Community Events

SEOPCO ACTION ALERT: IDOT’s preferred options all call for widening the Eisenhower (Ike)

Dear Neighbors,

Please read the letter below from the Citizens for Appropriate Transportation.   The Illinois Department of Transportation’s four alternatives for the I-290 involve widening it.  We all have until next Monday, May 20th to communicate our opinions to IDOT.

The SEOPCO board intends to express to IDOT our opposition to their current build alternatives, and we plan to express our concerns to the Village Board during the public comment part of the agenda, also on May 20th.

 

Please take the time to do two things:

1.  Send an email to seopco@gmail.com with a “yes” if you also oppose widening the IKE, or a “no” if you are in favor of widening it. We’d like to know what you think.

2.  Send an email to the two IDOT addresses listed below with a cc: to seopco@gmail.com expressing your opinion to them. REMEMBER – the deadline is May 20.

 

FROM THE CITIZENS FOR APPROPRIATE TRANSPORTATION

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is asking for comments by Monday May 20, 2013. All four Build Alternatives that IDOT wants to carry forward widen the expressway. Below is information that summarizes our concerns. Please forward this e-mail to others because the more people who submit comments, the better. 

The contact information for IDOT is also below.

Our web site is www.CitizensForAppropriateTransportation.org and you can join our Facebook Page by clicking the Facebook logo below.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.  Thank you!

Rick Kuner
rkuner@comcast.net
708/848-0942

CITIZENS FOR APPROPRIATE TRANSPORTATION (CAT) ACTION ALERT – MAY 10, 2013

We need your help. IDOT has asked for comments on the Purpose and Need Statement and the Round 2 Alternatives by Monday May 20, 2013. Please submit written comments to Pete Harmet (Pete.Harmet@illinois.gov) and Mark Peterson (Mark.Peterson@illinois.gov) at IDOT. Consider the following and add your personal perspective.

1. IDOT’s Purpose and Need Statement says nothing about the major impacts transportation has on livable communities – a serious omission.

2. By focusing on transportation criteria, IDOT under designed their alternatives. To do a fair and comprehensive evaluation, they should include all the environmental, economic, social, and financial impacts.

3. All four Build Alternatives IDOT wants to carry into Round 3 widen the expressway. At least one alternative should not widen the expressway. IDOT considered two versions of a multi-modal alternative suggested by Oak Park and CAT that upgrade and manage transit better, increase accessibility, and do not widen the expressway. Neither version scored in the top four because IDOT excluded important criteria.

4. IDOT’s proposed right-hand ramps at Austin and Harlem will negatively affect residential neighborhoods close to the expressway. Right-hand ramps move the source of air and noise pollution closer to homes.

5. The Village of Oak Park, Citizens for Appropriate Transportation, and 80+ others submitted written comments to IDOT in June 2012. IDOT did not respond until ten months later in late April 2013. Does a ten month response time make you feel IDOT valued your comments?

6. There are many ways to manage lanes. IDOT has not analyzed most of them.

7. IDOT committed to a Context Sensitive Solutions process, but has never had an architect or urban designer present either concepts or designs.

8. Using projections to the Year 2040, IDOT ranked the twelve Build Alternatives on each criterion from 12 (best) to 1 (worst). Differences among alternatives vary widely. IDOT used this Ranking System to calculate averages, a procedure that treats every difference equal to one. Many differences are so small that projections thirty years into the future are unlikely to be helpful in selecting the best solution.

 

IDOT should revise their alternatives based on lessons learned in Round 2 so they will perform better in future rounds. For more information see the CAT web site: www:CitizensForAppropriateTransportation.org. You can find IDOT’s documents at www.EisenhowerExpressway.com > Information Center > Reports. Thank you!

CAT 2013\CAT Action Alert May 2013.docx

 

IDOT’S CONTACT INFORMATION

U.S. Mail
Illinois Dept. of Transportation
c/o Mr. Peter Harmet and Mr. Mark Peterson
201 West Center Court
Schaumburg, IL 60196

Pete.Harmet@illinois.gov
mark.peterson@illinois.gov
FAX: 847/705-4159
www.eisenhowerexpressway.com

—
SEOPCO – South East Oak Park Community Organization
P.O. Box 1722
Oak Park, IL 60304-1722
www.seopco.org
seopco@gmail.com

Bye Bye Blacktop Party! May 24, 4-8pm

Say goodbye to the blacktop, Irving style!
You won’t miss the blacktop! Don’t miss the party!

Friday, May 24, 4-8pm

See the awesome flyer here!

Outside activities from 4-6:

  • Dunk tank for teachers (stay tuned for those details)
  • Blacktop t-shirts available ($10 for adults; FREE for students)
  • Music! Baggo! Extra 4-square courts! Color the chalk mural!
  • Sing the new Goodbye Blacktop song (music and lyrics written by Ms. Hiolski and Mr.  Williams)

Parent/Staff softball game from 6-8:

  • Bring your lawn chairs or
  • Wear a white shirt to play on the parents’ team

Food truck provided by Robinson’s Ribs. Buy dinner and drinks (soda, water) from them, or just bring your own picnic. (We will not have grills this year.)

Good Humor ice cream truck will be there!

After-party at the Side Bar on Roosevelt for staff and parents to hang out after the kids are in bed.

Contact Jassen Strokosch (jassens@gmail.com) to be on the parent softball team. The game even has it’s own Facebook page.

Contact Laura Crawford (lauracrawford47@gmail.com) with questions about the party.

Irving Garden Parent Volunteers needed

We need your help to turn the garden beds this weekend. Bring a shovel over to the Irving gardens and turn  the soil in one or a few garden beds if you can spare 30 minutes or so this weekend.

Also, We are looking for parent volunteers to help with classroom planting for the following times:

May 13 9:15-10am Ms Payton
May 14 9:15-10am Mr. N Sak
May 15 830-915 Ms Kaunellis class
May 15 10:00-1-:45 Ms. Williams
May 16 1045-1115 Mr Eng class
May 16 1:00-1:45 Ms. Solomon

 

We would give you the tools and seed/seedlings.  It is very fun and rewarding. Especially with the little ones. Please email me at reshmadesai30@gmail.com and the teacher listed above know if you can help.

French Summer Exchange Program
I am working with a friend and colleague, Christine Baissac, who owns Easy English 4 all. Easy English is a language school in Brest, France which teaches children and adults.
This summer Christine is bringing 12 girls, aged 13 – 17 to the Oak Park area. I have been securing host families. We are having great success but are looking for 5 more families for this 3 week exchange.
Attached please find the Exchange Information Sheet as well as the Registration form.
Thank you for any help you can offer. I am available via e-mail or phone to answer any questions.
Sincerely,

Exchange Information Sheet

Registration Form

 

Vote for Irving’s Green Team!

Irving’s Green Team is participating in the Re-Create Eco Art Exhibit, sponsored by Downtown Oak Park. The pieces are being displayed at DTOP businesses (this link has the list: http://downtownoakpark.net/special_pages/re_create.html) and you can vote for your favorite at those locations. The winners get a zero-waste pizza party! Announcement of the winners will be April 20, so be sure to go vote this week!