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

Cast your vote for the five movies that will be shown in the A. Montgomery Ward Park during summer 2018. Movies are sponsored by the River North Residents Association (RNRA) and the Chicago Park District.

To cast your vote, click here.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to participate in our survey.
We value your feedback. The survey will be open through February 26.

Recreation, Education & Job Readiness – Saturday 1-27 at Maclolm X Community College Conference Center – Free for Ages 13-19 – From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Interested, REGISTER at:  www.ChicagoParkDistrict.com.  Be sure to reference Malcolm X Activity Code 229020

NEED TRANSPORTATION?   Jesse White Community Center will provide transportation at 9:00 a.m.  They will also provide the transporation back to Jesse White Community Center from Malcolm-X.

If you are interested in transporatoin, please call the Jesse White Community Center ahead of time at 312-742-2410.

Red Light Cameras Installed at Strategic Michigan Avenue Intersections to Deter Light Running and Improve Safety

Alderman Reilly is pleased to announce that Automated Red Light Camera Enforcement (RLC) Cameras at the intersections of Michigan Avenue and Ontario Street, and Michigan Avenue and Jackson Boulevard will be activated on Monday, January 22.  Violations will not be issued for the first two weeks, until February 5.

Alderman Reilly negotiated with the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) to have RLCs installed at the intersection of Michigan and Ontario based on residents’ feedback about safety concerns. This intersection also has one of the largest pedestrian volumes in the City.

The RLCs replace cameras that were removed from other locations last year.  The two new locations that were chosen have consistently scored high for potential red-light camera placement due to the high number of crashes and the unique characteristics of the intersections. Both intersections have large number of pedestrians and heavy vehicular movements which make pedestrians particularly vulnerable.

CDOT has posted new signage on the approach to the affected intersections to alert motorists that the cameras have been installed. Failure to stop at red lights at these intersections will result in a $100 fine starting February 5.

The placement of these cameras follows the release of a Northwestern University Transportation Center study on the effectiveness of Chicago’s RLC program.  One of the key findings was that the program’s safety benefits can be enhanced if a small number of existing cameras be relocated to more effective intersections.  Based on recommendation in the Northwestern study, in March the City proposed that four cameras be removed and placed in new locations.

To learn more, click on the following links for more information about the City’s Red Light Camera Enforcement Program and the Northwestern University Transportation Center study.

Source:  Alderman Reilly Reports 1/19/18

January 18-26

For nine days in January, the city’s top museums are joining together to celebrate Museum Week. Take advantage of discounted admissions, special exhibits, giveaways and more at each of the participating museums. Illinois residents will receive up to 25% off admissions at all museums. From culture to constellations, art to animals, this is your chance to experience Chicago’s most beloved institutions in a whole new way!

For more information, click here.