not very neighborly

Ridge Park - Longwood Drive

Ridge Park - Longwood Drive

I know that this winter is wearing on a lot of people's nerves. Some folks seem to have given up on clearing their sidewalks.  Others have never done it at all, even though most of them have the means to take care of it.  Ridge Park employees have usually done a good job.  Their efforts along Longwood Dr. this time around leave a lot to be desired. After plowing the sidewalk along the length of the park, why leave a wall of snow at the edge of the property?  This isn't their usual practice, and it's not acceptable. 

Chicago Park District employees need to remember that many of us WALK to and through the park, even in winter.  It needs to be safely accessible to pedestrians.  When you have the equipment and employees out there to do the job, please do it right.

On a similar note, the 9500 block of Wood gets worse by the day.  Many of us use it to walk to and from the Metra station. 

9500 block of Wood

Property owners and managers need to live up to their legal responsibility to keep sidewalks clear and accessible.  That includes Metra, who didn't do a very good job with this latest storm. The platform at 95th was not cleared before yesterday's rush hour, and work done since then left a lot of snow and ice still on the platforms.  It would be nice if we could all survive the rest of this winter without getting injured or killed due to poor snow removal practices.

city's new approach on vacant properties.

An article today says that the Chicago may require better security on vacant properties if a proposed ordinance passes. I think this idea is a mixed bag at best. If passed and enforced, it could make things safer for the neighbors of vacant buildings, who are sometimes endangered by squatters and illegal activity in those buildings. It could also put increased financial stress on the owners of those buildings.

I have to wonder if this will ultimately accelerate the number of teardowns. My gut feeling is that this represents future urban renewal in disguise. Many of the buildings that could be threatened are graystones or bungalows - categories of homes that are currently the subject of preservation initiatives. If the ordinance passes and financially strapped owners lose their bungalows and graystones to the city, will those properties be saved or lost? Your $0.02?

will new laws make cycling safer in Chicago

Chicago now has a new ordinance to improve bike safety in Chicago. The ordinance makes it illegal for drivers to leave less than 3 feet of space when passing cyclists, to open car doors into the path of cyclists, to turn right or left directly in front of moving cyclists, or to park in or otherwise obstruct marked bike lanes. Gapers Block ran a piece on the ordinance just before it passed.


This video illustrates how a little more attention by careless drivers can make a big difference in safety.

If you drive but don't ride a bike, please get into the habit of checking your side mirror every time you are about to open your car door into traffic. A car door opened at the wrong time can serious injure or kill an unsuspecting cyclist. I've suffered broken bones from being doored. Please use your side mirrors to check for cyclists just as you would look for other moving vehicles, especially when you are about to turn.

If you ride, try to use side mirrors and brake lights as warning indicators that a driver may open a door in front of you. Look ahead for drivers who may turn right or left in front of you, forcing an emergency stop or evasive maneuver. Spend time observing the patterns of cab and bus movement and learn to predict when and where they will stop so you can work around them. Please use courtesy when riding. Don't go on and off the sidewalk. Ride predictably. Use turn signals. If you need to make noise to make yourself visible, do it.

To read the actual text of the ordinance, click here.

For laws like this to be effective, there should be some courtesy on both sides of the fence. Let's be safe out there and have a summer of good riding and no cycling fatalities!

dig it!

It's time to break out the snow shovels. Even if you just go from your door to your car, you need to shovel the sidewalk across the front of your property. Many of your neighbors depend on having clear sidewalks to walk to and from the train or bus, school, etc. It's also required by Chicago law. Please be a good neighbor and keep your sidewalks clear and safe, especially if you live on Longwood.
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Chicago Municipal Code10-8-180 Snow and ice removal.

Every owner, lessee, tenant, occupant or other person having charge of any building or lot of ground in the city abutting upon any public way or public place shall remove the snow and ice from the sidewalk in front of such building or lot of ground.

If the sidewalk is of greater width than five feet, it shall not be necessary for such person to remove snow and ice from the same for a space wider than five feet.

In case the snow and ice on the sidewalk shall be frozen so hard that it cannot be removed without injury to the pavement, the person having charge of any building or lot of ground as aforesaid shall, within the time specified, cause the sidewalk abutting on the said premises to be strewn with ashes, sand, sawdust, or some similar suitable material, and shall, as soon thereafter as the weather shall permit, thoroughly clean said sidewalk.

The snow which falls or accumulates during the day (excepting Sundays) before 4 p.m. shall be removed within 3 hours after the same has fallen or accumulated. The snow which falls or accumulates on Sunday or after 4 p.m. and during the night on other days shall be removed before 10 a.m.
(Prior code § 36-19)

10-8-190 Liability for civil damages.

Any person who removes snow or ice from the public sidewalk or street, shall not, as a result of his acts or omissions in such removal, be liable for civil damages. This section does not apply to acts or omissions amounting to wilful or wanton misconduct in such snow or ice removal.
(Prior code § 36-20)