The Chicago Transit Authority has launched a comprehensive program of track repairs and maintenance designed to provide faster commutes and smoother rides for ‘L’ customers—improvements made possible by Mayor Emanuel’s innovative fee on ride-hailing services.

The CTA’s FastTracks program will reduce by up to six minutes off a typical round-trip commute on the Red, Blue, Brown and Green Lines, the four busiest rail lines, by repairing and upgrading rail, rail ties and electrical power in multiple locations throughout the system. The $179 million investment is being funded through a small increase in fees charged to app-based ride-hailing companies operating in Chicago. The fee, proposed by the Mayor and approved by City Council in November, is the first of its kind in the country to directly support investment in public transportation.

The first phase of FastTracks includes track repairs in various spots on the Green Line just south of 35th Street. Other projects in 2018 through 2021 include improvements along:

The track work across these rail lines will remove slow zones and increase service reliability. The improvements entail a combination of repairing and replacing sections of iron rail; replacing deteriorated wooden rail ties; and adjusting and maintaining track ballast. The electrical power improvements along the Blue Line O’Hare branch will allow CTA to run additional trains during high-ridership times like the morning rush period on weekdays, which will help address crowded trains and reduce the amount of time customers have to wait on platforms.

Work will be completed outside of weekday peak-ridership hours to minimize the impact to customers. For more information about the FastTracks project, visit transitchicago.com/fasttracks.

Source:  Brian Hopkins 2nd Ward Alderman Newsletter 2/13/18

Chicago Avenue Bridge Closure:
Monday, February 12, 9:30am to 2:30pm
The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) needs to repair a section of roadway grating on the Chicago Avenue Bridge.  This repair work will also help eliminate any noisy metal on metal sounds from the bridge.

The grating repair requires the full closure of the bridge on Monday, February 12, from 9:30am until 2:30pm, weather dependent. The work requires a complete full closure – impacting vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic.

Detour Information for Motorists and Cyclists:

CTA Reroute:
Signage will be posted at all affected bus stops, and all service stops will be honored while on the reroute by bus operators.

Kinzie Street Bridge Closure:
Tuesday, February 13 to Monday, February 19
The Kinzie Street Bridge over the North Branch of the Chicago River must be closed, and the single leaf bridge raised, to allow CDOT to perform needed repairs and help eliminate noisy metal on metal sounds from the bridge.

Due to the current weather forecast, and projected snowfall for the remainder of the week, the Kinzie Street Bridge closure has been postponed to Tuesday, February 13, starting at 2:00am.  The bridge will reopen to traffic on Monday, February 19, 5:00am.

Detour Information for motorists:

Bicycle Route:
As Kinzie is part of a major bicycle commuting route, a separate detour has been established for bicyclists coming into or leaving downtown via Milwaukee.

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Mayor Emanuel and the Chicago Film Office at the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) recently announced that local film and media production have yet again reached record levels in 2017. Last year, 580 individual film and media projects recorded an all-time high combined total of 2,404 production days, resulting in an estimated $423 million in job creation and expenditures. Chicago has seen steady year over year increases in media production since 2011.
(Scene from Chicago Fire, NBC)

The rise in Chicago filming and commercial production has boosted local spending and job creation, while increasing traffic for a wide range of local businesses, hotel rooms, office and warehouse leasing, vehicle and equipment leasing, construction supplies, and local tax revenues.

According to the Illinois Film Office–which awards a 30 percent tax credit to film–television and advertising productions for qualified expenditures of Illinois crew, goods and services, projects in 2017 generated an estimated $423 million in Illinois spending and employed 13,797 non-extra job hires along with $251 million in wages.

Film, television and media production continued with record level activity in 2017 with eight full-season series, plus portions of two others, filming throughout the year. NBC’s Chicago Fire, Chicago PD and Chicago Med, FOX’s Empire, and Netflix’s Easy all renewed for additional seasons.  Showtime launched a new series, The Chi in addition to Shameless returning for several weeks of filming the seventh consecutive season. Amazon launched Electric Dreams and two new comedy shows, Pop TV’s Hot Date and the Comedy Central pilot South Side both filmed here in 2017 and are expected to go to series in 2018.

Studio features Widows (New Regency) and Captive State (Amblin), and portions of the action blockbuster Rampage (Warner Bros) showed a strong return in major motion picture production, and independent features – most locally produced – including The Pages, Hala, What They Had, Soul Sessions and Book of Leah all filmed here in their entirety and continued a five-year growing trend in the creation of home grown content for national distribution.

For more information about the Chicago Film office, and 2017 achievements, click here to read the full press release.

Update on Chicago’s Winter Storm Response and Reminders to Keep Residents Safe as Frigid Temps and Snowfall Continues

Mayor Emanuel and City officials provided an update on the City’s response to snowfall that arrived overnight and earlier this morning.  A coordinated citywide response continues to focus on keeping residents – especially those most vulnerable – safe and warm as frigid temperatures and snow is expected to continue into the weekend.

