Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Safety at Lee Street and E. Forest Avenue would improve with a new traffic signal, Des Plaines aldermen said.
At the direction of Des Plaines aldermen, public works and engineering workers conducted a traffic volume study at Lee Street and E. Forest Avenue last week. Traffic at the intersection has increased since 2010, the last time the study was done, said Derek Peebles, civil engineer. The data is being prepared to send to the Illinois Department of Transportation with an explanation that the city is interested is a permit for a traffic signal at that intersection, Peebles said. The opening of Boston Fish Market and other new development, and traffic from the Aldi grocery story and Advance Auto Parts store may be contributing to the increase in traffic volume from 2010 to 2013. In the video above, shot between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. on May 13, …
Traffic volume data recently collected by the City of Des Plaines indicated the intersection of Lee Street and E. Forest Avenue may qualify for a new traffic signal to be constructed.
The City of Des Plaines is steering toward constructing a new traffic signal. Aldermen voted to direct city staff to complete a traffic count study at the intersection of Lee Street and E. Forest Avenue at a meeting on May 6. Fifth Ward Alderman James Brookman said the intersection was in his ward, and he supported a traffic signal to be installed. “I’m very interested in pushing for this for a long time; I think this definitely is needed,” Brookman said. Sixth Ward Alderman Mark Walsten, who was acting Mayor on May 6, said a traffic signal at Lee Street and E. Forest Avenue was necessary. “That’s a very dangerous intersection,” Walsten said. “I’ve seen people backed up four-to-five cars, and somebody’s going to get hurt — I’m telling you …
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Rejected bids, plan changes cause disagreement at city council.
After two rejected bids and further changes to plans for replacing piping in city hall, Sixth Ward Alderman Mark Walsten called it “a mess,” at city council on Monday. City council voted, 7-1, to reject a bid by J&S Plumbing for $188,350. Fourth Ward Alderman Dick Sayad voted against the measure. Sayad said his understanding of the situation was that the original estimate had to be changed. The changes were made, a new bidding process was completed, and the lowest bid was less than the original bid of $193,121. “If the new bid was lower than the first one, and it reflected the corrections, why would we reject it?” Sayad asked Tim Oakley, director of public works and engineering. Oakley said all the bids were higher than the city’s cost …
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Three locations were proposed by city staff.
Every dog has his day, and Des Plaines is no different. City officials and residents met in city council chambers to discuss options for a new dog park on Wednesday. If approved by city council, Des Plaines’ four-legged residents will soon run, jump and rollover in a space designed with the canine in mind. Mayor Martin Moylan said residents have asked him when the city would build a dog park, and the city is currently home to more than 4,000 dog owners. The Des Plaines Park District officially opened parks to dogs on Aug. 1. Moylan said an ad hoc committee to discuss the dog park proposal would be formed and invited to a meeting with an alderman liaison in the next few weeks. “As mayor, I’m really excited because this is one exciting issue…
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Air quality, noise and security are among concerns.
A proposal to relocate the Pace bus shelter on Miner Street drew criticism from a group of residents at a city council meeting on July 2. City council discussed moving the bus shelter, currently in the 1400 block of Miner Street, across the street from the Metra depot, about two blocks southeast to the northeast corner of Miner and Pearson streets. The proposed location is in front of River Pointe Condominiums, which has buildings at 675 Pearson Street and 650 S. River Road. Many of the more than 55 residents that attended the meeting to voice their concerns live in River Pointe. “There is no legitimate reason why the bus stop should be moved from downtown,” said Al Brown, a River Pointe resident. “You are going to put a bus barn in the …
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Officials say the project has changed, and should go through bidding process again.
A bid approved by city council amid objections from some aldermen last month to complete a plumbing project at city hall was rejected, 5-3, at the city council meeting on Monday. Tim Oakley, director of public works and engineering, said because the scope of the project changed, bids should be rejected and a new round of bids should begin later this month. Second Ward Alderman John Robinson, Fourth Ward Alderman Dick Sayad and Sixth Ward Alderman Mark Walsten voted against the measure. Walsten said it was not fair to the bidder to make that information public, then reject the bid. “It is unfair that the bidders had to show their cards,” Walsten said. Stay connected: Receive an email from Des Plaines Patch with headlines in the morning. …
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Four flooding analyses to guide improvements next year in Des Plaines.
Several areas of the city will be recommended for infrastructure improvements to address flooding, including increasing the sizes of storm sewers, after four studies are completed this year. Aldermen approved the latest of the flood studies to look at the Craig Manor subdivision near the park on Des Plaines’ north side at a council meeting on May 7. Other studies have looked at The Villas off Algonquin Road and the intersection of Forest Ave. and Earl Drive. Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd. is completing the four studies, approved by the city in August. The work will cost Des Plaines about $50,000. Earlier: Gaming tax revenue planned for flood control, debt reduction. Last year the area experienced a series of severe thunderstorms …
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Grant funds to pay for bicycle lanes, signals and increased visibility of crosswalks.
Pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers will soon see a more integrated network of roadways and paths in Des Plaines. A plan presented by Active Transportation Alliance, a nonprofit advocacy organization based in Chicago, passed in a 7-1 vote at the city council meeting Monday. Fifth Ward Alderman Jim Brookman voted opposed. Tim Oakley, director of public works, said he and his staff will look at different areas in the city and evaluate what intersections could benefit from this plan. “The purpose is to promote safety for all users of roadways,” he said. Earlier: City Council discusses health initiative. The plan’s recommendations include increasing signage and crosswalk visibility at parks, and add pedestrian signals and curb cuts near …
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Increase comes in wake of Chicago raising the purchase cost of water 25 percent.
Des Plaines will likely increase water and sewer rates this year to keep up with maintenance costs and address Chicago water rate increases. For residents this would mean a 21.23 percent rate increase. For average users, there will be a $6.55 monthly rate increase, or $13.10 on the city’s bi-monthly bills. Alderman voted to pass the ordinance in a 7-1 vote on first reading at the city council meeting on Tuesday. Fifth Ward Alderman Jim Brookman voted against the measure. A final decision will happen at the ordinance's second reading. All ordinances have two readings, and council members vote on both. The purpose of the first reading is to put people on notice of the subject matter of the ordinance. It is adopted or defeated at the second …
Annually, $525K spent on road salt and overtime snow removal wages.
December, 2011 was the 15th warmest December on record with an average temperature of 35 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Weather Service. The City of Des Plaines spent about $40,000 less on snow removal in December 2011 than the previous December, said Tim Oakley, director of public works and engineering. Earlier: Click to read what a meteorologist had to say about the mild December of 2011. Snow removal workers didn’t have any snow to plow in December, but did have to salt the roads on three different occasions, Oakley said. Workers don’t plow if there is two inches of snow or less. Des Plaines had 16 inches of snow in December 2010 and workers had to go out more than 10 times to clear the roads and put down salt. Although …
Kurt
8:31 pm on Wednesday, October 17, 2012
To be clear, Bob Melko and his company Bishop plumbing. more ›