December 1, 2017 By

CTA: Extra Service for Bulls, Blackhawks & Bears Games this Weekend

Source: Walter Burnett, Jr:  27th Ward Newsletter 12/1/17

CTA recommends allowing plenty of travel time and purchasing fares and unlimited-ride passes ahead of time. More information about purchasing fares is below.

Event service
United Center games and concerts
  • Rail: Green, Pink and Blue lines
  • Extra Bus: #19 United Center Express, #20 Madison and #50 Damen
Games
Sacramento Kings vs. Chicago Bulls – Fri. 12/1 at 7 p.m.
Los Angeles Kings vs. Chicago Blackhawks – Sun. 12/3 at 6 p.m.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Chicago Bulls – Mon. 12/4 at 7 p.m.
Concerts
Jay Z – Tues. 12/5 at 8 p.m.
Andrea Bocelli – Wed. 12/6 at 7:30 p.m.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Chicago Bears at Soldier Field – Sunday 12/3 at 12 p.m.
  • Rail: Red, Orange, Green lines
  • Extra Bus: #128 Soldier Field Express, #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express
Buy your unlimited ride passes and fares in advance
Avoid long lines to buy fares! Customers can add unlimited ride passes (1-day, 3-day, 7-day and 30-day) or add money to pay per-ride to their Ventra cards ahead of time via the free Ventra app, at rail station Ventra vending machines, online or at more than 1,000 local retailers (for locations visit ventrachicago.com or the Ventra app).
Customers can also purchase from Ventra vending machines 1-day unlimited ride tickets ($10) or single-ride tickets ($3) that include up to two transfers in two hours. Customers can also pay their fares with their personal contactless debit or credit cards.
Stay in the Loop on CTA Service
Plan your trip using the Google Transit Trip Planner. Be sure to also check out CTA on Facebook or Twitter (@CTA) for system travel updates and alerts. For details about all CTA service, call 312-836-7000 or visit the CTA website at transitchicago.com.
Filed Under: Community
November 30, 2017 By

Public Notice from the Chicago Police Department

Filed Under: Community
November 29, 2017 By

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Insurance Open Enrollment Deadline: December 15, 2017

Source: Alderman Reilly Reports 11/3/17
Through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), 1.2 million Illinois residents, including 300,000 Chicagoans are now insured.
However, this year’s Open Enrollment period is the shortest it has ever been – it starts on November 1, and you must sign up by December 15. Don’t miss your chance to get covered!
8 out of 10 people who enrolled in health coverage through HealthCare.gov qualified for financial help to make their monthly premiums more affordable. Find out if you’re eligible for a discount here.
Remember all plans at HealthCare.gov cover free preventive care with no co-pay. This means free cancer screenings, check-ups and more. You won’t be denied for pre-existing conditions. Health plans in the individual and small group markets are required to cover ten categories of essential health benefits – including emergency services, maternity and newborn care, mental and substance use disorder services and prescription coverage.
Don’t miss your chance to Get Covered and share with your family, friends and neighbors!
Get Covered. Apply here.  For local help applying, visit the Illinois Coalition for Health Access.
Filed Under: Community
November 22, 2017 By

Giving Tuesday – November 28

#GivingTuesday is an annual global giving movement and the opportunity for our members to help others through the gift of your time, donations, goods, or your voice. As you consider your giving strategy, please consider our official RNRA charity partners and the RNRA itself. It is through your generous donations, membership voice, business sponsorship, and volunteer support that the RNRA can provide our great community advocacy. Go here to donate to the RNRA or here to become an RNRA Volunteer.

Filed Under: Community
November 22, 2017 By

Small Business Saturday – November 25

#ShopSmall was established in 2010 to celebrate and support small businesses in local communities. Shop Small and share your support for the spots you call your own, whether it’s your salon, gym, or favorite neighborhood restaurant. Places like these keep our community strong and vibrant, potentially employing your friends, family, and neighbors. Visit our Sponsor page to see the local businesses who are RNRA partners – and don’t forget to use your My River App to unlock deals available ONLY to RNRA members!

Filed Under: Community
November 22, 2017 By

November 2017: Upcoming Chicago Business Workshops

Source:  Alderman Brian Hopkins 2nd Ward Newsletter 11/20/17

Wednesday, November 29 at 3:00pm: The Essentials for Avoiding Employment Related Disputes

The City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection (BACP) offers FREE business workshops every Wednesday and Friday at City Hall, 8th Floor. To register for a workshop, call 312-744-2086. A full list of upcoming workshops can be found here. You also can register by emailing BACPoutreach@cityofchicago.org.

