Alderman Bennett Lawson - 44th Ward Chicago

Alderman Bennett Lawson
44th Ward
Seal of Chicago

Articles under Infrastructure/Construction Notice

Managing Stormwater at Home

Climate Change and Stormwater

There have been lots of stories this winter about the rising levels in Lake Michigan, the erosion of many of the city’s beaches and flooding along the lakeshore. As we see warmer winters and more intense storms, the Chicago Department of Water Management would like to remind you that there are simple steps you can take to help keep water out of our basement.

  • Do not dump fats/oils/greases in private drains or public catch basins.
  • Avoid running a dishwasher or washing machine during storms.
  • Disconnect downspout connections from the sewer system. Make sure to direct flow to areas with permeable surfaces that can properly absorb the stormwater or use rain barrels to collect the rain directly from the downspouts.
  • Install rain gardens, green landscaping, or stormwater trees in your yard to help retain rainwater.
  • Resurface driveways, parking pads, or patios with permeable pavement.

Additional information can be found at: https://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/water/supp_info/conservation.html

 

 

Supporting Documents/Information

 

 

 

 

 

Local Street Closures Related to CTA-RPM Work

 

 

 

 

The following streets will be fully and partially closed due to ongoing work related to the CTA’s RPM Project.

Roscoe: Partial Closure
From: Clark
To: Sheffield
Start: January 4, 2020
End: January 9, 2020
Closure Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Sheffield: Full Closure
From: Roscoe
To: Clark
Start: January 4, 2020
End: January 27, 2020
Closure Hours: 24/7
Work will occur on weekdays and weekends between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Closure Detour:

  • Northbound Sheffield to Eastbound Belmont, Eastbound Belmont to Northbound Halsted, Northbound Halsted to Westbound Addison, Westbound Addison to continue Northbound Sheffield.
  • Southbound Sheffield to Eastbound Addison, Eastbound Addison to Southbound Halsted, Southbound Halsted to Westbound Belmont, Westbound Belmont to continue Southbound Sheffield.

For more information, please visit the CTA-RPM website, https://www.transitchicago.com/rpm/rpb/. We also encourage you to sign up to the RPM newsletter for updated information, https://mailchi.mp/transitchicago/rpmalerts​.

 

Supporting Documentation/Information:

The Department of Water Management Offers Tips to Prevent Frozen Pipes

The Department of Water Management Offers Tips to Prevent Frozen Pipes

As winter officially begins on December 21, 2019, the Department of Water Management (DWM) is spreading the word and reminding residents to take precautions to prevent their pipes from freezing.

As the temperature drops for more prolonged periods of time, the greater the chance that pipes could freeze and burst –causing costly damage to homes.

Visit www.cityofchicago.org/water for more tips on how to prevent frozen pipes.

Maintain Good Water Quality

To ensure good water quality, remember to flush your plumbing system every day. Simply run the cold water for five minutes when water in the home hasn’t been used for six hours or more. Daily activities such as showering, doing laundry or dishes count as daily flushing. The Department of Water Management offers free water testing to all Chicago residents. If you are interested in having your water tested –for free, call 311 or visit www.ChicagoWaterQuality.org to request a lead test kit.

 

What happens when the snow melts?

Remember snow is water. When snow melts, the water drains the same as it does after a rain fall. Snow melting on a warm day after a heavy snow fall can cause the sewer system to overload
with water. To keep this water from backing up into the basement, keep these tips in mind:

  1. Clear sewer catch basins of old leaves or debris before a big snow.
  2. Limit the use of dishwashers and washing machines when heavy snow fall is melting quickly. This will prevent excess water from overloading the sewer system.

44th Ward Alderman Tunney Joined by Commissioners of CDOT, DWM and Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities to Highlight Infrastructure Improvements Along Inner Lake Shore Drive

Mike Claffey    312.744.0707 | Michael.Claffey@cityofchicago.org

Susan Hofer    312.742.2006 | Susan.Hofer@cityofchicago.org

Alderman Tom Tunney (44th Ward) was joined today by Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld, Department of Water Management (DWM) Commissioner Randy Conner and Commissioner Karen Tamley of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) at an event to highlight infrastructure and safety improvements in the 44th Ward, including the installation of Accessible Pedestrian Signals at Roscoe Street and Inner N. Lake Shore Drive that make it safer for people who are visually impaired to cross the street.

“This is a great day for the 44th Ward when we get to celebrate the completion of a series of transportation infrastructure investments that will improve quality of life and safety for our residents,” Alderman Tunney said. “I especially want to thank all the 44th Ward residents who have had to bear with us during the construction process. This was a coordinated effort involving multiple projects that will improve transportation options for everyone getting around within the 44th Ward.”

The event occurred just days after CDOT reopened all lanes on N. Lake Shore Drive at LaSalle Drive near North Avenue after work was completed on an accelerated bridge repair project, as well as the resurfacing of N. Lake Shore Drive from Grand Avenue to Monroe Street.  The 44th Ward event highlighted four projects that were recently completed by the administration of Mayor Rahm Emanuel:

  1. Completion of a Neighborhood Greenway that provides a 1.5 mile, low stress route for people on bikes and on foot from Lincoln Avenue to the lake front; the eastbound bike route is along School Street and Aldine Avenue, the westbound bike route is along Roscoe Street and feeds into the Lake Front Trail via the underpass under LSD.
  2. An arterial resurfacing project on Inner LSD from Belmont Avenue to Stratford Place.
  3. Five major water main repairs between Aldine Avenue and Hawthorne Place.
  4. Installation of Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) at Roscoe Street and Inner LSD. An APS is a traffic signal that helps people who are visually impaired by communicating information about pedestrian timing in a non-visual format, such as audible tones or verbal messages.

“I’m very happy to be here with my colleagues to highlight this series of projects that we have recently completed in the 44th Ward,” CDOT Commissioner Scheinfeld said. “Under the administration of Mayor Emanuel, we’re building a New Chicago and we’re building a safer Chicago with projects like these in neighborhoods all across the City.”

Last year Chicago launched a Vision Zero Action Plan which outlines goals and strategies to reduce traffic crashes and eliminate serious injuries and fatalities on the City’s roadways by 2026. In order to achieve this goal, CDOT uses a Complete Streets approach to designing infrastructure improvements. This means that pedestrians come first in the hierarchy when designing roadway improvements, because people walking are the most vulnerable users of the right of way.  When safety enhancements are added for people walking and biking, it enhances safety for all users, including motorists.

“Since the Mayor launched the Building a New Chicago capital plan in 2011, we’ve been frequent visitors to the 44th Ward replacing more than 18 miles of water and sewer mains,” said DWM Commissioner Conner. “A stronger water infrastructure helps conserve water and lays the foundation for Chicago to grow.”

“Audible Pedestrian Signals are critical to the safe navigation of Chicago’s blind and low vision community,” said MOPD Commissioner Karen Tamley. “Today’s announcement also represents an important step forward in the city’s greater commitment to increased accessibility of our streets and sidewalks for all people with disabilities, residents and visitors alike.”

Roscoe and the Inner Drive is the eleventh intersection at which CDOT has installed such APS signals around the City. CDOT is working with the MOPD and other stakeholders to pick sites for additional APS signals.

Please use the link below to access the link directly from CDOT’s homepage:

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/cdot/provdrs/ped/news/2018/october/44th-ward-alderman-tunney-joined-by-commissioners-of-cdot–dwm-a.html

 

You can follow CDOT on digital media:

Twitter:  @ChicagoDOT/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CDOTNews
The web: www.chicagodot.org