Starting Thursday 3/28, the Department of Transportation (CDOT) will begin work constructing a green (or permeable) alley in the alley bounded by Wilson, Sunnyside, Campbell, and Artesian. This full reconstruction of the alley will incorporate permeable pavers and catch basins to reduce the amount of standing water that residents on this alley experience, based on years of reported flooding.

Construction is expected to take 5 weeks, weather permitting. The entire alley, including garbage cans and garages, will be inaccessible during the entire construction project. Residential garbage pickup will be curbside and we ask that homeowners relocate cans to the front of the property. Buildings with private refuse pickup should contact their service to make special arrangements for pickup.

Alderman Martin helped the CTA secure $20M to proceed with a large-scale renovation of the Western Brown Line station, which will take place in 2024 and 2025.

The Alderman and the CTA have co-hosted the first of three community meetings to help shape the work; you can read reporting about that meeting here.

Building off the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce’s 2019 Master Plan, Alderman Martin has worked with the community and CDOT to make large-scale improvements to the heart of Lincoln Square, aimed at improving the pedestrian and cyclist experience in the area around the Western Brown Line station, as well as ensure that that area is better suited to welcome the many festivals that take place there each here.

Improvements will target the “Farmers Market” parking lot and the plaza adjacent to the El station. Those spaces, as well as Leland Ave itself will be raised to provide one continuous pedestrian space that is easily convertible for events. The space under the El tracks from Lincoln to the station will be improved with better paving and lighting. A bidirectional protected bike lane will allow cyclists to travel east and west along Leland.

You can read reporting about the last community meeting on the topic here.

Alderman Martin worked with Ald. Vasquez to secure the funding for CDOT to resurface Western Ave from Roscoe Ave north. This work, which will take place in 2024, will include:

• replacing the asphalt on the street;

• replacing broken sidewalks and curbs;

• improving pedestrian safety through new curb extensions and pedestrian refuge islands;

• improving bus facilities through bus bulbs and rush-hour bus-only lanes.

Alderman Martin worked with Ald. Vasquez to secure the funding for CDOT to resurface Damen Ave from Wilson Ave north. This work, which will take place in 2024, will include:

• replacing the asphalt on the street;

• replacing broken sidewalks and curbs;

• improving pedestrian safety and cycling and bus facilities through new curb extensions, bus bulbs, raised intersections, etc.

As part of its Arterial Resurfacing program, CDOT plans to resurface Damen Ave between Belmont Ave and Addison (a portion of which is in the 47th Ward). This will include replacing the asphalt on the street, replacing non-compliant ADA ramps, replacing curbs to address standing water, adding curb extensions to improve pedestrian safety, and striping a dashed bike lane. There is currently no set date for the beginning of this project, which will take place in 2023 or 2024.

In 2024, the Department of Transportation will construct the Leland Neighborhood Greenway from Rockwell Ave to Clark St. This low-stress bikeway slow traffic for the benefit of cyclists and pedestrians and will allow cyclists to safely bike from the lake to the river. Improvements will include:

• bike-friendly speed humps;

• detached curb extensions (bump-outs), landscaped west of Western;

• a contraflow bike lane on one-way stretches to allow cyclists to travel in both directions;

• raised crosswalks;

• a protected bike lane and traffic diverter between Lincoln and Western.

You can find out more about the project here.

As part of its Collector Resurfacing program, CDOT plans to repave Ainslie St between Wolcott Ave and Western Ave.

As part of its Collector Resurfacing program, CDOT plans to repave Cornelia Ave between Paulina St and Western Ave.

The Department of Water Management intends to replace the water mains under Greenview Ave from Berteau to Cullom and under Hutchinson Ave from Greenview to Clark. This project is tentatively scheduled for 2024 but no clearer timeline has been set.

The Department of Water Management intends to replace the water main under Paulina St from Ainslie St to Winnemac Ave. This project is tentatively scheduled for 2024 but no clearer timeline has been set.