Is there help to be found from City of Chicago in addressing road hazards to cyclists and peds? (was "Water Crews...", "Open Letter...")
12/8/2011:
Old/outdated content follows:
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Dear Rahm, Dear Jason,
On the evening of Tuesday November 8 2011 I observed that there had been digging at the intersection of W. 24th Street and S. Rockwell and plates had been put down, but apparently the crew did not have large enough plates to cover the hole.
Disappointingly, they left a gap between the plates about 5" wide, as seen in this image taken tonight:
I called this in to 311 and asked them to mark it "urgent."
On November 11 I passed the spot and noticed nothing had changed, and placed a second 311 request.
On November 15 I called the 28th Ward Streets and Sanitation office, and Eileen was nice enough to call me back a few hours later when she returned to the office. I explained the situation and lack of follow-up to her and hoped that she would be able to get the problem rectified.
This evening, November 17, I again noted nothing had changed. As I stopped to photograph the problem another man on a bicycle rode up and told me that he had called 311 about this problem as well.
Per a 311 supervisor, all requests are still marked as "open."
To Rahm: I understand that you are trying to increase the efficiency of infrastructure repairs and improvements, but assuming that this is the handiwork of independent contractors, it is clear that basic public safety considerations are not being observed.
To Jason:
I find it surprising that a call to your streets and sanitation office regarding a hazard such as this would not be met with a timely response. My previous experience with this office under your predecessor was actually quite exemplary.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Charlie Short 2.9 on
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Howard-
Shoot me an email, I can get you some of the contact info you're looking for.
charlie.short@cityofchicago.org
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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on
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+1 Cameron.
This systemic problem complicates the already troublesome issues of many alderman who just don't care about streets or infrastructure as a whole, or bikes in general. One of the most vexing issues to bike-safe routes are the pinch-point crossings of the expressways and the river which often tend to also be aldermatic borders.
Plus it is just the general lack of caring for us bicycles and even peds when it comes to streets. The poor quality of street-cut patching is not just a border issue, nor are dangerous curbs and bottomless holes into the sewers such as the excellent example Howard posted above. There is a dangerous curb hole right off of the crosswalk on Milwaukee just 150' from Alderman Colon's office. It's been there for at least 5 years without so much as anyone looking at it -much less patched. It's a real ankle-buster and I'm surprised nobody has been seriously hurt, considering that this stretch of Milwaukee has a lot of ped crossing issues as it is and tons of ped traffic due to the grocery store and Cafe Con Leche being right there and a McDonalds across the street.
There is another similar dangerous hole in the curb very near the Logan Square Blue Line station just a block further away from the Alderman's office.
With the imminent zoning change striking any mention of the term "pedestrian street" from this 2-block stretch of Milwaukee I can only imagine that the ped-friendly infrastructure in this area is only going to worsen rather than get better in favor of car-friendly infrastructure that will make the street more of a highway than a shared resource for bikes and peds.
These horribly-placed plates and poorly-patched cuts are a danger to bikes and peds are just another example of how bikes and peds are second-class citizens when it comes to street infrastructure and maintenance priorities. Cars, and high-speed thoroughfare of them, seem to be the only priority other than a bit of lip-service for a few new bike lanes that soon become invisible anyhow when the city refuses to repaint the lines ever again.
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Permalink Reply by Jamais716 on
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I always take the lane if I ride down Harrison at night. The pavement near the curb is a mess from Halsted to Ashland and there's not enough light to see how bad it could be until you're right on top of it.
h' said:Would appreciate any contacts from someone who might be able to get an awareness sent upwards that there is no help to be found to get these hazards to cyclists and pedestrians addressed in a time frame that reflects the fact that they are actually dangerous.
I did not receive any response or acknowledgement when I wrote to Gabe Klein previously.
I would approach Ethan but I got an out-of-office reply suggesting he would be gone for at least the next month.
Tonight I came across this in the westbound lane of Harrison just west of Halsted:
It's hard to get a perspective from the image but it's about 30" long by about 12" wide, and opens directly into the vault with nothing to break the fall if your leg should end up in there. It's right where one would step off the curb to board the #7 or #60 bus.
I called it in to 311, and had the operator check-- I had called it in on November 10, and it had been closed as "completed." I don't go this way often so I have no way of knowing what sort of follow-up there may be. I've given the location as 820 W. Harrison both times if anyone wants to take this on.
As I recall from trying to get some sort of actual sanctioned pedestrian crossing put in over there a few years ago, the south side of Harrison is 25th ward/Solis and the side where this is at is the 2nd ward/ Fioretti. I have had a very minimal to non-existent response from Fioretti's office in general, but maybe a constituent would fare better.
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Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on
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Day 2 ends , and we're into the weekend.
Tried putting in another 311 report last night but was not allowed to as dispatcher checked first and saw a previous open report.
No evidence of return call from 12th streets/san sup.
No time to try to follow up with Carlos S. from Ald office (no attempted calls from him).
Called Active Trans, left VM, campaign director responded via e-mail: will bring it up at next meeting with CDOT. Expressed own frustration about utility work and road conditions.
Sent message to Charile S as requested in this thread.
A.M.:
P.M.^^
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I don't think ward boundaries have any bearing on the water dept and the work they carry out.
I do think your ability to get help from an Alderman's office depends greatly on within which ward the problem falls.
I would guess that you're right in that there's no shortage of border streets that do not get the attention they need because they require collaboration between two ward offices.
Cameron Puetz said:I've noticed that all of the locations in this thread have been ward boundaries. Is that just a coincidence or do people think that the system of dealing with service issues through the alderman leads to the border streets being neglected because they're viewed as the other guy's problem?
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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on
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That's consistent with my experience.
h' said:I don't think ward boundaries have any bearing on the water dept and the work they carry out.
I do think your ability to get help from an Alderman's office depends greatly on within which ward the problem falls.
I would guess that you're right in that there's no shortage of border streets that do not get the attention they need because they require collaboration between two ward offices.
Cameron Puetz said:I've noticed that all of the locations in this thread have been ward boundaries. Is that just a coincidence or do people think that the system of dealing with service issues through the alderman leads to the border streets being neglected because they're viewed as the other guy's problem?
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Today:
No change as of tonight.
Tried calling Alderman's office again. Left message again for Carlos S. who again had "just stepped out." Again did not return call.
Tried calling Streets/San sup again (had never returned call.) This time got him on the phone. He said he would take a look at it and wondered why he didn't notice it when he passed today.
Placed another 311 request.
No response from Charlie S.
Received an e-mail from Active Trans which sort of lost the point that I was bringing it to them for help with the greater problem and directed me back to my alderman's office.
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Howard-
I just replied to your inquiry. Sorry for the delay.
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Streets/San-- tried to follow up. "Out in the field." His assistant does not pass along messages.
Alderman's office. Carlos "just stepped out." Left message to call me.
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Got it, thanks.
Charlie Short said:Howard-
I just replied to your inquiry. Sorry for the delay.
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"Fixed" as of this evening, i.e. pushed back in place with a thin pat of fresh asphalt pressed into the leading edge.
311 still has the requests marked "open,", and I spoke to the ald. office late in the day and was told they'd been told by the water department that it was a lower priority after getting some sewers unplugged.
So my best guess is that streets/san sup got it done.
So strange that this is only happening right by my house!
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