Earlier this week, the new Washington/Wabash CTA Station opened – the first new downtown ‘L’ station to open in 20 years! Featuring a strikingly modern design, the new Washington/Wabash Station serves as the gateway to Chicago’s magnificent Millennium Park, and sits just steps away from historic Jeweler’s Row, the vibrant New Eastside neighborhood, and Michigan Avenue.
For more information about this unique new station, visit: transitchicago.com/washingtonwabash
The NEW My River North mobile app is FREE to RNRA members and provides convenient access to River North news, events, and resources, plus special discount offers at nearly 50 participating local businesses. The app is compatible with virtually any mobile device.
Special discounts are only available to RNRA members. If your building is not yet an RNRA member, talk to your Property Manager about joining today. If your building is already a member, your Property Manager will provide you and your neighbors with an invitation link.
Donors Charles and Susan Schwartz have announced a MATCHING DONATION CHALLENGE in support of Friends of the Parks! Through the end of August, any donation you make to Friends of the Parks will be matched by Charles and Susan Schwartz up to $10,000. Help us meet our $10,000 goal by donating today! You can double your impact simply by donating to Friends of the Parks today. Many thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Schwartz for their generosity and support.
Congratulations to Daliah Saper!
Daliah made the cut!
Crain’s Chicago just included Daliah Saper on its list of the 60 most influential women lawyers in Chicago, highlighting her “cutting-edge internet and social media law practice.” Check out it out here, or see the full list here.
For more information on Saper Law, click here.
Convenient, easy-to-use transit app allows CTA, Metra and Pace users to pay their fares, manage their account and more
Less than two years after being launched, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra and Pace announced that the Ventra transit app has been downloaded more than 2 million times and used to purchase nearly $250 million in fares.
Providing transit riders with a convenient “one-stop shopping” experience, the Ventra app is the first transit app in the nation allowing customers to pay for rides on multiple transit systems. The free app was developed and launched by the CTA in partnership with Metra, the Chicago area’s commuter rail system, and Pace, the suburban bus system.
“The fact that the Ventra app has been downloaded more than 2 million times in less than two years demonstrates why CTA is leveraging technology to improve the transit experience for our customers,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “By making transit easier to pay for and more convenient to use, we help encourage people to take advantage of great public transit in the Chicago area.”
The Ventra app, which launched in November 2015, offers a wide range of functionality that helps users pay their fares and manage their accounts. App users are also able to load transit value/passes, buy and display mobile tickets on Metra and receive real-time account notifications when it’s time to purchase new passes or refill their accounts.
“The Ventra app has proven to be extremely popular with Metra customers in such a short time,” said Metra Executive Chairman/CEO Don Orseno. “Already, more than a third of our customers are buying tickets through the app, making it our largest sales channel in terms of ticket sales. We’re pleased to offer such a fast and convenient app for the benefit of our riders.”
The Ventra app also provides access to real-time transit tracker information for CTA, Metra and Pace in one convenient location. Future phases will offer additional services and conveniences.
“The Ventra app has made our transit system easier and more convenient to use,” said Pace Executive Director T.J. Ross. “We’re proud to be a part of the Ventra team and extend our gratitude to everyone who worked to achieve this success.”
The free Ventra app is available for download and use on Apple and Android smartphone and tablet devices via www.ventrachicago.com, the App Store and Google Play.
Residents encouraged to share input during 30-day public comment period.
Chicago Police Department (CPD) Superintendent Eddie Johnson recently announced the release of the first draft of recommendations from the Superintendent’s Community Policing Advisory Panel. The draft recommendations, which include ways the Police Department will build, expand, and invest in community policing, are posted online and open to public comment for the next 30 days.
Chaired by CPD Chief of Patrol Fred Waller, the Community Policing Advisory Panel includes Deputy Mayor Andrea Zopp, national experts in the field, members of CPD Command Staff and Chicago community leaders. The report is a framework for future discussions around the key areas for action. A detailed Plan of Action will be drafted, with the inclusion of community input, on how the recommendations will be implemented and the how impact will be evaluated. The implementation plan will contain responsibilities for each Bureau, major implementation milestones and a detailed timeline for completion.Recommendations include:
This is the latest effort of the city to engage residents around public safety. In April, CPD released the Department’s new use of force policies after engaging the community in two public comment periods. Those reforms will go into effect in the Fall following Department-wide training. This is another step forward in implementing the Department’s Next Steps for Reform released in March.