Multiple departments and agencies are working to provide a constant assessment of the situation across the city to ensure the safety of residents as Chicago continues to feel the impact of the snow accumulation.

The Department of Streets and Sanitation continues to monitor road conditions and has deployed more than 280 salt spreaders from its fleet to remove snow and spread salt to ensure streets are safe and passable for motorists and emergency vehicles.

During every snow event, crews work to ensure arterial streets and Lake Shore Drive are clear and safe to keep the City’s major roadways accessible for buses, vital services and emergency vehicles. Crews will continue to plow residential streets, but conditions may vary with the volume of snow and high winds that occurred with the recent weather system. Vehicles will work quickly and safely to make residential streets safe and passable.

FIRE SAFETY TIPS
The Chicago Fire Department does not recommend that residents use space heaters, but acknowledges that people may rely on them during cold winter months.  To minimize the dangers of space heaters, the Fire Department recommends only using heaters that are UL certified as safe and never use an extension cord with a space heater, which can cause the cord to overheat and burn.  Most importantly, never allow a space heater within three feet of anything that can burn, especially bedding.

Fire officials also encouraged residents to check their carbon monoxide detectors are working properly. With furnaces running during normal cold weather, a small carbon monoxide leak might not be noticed, but with heaters running non-stop to match the extreme cold, that small leak could become a deadly source of fumes. Carbon Monoxide detectors are designed to alert you before you feel sick, so if yours goes off get to fresh air and call 911.

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) is responsible for clearing snow from protected bike lanes, downtown bridge decks and some expressway overpasses. In addition, CDOT’s right of way inspectors are responsible for enforcement of sidewalk snow removal regulations.

The City’s snow clearing ordinance requires property owners to clear a path at least 5 feet wide on all sidewalks adjacent to their property, including any crosswalk ramps. Snow should not be shoveled into the right-of-way, which includes: transit stops and bus pads, parking spaces, bike lanes, bike racks, Divvy stations and any other space where snow impedes traffic of any kind. If you are responsible for a corner lot, you must remove snow and ice from sidewalks on all sides of your building and from corner sidewalk ramps. This applies to residential property and business owners.

DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS
During extreme weather, the Department of Buildings focuses its efforts on complaints from tenants regarding inadequate heat and reassigns inspectors to make sure these complaints are dealt with as quickly as possible.

If a tenant is without heat, they should first contact their landlord and then call 311 to report the issue. The Department of Buildings enforces the Chicago Heat Ordinance, which mandates that the temperature inside a rental residence is at least 68 degrees from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and 66 degrees at night. Landlords face fines of up to $500 per day, per violation, for each day they do not supply adequate heat.

Since midnight, the Department of Buildings has received 46 additional heat complaints. All complaints are being addressed and, at this time, there are no reports of conditions that warrant emergency relocation.

DEPARTMENT OF WATER MANAGEMENT
The Department of Water Management adds additional crews during the extreme cold to address any issues that may arise.

To help prevent frozen water pipes, residents should keep a trickle of water running through at least one faucet and allow heat to circulate where water pipes are exposed. If pipes do freeze, use a heating pad or blow dryer to thaw them. Residents should never use open flames for thawing as this creates a fire hazard.

FAMILY AND SUPPORT SERVICES
Those seeking access to warming centers and/or experiencing insufficient heat can visit one of six regional DFSS Community Service Centers that double as warming centers. These Community Service Centers are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Garfield Community Service Center at 10 South Kedzie is open on a 24-hour basis to connect families and residents to emergency shelters. To connect to a location, residents can call 311 for immediate assistance.

In addition, the City has a network of facilities that serve as warming centers, which include Chicago Public Library branches. Libraries will be open during normal hours, which vary by branch.

In addition, Chicago Public Library branches also serve as warming centers and will be open during normal hours, which vary by branch.

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
The Chicago Department of Public Health reminds residents to take extra precautions to stay warm and avoid hypothermia and frostbite.  Residents should avoid unnecessary trips outside, and if it is necessary to go outside, wear several loose fitting layers of warm clothing.  When shoveling snow, work slowly and take frequent breaks to avoid exhaustion. Be sure to winterize your home and vehicles, and keep cell phones charged with extra batteries for emergencies.

AIRPORTS
To minimize the impact of weather on operations at both airports overnight as and throughout the day, CDA has 280 city drivers operating heavy snow removal equipment to keep runway conditions open and operational. As of 9 a.m. today, airlines are reporting delays averaging 30-45 minutes at O’Hare, and less than 15 minutes at Midway. Due to overnight snow and with weekend snowfall in the forecast, airlines have proactively cancelled more than 700 flights at O’Hare, and more than 250 flights at Midway. Travelers are encouraged to contact airlines on flight status ahead of time, and to arrive early before scheduled flights.

CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is providing normal weekday service today, and trains and buses are running on every route. Though CTA extensively prepares its trains and buses for winter weather and snow, unpredictable conditions can sometimes cause delays. CTA advises customers to allow extra travel time, and strongly recommend customers get up-to-date bus and train arrival information via the CTA web site transitchicago.com, on Twitter @CTA, sign up for Bus and Train Tracker text/email alerts or access Bus and Train Tracker via mobile phones and at rail stations and bus stops.

