designated for military service personnel. Fines for violating the military personnel impersonation law (a minimum of $1,000) will be deposited into the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund.

From our readers:
TG: I read with interest the letter from Mr. Dickerson in the latest issue of the RoundTable, as well as your reply. A little history: The streets around the Central Street Metra station were gradually turned into anti-commuter zones (the express purpose of the 7-9 a.m. "residents only" parking restriction was to exclude Metra commuters headed to work in the morning) at the behest of area residents who resented that "outsiders" (mostly fellow Evanstonians) were parking on "their" streets.

And, believe it or not, the pretext used in the City ordinance to justify the privatization of these public streets was "improving" the environment. Of course, just how impeding access to public transportation could possibly "improve" the environment was never explained, confirming that it was not the real reason for the restrictions.

Finally, the City did a parking study a few years ago, which resulted in the recommendation that the anti-commuter parking restrictions around the Central Street Metra station be relaxed, to improve access to the train station. But like many such studies, it has been gathering dust and has never been acted upon by our City government. In this instance, the primordial NIMBY instinct still rules.
- Eugene Frett

From TG: As you know, TG agrees wholeheartedly and hopes someone at the City will soon wake up to the fact that we can't be a very green community as long as we refuse to encourage folks to take public transportation. Of course, in an Evanston full of money, the City would offer great and frequent bus service to the commuter stations, so no one would have to use cars.

TG: It's New Year's Day and my husband decided to take our son sledding at Mount Trashmore. For the second time in as many weeks he was greeted with the sight of not one, but three City employees "policing" the use of the sled hills at Mount Trashmore.

We understand that the City doesn't want the responsibility and liability of people going down the largest (center) sled hill. However, why are we paying three people time and a half on a holiday to stand around and talk to each other at the bottom of the hill? With a vehicle running as well? Why can't the City just put up a fence at the base of the hill and post signs warning violators? This way, if someone in injured, the City is protected, and we don't have to watch more of our hard-earned money go to waste.

It's also ironic that with the last big snow, someone set up a hay bale on one of the hills which provided a great launching pad for youngsters. The guards didn't seem bothered by this, although it seemed more dangerous then letting people go down the big hill.
- Aimee LeBlanc, SW Evanston resident

From TG: Doug Gaynor, director of Parks/Forestry and Recreation for the City, provided the following information: The three persons you saw were not City employees but security guards contracted by the City. The number of guards is based on the amount of snowfall, and the signs are meant to keep folks from acting recklessly or riskily. So the guards and the plethora of signs are to protect folks from their sometimes ill-considered inclinations and to protect the City from lawsuits when or if the folks give in to them.

TG: Recently, neighbors of the Three Crowns Park senior community met to discuss a variety of issues relating to the Three Crowns' expansion project.

The neighbors are especially frustrated with the fact that there are no spaces provided in the facility for employee parking, resulting in residents being unable to park near their houses on the adjacent streets of Colfax, Pioneer and Grant.

Three Crowns had assured the residents in a series of redevelopment meetings that adequate parking space would be available for all employees at the new facility.

After 18 months of competing with contractor vehicles parking on the adjoining streets and the addition of the employee vehicles, the neighbors are feeling betrayed by the management of the senior center.

Discussions are being held by concerned neighbors on possible courses of action. Also, many of the residents are upset with the glaring yellow lights around the facility that are very much out of character with the lighting from the decorative street lamps that pre-dated the facility's expansion.
- Ron Blitz

The Traffic Guy thinks ...
... that taking the 15-percent property tax hike in stride is exercise enough for the winter. By the way, does the fact that City officials chose a photo of the public art piece "Silver Wings" for the cover of the budget indicate that our money is flying away?