More information is available at the Community Policing Advisory Panel website.
Alderman Reilly is very pleased to announce the installation of pedestrian countdown signals at two key intersections on North Michigan Avenue: at the intersection with Huron Street and the intersection with Ohio Street.
Alderman Reilly requested that the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) review these locations to determine if countdown signals were warranted to improve the pedestrian crossings.
CDOT recommended countdown signals be installed for all directions of pedestrian traffic at the intersections of Michigan and Huron, and Michigan and Ohio.
The Alderman allocated a portion of the Aldermanic Menu to fund these significant neighborhood safety improvements.
Clean Streets return to River North
We are thrilled to announce the return of our popular weekend street cleaning program. River North Clean Streets, a nonprofit jointly managed by RNRA and RNBA, has partnered with Cleanslate Chicago to help keep our neighborhood cleaner, safer, and more beautiful.
On Saturday and Sunday mornings, our friendly, well-trained crews will pick up and dispose all trash, recyclables, and pet waste on one side of each sponsored block. The low weekly cost of just $20 per block is entirely underwritten by responsible local businesses and residents – and best of all, the program provides potentially life-changing support, training, and temporary employment for hardworking interns who are eager to become self-sufficient.
We wish to express our appreciation to our Founding Program Sponsors, Chicago Health, Wintrust Bank and an anonymous donor, as well as our Founding Block Sponsors, Ashford General Insurance Agency, Best Western River North Hotel, Bottled Blonde Chicago, Cushing, Erie-LaSalle Body Shop, Hubbard221, P&W Partners, Sedgwick Development, Sound-bar and Spybar Chicago.
River North Clean Streets is proud to have earned the endorsement of 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly and 18th District Commander Paul Bauer. We’re eager to expand our service area. To learn more about the program and sign up to sponsor a block, please visit us online at RNCleanstreets.org.
Applications for the Chicago Film Office Filmmaker-In-Residence (2017-18) are now being accepted. The residency is part of the Independent Film Initiative (IFI) – a platform to formally support local independent filmmakers, and to bring more visibility and support to Chicago’s independent filmmaking industry. Preferred applicants should be mid-career professionals with a project in development and/or prepping for production. Residents will be connected to an expert advisory group, new collaborators, and a wider network of funders and distributors. This year-long residency is designed to help further the completion of an original independent work (narrative feature, documentary, web series, etc.) and will provide a Chicago-based film/media maker with the following:
IFI Residents will be required to make a public presentation of their project at the completion of the residency, participate as a lead in the Producers Apprenticeship Program (details to come), and provide a final report and budget.
Apply through August 31 at www.callforentry.org. The residency will be announced in October 2017.
For more information, visit chicagofilmoffice.us.
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The Summer issue of the Chicago Department of Family and Support Service’s Senior Life Enrichment Guide is now available at Alderman Reilly’s Constituent Service office, at the DFSS regional and satellite senior centers, libraries and many other locations. The guide highlights programs and activities offered by the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services for Chicagoans ages “60 Years and Better” during the summer. Inside, seniors will find information about health and wellness, educational, recreational and many other types of events, trips, classes and lectures, along with schedules and registration details. Most of these are free or at a nominal cost. This July is Elder Abuse Awareness Month, and this month’s guide includes a special insert on “Understanding Elder Abuse.” It is estimated that millions of older Americans, from all walks of life, face abuse and neglect every year. Anyone can be victimized. The guide also has information on the upcoming Senior Fest 2017 at Millennium Park on Thursday, September 14th. The contents of the Summer 2017 guide are also posted online: Summer 2017 Senior Life Enrichment Guide Further information about DFSS services and programs is available by calling the Aging and Disability Resource Network (ADRN) at (312) 744-4016. |
