By Michelle Stenzel
Alderman Michele Smith is hosting "walkabouts" open to all residents of the 43rd ward. During the walks, she and her staff will be taking suggestions for ways to allocate our ward's annual $1.2 million in menu funds. The menu funds are provided so that an alderman can pay for infrastructure improvements for things like street resurfacing or sidewalk replacement. Ald. Smith says these walks will help in developing the submission to the city for this year's funds as well as inform a multi-year plan for future improvements. See the details on Alderman Smith's newsletter here.
 |
| Pedestrian countdown timers like this one at Clark and Armitage help people decide if there's enough time to cross. (Photo: Bike Walk Lincoln Park) |
We're very excited because many of the menu items are upgrades that we could sorely use to help make our neighborhood even better for walking and riding bicycles.
For example, if a resident or block of residents feels that car drivers speed down their street, they could request that a speed hump (formerly known as speed bump) be installed, for $3,700.
If there's a busy intersection around you that doesn't have pedestrian countdown timer, you could make a case for installing that ($12,000).
 |
| A pedestrian on North Avenue at Orchard has a safe haven on which to wait. (Photo: Bike Walk Lincoln Park) |
You know from our prior post on the new pedestrian island on North Avenue at Orchard Street that we like how the islands slow traffic and allow pedestrians to make a safe "two-step" crossing across a busy four-lane road. We could use more of these on North Avenue. They're kind of pricey at $60,000, but may be a good use of funds in the right places.
One of the least expensive items is the in-road "State Law Stop for Pedestrians" signs, which are only $800 a pop. You know from our prior post on the portable signs seen daily on Wells Street south of Division that these signs are highly effective in slowing down car drivers and making them actually stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk. It would be fantastic to have many of these installed all over Lincoln Park at uncontrolled crosswalks (techie way of saying there's no stop sign nor a stop light at the crosswalk) like all of the ones up and down Stockton Drive, for example.
 |
| In Evanston, they've already got in-street signs telling drivers to stop for pedestrians. (Photo credit: Flick user Zolk) |
The full list of walks is below. Please consider attending one near you! This is your opportunity to speak up and point out improvements that are needed in Lincoln Park to make our area even better for walking and riding bicycles.
The walks are expected to be about two hours long, and Ald. Smith will attend each of them in part, but due to the overlap of times (set by the neighborhood groups), her staff members will be leading them. The 43rd ward has nine active neighborhood groups, and the map that reflects the sub-neighborhoods within Lincoln Park can be found here. You're welcome to attend any and all of the walks and do not need to be a member of the neighborhood associations to participate.
Attendees will receive "training" before you set out. Wear comfortable shoes, and see you there!
(** Post edited on March 21 to add newly scheduled walks for Lincoln Central and Sheffield Neighbors and edited March 23 to add newly scheduled Wrightwood Neighbors walk on March 31)
9:00 am
Old Town Triangle neighborhood
Meet at Old Town Triangle Center, 1763 N. North Park
Saturday, March 24
9:00 am
Lincoln Central neighborhood
Meet at City Grounds, on Dickens west of Lincoln
Saturday, March 24
9:30 am
Mid-North neighborhood
Meet at Starbucks at Lincoln and Belden
Saturday, March 24
10:00 am
Park West neighborhood
Meet at Fullerton and Lakeview
Saturday, March 31
9:00 am
RANCH Triangle neighborhood
Meet at Bridgeview Bank, 1970 N. Halsted
Saturday, March 31
9:00 am
Sheffield Neighbors neighborhood
Location TBA - Call Ald. Smith's office
Saturday, March 31
10:00 am
Old Town neighborhood in the 43rd ward south of North Ave
Coordinated with the Old Town Residents and Merchants Association
Meet at Burton Place Pavillions, 1447 N. Wells
Saturday, March 31
10:00 am
Wrightwood Neighbors neighborhood
Meet at Children's Memorial Park at Lincoln/Fullerton/Halsted
This is a great way to determine how to spend menu money. I'm curious where you got the costs for speed humps, signs, and such. I hadn't found solid figures on those before.
ReplyDeleteI got a verbal commitment last fall from Ald. Osterman in the 48th Ward to at least try "Stop for Pedestrians" signs on Clark Street in Andersonville. I find those work the best on two-lane streets like Clark and its good to know that they're fairly inexpensive.
Ald. Smith's office provided the figures on costs.
DeleteYes, I've seen the portable in-street "Stop for Peds" on Wells working now for many months, and they're very effective. Hopefully people in wards all over the city will lobby their alderman to spend menu funds on these.
Thanks for the use of your picture! -- Michelle
Is it just me, or do these prices seem exorbently expensive? Almost $4000 for some extra asphalt? That's ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. The speed hump says that it's $3,700 "per block", so perhaps it includes more than one?
DeleteI thought $12,000 for a pedestrian countdown timer to be added onto an existing traffic light was pretty steep, but that says it's "per intersection" so I suppose that covers four lights.