Howard Street, Crawford Avenue to Skokie Boulevard

Just out of range of Ald. Bernie Stone's stop-sign trigger fingers, there lies a major street that cuts through a residential neighborhood for a mile. Between Crawford/Pulaski Avenue and Skokie Boulevard, there are 13 side streets. Yet between the traffic lights at Crawford/Pulaski and Skokie, there are no stop signs or lights. It's just a pleasant ride in a 35mph zone.
No stop signs? But it's residential! People need to be able to cross the street!
Lyon Park borders Howard Street! We need a stop sign or a traffic light! For the children!
If we don't put in some type of traffic control, why, people will just fly down Howard at 60mph!
In Chicago, all those arguments would ring true, and Howard Street would probably have at least a half-dozen stop signs in that one-mile stretch. The difference is that this part of Howard is in Skokie. Skokie has a few stupid stop signs of its own, including a slew near Church Street protecting a series of walking/bike paths. They make the streets more dangerous because most drivers don't bother stopping for them. But Skokie draws the line somewhere, and it declined to impede traffic on Howard, a major street that correctly should not have stop signs. So between Crawford/Pulaski and Skokie Boulevard, traffic continues to flow, people manage to turn left and cross the street, and everyone is happy. See? It really works.

Reply Letter #2: Touhy/Wash stop sign

Look, Alderman-for-Life, why don’t we just install four-way stop signs at every intersection in the ward? Oh, wait, that’s your evil plan, right?

I do believe you are “indulging the wishes of the school.” After all, you are caving in to the school’s request to the detriment of the rest of us.

>>> Thank you for your input, but I have no intentions to remove the sign.

And I have no intention of stopping for it.

What is the purpose of a stop sign?

I think my disagreement with a couple of friends—okay, more than a couple—stems from a disagreement about the purpose of a stop sign. For me, a stop sign is to prevent side street traffic from interfering with traffic on major thoroughfares. It could also be used to prevent accidents at intersections of two side streets, but a four-way stop sign should only be used in extreme circumstances—certainly not at nearly every intersection in a neighborhood, as is found in, say, West Rogers Park. A stop sign should not be used:
To protect a park, which has pedestrian traffic a few hours a day in warm-weather months
To protect a school, which has pedestrian traffic two hours a day, 180 days a year
To help people cross a major street. Illinois law already requires motorists to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks, so a stop sign is redundant.

As I’ve previously noted in this blog, Chicago residents whine to their aldermen about allegedly dangerous intersections. The alderman quickly install stop signs to placate the masses. Former Ald. Burt Natarus (42nd), whom I couldn’t stand, loved doing this. So did former Ald. Bernie Hansen (44th) and his successor, Ald. Tom Tunney. So does Ald. Bernie Stone (50th). Main thoroughfares that motorists once navigated rather quickly are now stop-and-go ordeals that are no better than side streets and often worse. I would support electric or temporary stop signs that were operational only when pedestrians were actually using the crosswalk. But a 24-7 stop sign is terribly unfair to motorists forced to stop and check for pedestrian traffic all hours of the day and night when there are precious few pedestrians to begin with. Why do commuters on their way to catch a train at 7:15am in the dead of winter need to stop for a playground stop sign? It’s ludicrous and a terrible imposition of government—the tyranny of a few determining the laws for the rest of us.
A few final notes:
Streets with bus routes should never have stop signs. That includes Touhy and California Avenues.
Aldermen should not have the right to install stop signs without expensive traffic studies that their budgets cannot afford.
Major streets with traffic lights should not have stop signs.
Streets with long stop sign-free stretches, like Touhy Avenue between Western Avenue and I-294 (9 mi.), should never have stop signs.
Stop signs waste motorists’ fuel and time and inflict more wear and tear on their vehicles. Government and neighborhood groups should be working together to remove stop signs, not install more. Fewer stop signs would mean the remaining stop signs receive more motorist compliance. As it stands, motorists pay less and less attention to stop signs as they continue to sprout like weeds around town. This makes our streets less safe for pedestrians—the opposite of the stated goal of the fanatical stop sign activists.

Former aldermanic candidate moves to South Fla.

A voice for reform and change in the frozen-in-time 50th Ward Democratic politics, Naisy is moving to South Florida, where she has family and attended high school. Here is the contents of her farewell email message:

Dear Friends,

Over the past few years, there have been more than a few changes that have come along to challenge the way we were before. As many of you know, one of the biggest changes in my life happened with the sudden loss of my mother last June.

Since then, I have been spending my time in Florida, where my parents had been living, and our family has faced a new set of challenges to overcome while also finding new opportunities we have chosen to pursue.

After long consideration, we have decided to relocate to Florida to begin a new chapter in our lives to be closer to our immediate family and to build a family business.

Our decision was not easy because I know I will leave a community we built together - a community of people who believe in the fundamental value of bringing people together for a common purpose. We learned that as neighbors, friends and family members from near or far, from all ethnic and religious backgrounds, we can make a positive difference.

We are people who expect more and I know that we will continue to do more no matter where we are. Although I will no longer live in Chicago, I will take with me more than 30 years of fond memories and friendships. This city, all that makes up our home, and the spirit that each of you have shared with me, will never be forgotten.

So, if you are in the neighborhood, I hope we can share a final good-bye together. Please join me for some rugelah at (you guessed it!):

B.B.'s Bagels
Sunday, November 16th
1-3pm

If we don't get a chance to see each other, I do hope to meet you again.

My deepest gratitude and love,
Naisy Dolar

* * *

Naisy's decision to move away keeps the 2011 50th Ward aldermanic race open. Thirty-five-year incument Bernie Stone is expected to step aside for his daughter, Ilana Stone Fekevitch. Other candidates are to be determined.

I like Naisy and wish her well. Her loss in the April, 2007 runoff seemed to be a result of ballot fraud on the part of her opponent or a few of his supporters. Residents of the 50th Ward still need better represenatation in the City Council.