Politics & Government
When Engineers Make a Bad Intersection Worse
The intersection at Dodge and Church is riddled with problems that will only get worse now that school is in session.
I have no doubt that managing a city like Evanston requires superhuman coordination and forethought. In the case of the intersection of Church and Dodge, however, I worry that someone accidentally approved the plans after a carb crash after lunch.
, I spend a significant amount of time at that intersection taking my kids to for music lessons and performances.
Over the summer, while the intersection was under construction, I wondered when the metered spaces in front of Boocoo would return. Patience, I told myself. All in good time.
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When one of my sons was on crutches and needed help navigating in and out of the car with his bass guitar in the rain, I’d park in front of Boocoo with my hazards on, praying the cars behind me wouldn’t a) rear end us or b) crash head-on into the opposing traffic while avoiding us or c) honk loudly or d) shout profanities. Thankfully, I suppose, we only got c) and d).
When I heard Boocoo’s management discuss what a disappointment it was to learn they’d lost their metered spaces out front, I went straight to the city for answers. Having just written an article about , I found it ironic: Why do some businesses have on-street parking so tight you can’t even squeeze into your car while another business loses its on-street parking altogether?
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City officials Rickey Voss (Division Manager, Parking & Revenue) and Marty Lyons (Assistant City Manager / Chief Financial Officer) agreed to meet with me in front of Boocoo to see exactly what I meant. I appreciated them assessing the situation and asked if they’d be willing to respond to this issue – as well as others posed by Patch readers. They readily agreed.
Lyons said that 2nd and 5th Ward residents voiced concern over pedestrian safety at the intersection, and the city responded. Speeding cars, bus traffic and congestion from a high school population of nearly 3,000 students led to an intersection makeover. That sounds absolutely reasonable.
At Lyons’ suggestion, I also contacted 5th Ward Alderman Delores Holmes about the intersection. Though she was out of town when I got in touch, she indicated via email that she’s had several meetings on the issue before the intersection was redesigned as well as a follow-up meeting on Aug. 16 after if was completed. She suggested I speak with Public Works Director Suzette Robinson. I’ve emailed and called Ms. Robinson but have not yet heard back from her.
Alderman Holmes’ email also indicated that the City had met with the Boocoo staff regarding parking and that the south side of Church at Dodge is actually in the 2nd Ward – although “we all work together for the benefit of the residents.” I’ve left a message for 2nd Ward Alderman Braithwaite and hope to hear back from him soon.
“Crossing the street for some of the students will also be helped with the new alterations,” Holmes said, suggesting that boocoo could arrange for a dropoff area in back
When I shared Ald. Holmes’ comments with Alicia Hempfling, a director at Boocoo, she said that dropping kids off behind the building was not a good option, since the parking lot belongs to a dentist who “(rightfully) gets annoyed at non-authorized vehicles going in and out.”
Additionally, she said that, “in the dark evenings of fall and winter, there is not a clear line of sight from the back door to the alley. We want to make sure kids are safe being picked up and dropped off."
Hempfling went on to say that she and other Boocoo staff had noticed problems when buses make stops across the street and turn from Dodge onto Church. “If there is any sort of traffic, the cars get backed up behind the bus,” she said. “Although trucks and large vehicles are able to make the turn off Dodge and on to Church, it is not without difficulty. Just think of heavy traffic and the end of the school day combined.”
While I look forward to Director Robinson’s response (as well as that of 2nd Ward Alderman Peter Braithwaite), a recent email Robinson sent to Boocoo concedes that, following construction, some residents “correctly” alerted the city to the following problems with the new intersection configuration:
- Eastbound traffic is challenging for bus loading/unloading
- Buses have difficulty turning left onto Church from Dodge
As a result, Robinson wrote, the city has had to eliminate five metered parking spaces in front of Boocoo. Though some parking spaces remain on the north side of Church east of Boocoo, there is now nowhere for cars to stop in front of Boocoo or the adjacent businesses.
So why is this all such a big deal?
In my opinion, the planners didn’t take into account what the businesses or vehicles in that area need.
I’m all for pedestrian safety. I’m all for bike lanes. I’m even into attractive architectural features. However, when the improvements lead to further congestion — not to mention create an unsafe/frustrating situation for pedestrians and performers loading and unloading on its northeast corner — I think it’s time to reevaluate how the planning process works.
One city official pointed out the improved appearance of the corner, though I can’t help wondering how attractive it will be when horns are honking, tempers are flaring and patrons decide the businesses on the northeast corner of Church and Dodge are simply too frustrating to access.
Here are the responses I received from Marty Lyons regarding this issue:
Q: Why was the intersection at Dodge and Church modified in the first place?
A: As a part of improving total traffic (vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian) the city continually reviews intersections and streets throughout the city. This intersection improvement will allow for a bicycle path that is not in the roadway. In order to allow for this design the parking needed to be removed. The city has also met with 5th Ward residents to discuss this issue in detail. The City is also working with Boocoo to improve the parking in the rear of their building.
Q: Because there is no longer a bus cut out on the southeast corner at Church and Dodge, what happens to the traffic behind the buses?
A: Bus traffic will continue on Church and Dodge. Vehicles behind buses will act in the same way as any other two-lane road without parking.
Q: Will there be a bike lane in this intersection?
A: Yes, this bike lane will be in the right of way on the south side of Church.
Lyons also directed me to a press release from the city of Evanston, which highlights “sidewalk brick replacement, street resurfacing, a protected bike path, bike shelter, sidewalk furniture and pedestrian lighting.”
All of these improvements sound fantastic on paper, but the reality is, the intersection of Church and Dodge is a mess. And it’s only going to get worse with school in session.