To read the full press release, click here.

Alderman Reilly Reports:  2/9/18

Divvy bike share system is rolling out a series of new fare options and benefits on Thursday, February 1. The new options include a $3 “Single Ride,” a new “Explorer Pass,” and 15 minutes of additional ride time for annual members.

The brand new $3 Single Ride option will help commuters quickly get around town and enable Chicago residents to easily try the system before committing to an annual membership. For the low cost of $3 riders can get a 30-minute ride to and from any of the more than 570 Divvy stations, including more than 200 that are within a quarter of mile of a CTA or Metra station.

The new $15 “Explorer Pass” will enable recreational riders to take longer rides of up to three hours (up from the standard 30-minute ride) over a 24-hour period, to more fully experience the city. From a trip down the 606 to the full lakefront trail, beautiful bike rides around Chicago are easier than ever. The standard $9.95 24-hour pass will no longer be offered.

Finally, all annual Divvy members will immediately have access to extended 45-minute rides at no additional cost, up from the current ride time of 30 minutes.

In addition to these new products and pricing changes, Divvy is simplifying the overage fee structure to a flat rate overage fee of $3 for 30 additional minutes across all fare options.

Divvy is operated by the bike share company Motivate International, Inc. under contract with the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT).

To learn more about the new product options, riders can visit DivvyBikes.com. The Explorer Pass and Single Ride pass will be available at Divvy kiosks and through the Transit app starting February 1.

Dear Neighbor,

I spent my day coordinating with the Commissioner of the Department and Streets & Sanitation and the 2nd Ward Superintendent, making sure that we are ready for this weekend’s winter storm.

A Winter Storm Warning is forecasted to begin 6:00 pm on Thursday, February 8, and is expected to last well into Friday night. Chicago could get up to 14” of snow over the duration of the storm, with an additional 1-3” of snow possible on Saturday and Sunday as well.

To ensure residents are prepared, here are some helpful tips:

Chicago Public Schools has announced all schools will be closed on Friday, February 9.

The 2nd Ward Service Office will be open on Friday, February 9 with regular hours, and will be closed on Monday, February 12 in observance of Lincoln’s Birthday. Over the weekend, staff and I will be actively monitoring the storm. To report snow-related issues, please send an email to Ward02@cityofchicago.org, or send a tweet to @AldermanHopkins.
Stay Safe and Warm,

Alderman Brian Hopkins
2nd Ward

Alderman Reilly recently introduced a new ordinance at the January 17, 2018 City Council meeting that would invoke Chicago’s “Home Rule Authority” to overrule Section 19(a)(7) of the Illinois Condominium Property Act that was recently passed by the Illinois State Legislature.  Alderman Brian Hopkins joined Alderman Reilly as a co-sponsor of the measure.

This section of the Illinois Condominium Property Act raises concerns about privacy because it forces condominium owners to make personal information, such as email addresses and telephone numbers, available upon request.

Since the state law was approved, Aldermen Reilly and Hopkins have received calls and letters from hundreds of condominium owners, asking them to use Chicago’s “Home Rule Authority” to invalidate the new requirements.

Alderman Reilly crafted the ordinance to defer to the wishes of local homeowner’s association.  As drafted, the ordinance would prevent a homeowner’s association from sharing unit owners’ private information, unless a majority of the full association votes to allow for the sharing of that personal information.

Stay tuned  for future updates on this important privacy matter.

Source:  Alderman Reilly Reports 1/26/18

Due to the current weather forecast, and projected snowfall for the remainder of the week, the Kinzie Street Bridge closure has been postponed to Tuesday, February 13, starting at 2:00am.  The bridge will reopen to traffic on Monday, February 19, 5:00am.

The Kinzie Street Bridge over the North Branch of the Chicago River must be closed, and the single leaf bridge raised, to allow the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) to perform needed repairs. This repair work will also help eliminate any noisy metal on metal sounds from the bridge.

Detour Information:
Motorists traveling east on Kinzie should take Desplaines south to Lake, proceed east on Lake to Wacker, east on Wacker to LaSalle, and then take LaSalle north to Kinzie.

Motorists traveling west on Kinzie should take LaSalle south to Wacker, proceed west on Wacker to Lake, west on Lake to Desplaines, and then take Desplaines north to Kinzie.

Bicycle Route:
As Kinzie is part of a major bicycle commuting route, a separate detour has been established for bicyclists coming into or leaving downtown via Milwaukee.

Bicyclists traveling southeast on Milwaukee, east on Hubbard, or east on Kinzie should turn north on Desplaines to travel eastbound using the Grand Avenue Bridge and then back to southbound Kingsbury east of the River.

Bicyclists heading westbound should travel north on Franklin to westbound Grand and then south on Desplaines west of the River.

Please RSVP by calling 312-464-9900 or at bit.ly/GCC20years