non sequitur Friday

Variations on a theme...I *REALLY* love this new Beyonce cover.





The original...

Music Mondays at Beverly Arts Center

 Music Mondays start at Beverly Arts Center on 6/3. Bring your $5 donation, lawn chair and appreciation for good tunes.

 

99th St. update

I previously wrote about traffic safety issues on 99th St. and the rollout of a speed camera there.

Since then, the camera and some signage have been moved from their original positions. The camera was originally installed at Vanderpoel, one block further east. Now it's closer to the tracks, but is still ineffective for its intended purpose of creating safer conditions for crossing 99th St. Drivers pass the camera, then speed up, often going 30 mph or faster at the Walden crosswalks where they should be following the 20 mph school speed limit.

Notice new position of camera beyond white pickup truck -
moved from 99th/Vanderpoel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Placement of speed limit signs is even more ridiculous now
that they're so close together.

Note the spacing of signs relative to
length of adjacent car.

 

 

 

The park speed limit should start at Walden, not so close to Longwood as to invalidate the school speed limit. The placement of the 2 signs relative to each other was ridiculous before this move and is now farcical.

I was just talking to one of the preschool parents who volunteer at 99th and Walden. They told me that a CPS crossing guard who has been working at 99th and Longwood was hit by a car a few weeks ago. That's why we've been seeing substitutes at that corner in recent weeks.

After all the reckless and sometimes malicious driver behavior I've seen at 99th and Walden over the years, I can't blame the preschool parents for being concerned about safety at the intersection. The streetscape project that was done several years ago does make the area look better, but not adding curb bumpouts and a raised crosswalk was a real missed opportunity. 

Not long after the eastbound speed limit sign spacing was changed, the 30 mph park speed limit sign was removed. Now it's just the 20 mph school speed limit sign - without any warning of the camera.

What's next?

Eastbound signage as of 5/24/24

  

non sequitur Friday

Variations on a theme

non sequitur Friday

Variations on a theme...

BAPA home tour on 5/19

 BAPA's home tour is always an interesting way to see a slice of the neighborhood. It's happening this Sunday 5/19 from noon to 5.  This year's starting location is Smith Village.

Tickets and more info here.

Major Taylor documentary at IIT on 5/19

The recently released documentary is showing at IIT on 5/19. Info and ticket link are below. If the schedule works, Metra could be an option to get to/from the event. The station at 35th is steps away from the venue.

Click here for tickets.

non sequitur Friday

trail clean-up workday in Dan Ryan Woods on 5/11

Friends of the Forest Preserves is having its monthly workday in Dan Ryan Woods on Sat. 5/11 from 10 am to 1 pm. Dress for yard work and wear boots or shoes that can handle some mud. If you have work gloves you like, bringing those is a good thing. 

Here's more info from Friends of the Forest Preserves:

Our trails need a your help, so please join us this Saturday at 10 a.m. for our annual trail cleanup day. We'll meet in the parking lot at 91st and Hermitage.

Please bring a rake, a bow rake is best (I had to look that one up earlier this week), to help clear wet leaves and other debris off the trail. Taking the organic material off the trail helps it be less muddy by allowing the bare earth to dry out faster.

If you have any questions, please call Benjamin at 773-398-1178.

BIA bird walk in Dan Ryan Woods on Sat. 5/11

 BIA is offering its excellent bird watching walk this Saturday morning starting at 8 a.m. at the 89th St. parking lot in Dan Ryan Woods.

It's a good idea to wear boots or shoes that can handle moist conditions just in case things are soggy due to this week's rain.  If you have binoculars, please bring them. 

The walk will be led by conservationist and ornithologist Walter Marcisz and Friends of the Forest Preserves and Arborist Benjamin Cox.  

If you need more info, you can send email here. 

Here's a map link for the start location. 

95th St. farmers market starts Sun. 5/5

 It's back! The 95th St. farmers market starts this Sunday.

So looking forward to it - 8 am to 1 pm at the 95th St. park and ride lot at 95th and Longwood.

See you there!

BAPA home tour on 5/19

BAPA's home tour is always an interesting way to see a slice of the neighborhood. It's happening on Sunday 5/19 from noon to 5.  This year's starting location is Smith Village.

Tickets and more info here.

the dangers of 99th St.

On a recent morning, I saw yet another example of why speed cameras are needed on 99th St. and why the current location at Vanderpoel is ridiculously ineffective for the stated goal of safer crossings at 99th and Walden.

A line of cars had stopped for a young family in the crosswalk at Walden. Suddenly there was a screech of brakes from a car that raced downhill past Longwood, not anticipating that anyone might need to cross the street. The driver nearly rear ended the line of stopped cars, then she crossed center line and blasted past the young family and other people trying to cross from the other side of 99th. She zoomed across the tracks, nearly hitting another car head on before veering back across the center line. It happened so fast that I didn't get a chance to get a video.

Westbound view of camera from 99th & Vanderpoel

Westbound view from 99th & Prospect

Westbound view from 99th & Wood. Next crosswalk is Walden.

Eastbound view from 99th & Longwood

The camera location is almost 2 blocks east of Walden and is totally ineffective for slowing traffic at Walden. Now there are new crossing guards at Walden - often the only way to give anyone a fighting chance of getting across safely at morning and afternoon rush hour with this ridiculous camera placement.

Eastbound signage placement is equally idiotic, with the 20 mph school speed limit less than 20 feet before the 30 mph park speed limit sign, which makes the 20 mph  sign completely useless for school crossings.

It would make SO much more sense to have the camera a lot closer to Walden so that it actually helps to slow down drivers there. This is just one more example of how lack of enforcement (since 2020, especially) has encouraged drivers who don't care about anyone else to do whatever they want. The rest of us should NOT have to keep dealing with the consequences.Will it take someone being killed or seriously injured by a reckless drivers to get a GOOD solution here. Enough already!

non sequitur Friday

Major Taylor documentary at IIT on 5/19

 The recently released documentary is showing at IIT on 5/19. Info and ticket link are below. If the schedule works, Metra could be an option to get to/from the event. The station at 35th is steps away from the venue.

Click here for tickets.