Do you own your own small business and want to receive helpful news and tips to help you out?

Filed Under: Community
November 22, 2017 By

Chicago’s Street Sweeping Season Extended to December 8

Source:  Alderman Reilly Reports 11/22/17
The Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation (DSS) will be extending its annual street sweeping season to December 8, 2017.
The Chicago street sweeping season typically ends each year on the Friday prior to Thanksgiving. The extended sweeping operations will  allow crews to continue cleaning alleys, streets and catch basins until December 8, when the Department transitions to its winter sweeping operations. During the winter, approximately 20 sweepers remain available citywide to assist with major cleanups along Chicago’s arterial routes.
In 2017, milder conditions allowed DSS to continue street cleaning along curb lanes, center lanes and viaducts during the winter months. In January, DSS swept approximately 4,400 miles compared to 275 miles in January 2016. In February, DSS swept 6,000 miles compared to 1,500 miles in February 2016.
Filed Under: Community
November 22, 2017 By

Traffic Advisory for 2017 McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Thursday, November 23

Source:  Alderman Reilly Report 11/22/17
The 84th Annual McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will take place on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 23, from 8:00am to 11:00am, and will run along State Street from Congress Parkway to Randolph Street.  The parade will be broadcast live locally and nationally on Chicago’s own WGN Channel 9 and WGN America.
This year’s lineup includes over 100 diverse and remarkable groups including Grand Marshal Ronald McDonald, Chicago’s favorite fun-loving bird and Parade mascot, Teddy Turkey, and an appearance by Santa Claus. To view the complete 2017 lineup, click here,
Several streets in the 42nd Ward will be used during the parade and will have various parking restrictions. To view a map of the parade, including step off, staging areas and disbanding areas, please click here.  To view a list of the parking restrictions, please click here.
To accommodate the parade, the following street closures will occur in the 42nd Ward:
  • State Street, between Washington and Randolph from 8:00pm Wednesday, November 22 to 2:00pm Thursday, November 23.
  • State Street, between Congress and Randolph from 8:00am to 1:00pm on Thursday, November 23.
  • Congress Parkway, between LaSalle and Wabash, from 8:00am to 11:00am on Thursday, November 23
  • All east/west streets from Van Buren Street to Lake Street will be closed between LaSalle and Michigan from 8:00am to 11:30am on Thursday, November 23.
Residents should allow for extra travel time during this event as the Chicago Police Department may enact other closures not listed above for safety reasons. There will be several traffic reroutes, detours and increased pedestrian congestion.  Please plan accordingly. Chicago Transit Authority reroutes are viewable here.
Click here to visit the official parade website.
Filed Under: Community
November 21, 2017 By

CDOT Traffic Alert: LaSalle Street Bridge Testing Requires Intermittent Street Closures from 9:00am until Noon Today

Source: Alderman Reilly Reports 11/21/17
The LaSalle Street Bridge over Chicago River will require intermittent closures for testing.  Vehicular and pedestrian traffic will be impacted this morning, Tuesday, November 21 from 9:00am – noon.
To avoid delays waiting for the bridge to lower, motorists and pedestrians are urged to use the Clark Street Bridge to travel south, or Dearborn Street Bridge to travel north.
Alderman Reilly’s office learned of this required work at close of business Monday, November 20.
Filed Under: Community
November 17, 2017 By

3rd Annual Green Streets Initiative – Congratulations to our 2017 1st Place Winners & Runners Up

About RNRA’s Green Street Initiative – RNRA’s Green Streets Initiative encourages the creation and improvement of public space by acknowledging the owners and managers of properties throughout River North for outstanding achievement in landscape beautification. We collected nominations from the community for outstanding examples of residential, commercial and non-profit properties and then selected 3 finalists in each category.

We then asked our residents to choose their favorites in an online ballot!

Our 3nd Annual Green Streets Initiative winning properties were honored at our 2017 annual meeting on November 14, 2017.  Thank you to everyone who submitted nominations and cast their vote.  
Congratulations to RNRA’s 2017 Green Streets Initiative 1st Place Winners and Runners Up!  

 To see our 2017 Winners click here.

Filed Under: Community