Chicago Department of Transportation Newsletter June 2021

Mayor Lightfoot joins Commissioner Biagi, Alderman Ervin, and Community Leaders at W. Garfield Park Groundbreaking

On June 5, Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot joined Alderman Jason Ervin, CDOT Commissioner Gia Biagi, other City departments and agencies, and members of the Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative to break ground on a vacant lot that is being transformed into a new Community Plaza and Roller Rink in West Garfield Park. The future Plaza and Roller Rink are part of the Mayor’s new Neighborhood Activation initiative, a focused violence prevention and community investment initiative that combines community direction and aspirations with City services and assets to implement programs, social services, and changes to the built environment at a hyperlocal block level.

CDOT was honored to be a part of the intergovernmental team that worked with community members for months to develop a vision and coordinate resources for the area. CDOT's work has already begun with the addition of 37 new trees in the area and pedestrian refuge islands on Madison, and will continue this summer and into the fall with additional pedestrian safety improvements in partnership with the newly renovated Legler Regional Library and Melody Elementary School.

CDOT Updates June 2021

Congratulations to Samantha Bingham, CDOT's Clean Transportation Program Manager, for winning Illinois Green's 2020 Emerald Award for Individual Leadership. Each year, the annual Emerald Awards program recognizes the unique green building leadership in Illinois by featuring the best and brightest individuals, projects, and technologies championed in the state. Samantha was recognized for her tireless work promoting the use of domestic fuels and advanced vehicle technologies in transportation across the six-county Chicagoland region. Congrats, Sam!

Congratulations are also in order for the North Lake Shore Drive Phase I Study Team who won a Silver Trumpet Award from the Publicity Club of Chicago for the Fall 2020 Public Input Opportunity. The project site hosted a variety of interactive activities for participants to engage with, ensuring that the public continued to have meaningful opportunities to provide feedback online during the pandemic. Congratulations, team!

As part of the City's recovery efforts, Mayor Lightfoot joined with the Chicago Central Area Committee to release the Central City Recovery Roadmap and to announce street activations in the downtown area. Throughout the summer, there will be temporary street closures, arts and cultural programming, outdoor dining, and more – inviting office workers, residents and tourists downtown. These new programs include “Meet Me on The Mile,” sponsored by The Magnificent Mile Association; “Sundays on State,” sponsored by the Chicago Loop Alliance; and “Lunch on LaSalle,” sponsored by the Building Owners and Managers Association of Chicago (BOMA/Chicago). The Roadmap supports a strong reopening this summer that will guide Chicago into full recovery over the next several years.

CDOT joined Alderman Walter Burnett, the West Loop Community Organization (WLCO) and other stakeholders at the ribbon-cutting for the second phase of the Fulton Market Streetscape Project. The project improves pedestrian safety and upgrades the infrastructure in the historic near West Side neighborhood that has become the epicenter for Chicago’s tech boom and dining scene. Other improvements include wood benches, bike racks, in-ground planters, and energy-efficient LED street lighting.

Mayor Lightfoot, CDOT, CTA unveiled preliminary design concepts for a new station at State and Lake. The state-of-the art facility will be a fully accessible rail hub with wider platforms and a host of customer amenities such as balconies that provide a scenic overlook of State Street and the landmark Chicago Theater. Other features include elevators, escalators, and improved pedestrian safety. Once the design process is complete and full funding is obtained, it will take about three years to complete construction of the new station.

A friendly reminder that CDOT's SAFE (Streets Are for Everybody) Ambassadors are offering free "Learn to Ride" classes, and have additional opportunities through an advanced "Learn to Commute" program. Classes are free and open to individuals 16 years and older. There are classes scheduled throughout the summer, including over a dozen in July alone! Interested participants can register online.

CDOT currently has four open positions for an administrative assistant, director of administration, coordinating engineer, and assistant project director. Visit the Chicago CAREERS website and search "Department of Transportation" in the drop down menu under "Organization".

Divvy is also hiring! Divvy, Chicago's bikeshare system, has open positions that include bike mechanics, a shift manager, an assistant operations manager, drivers, an operations associate, and more. More information at bit.ly/divvyjobs.

Have a happy and safe holiday!