Lighted crosswalks debut on Roosevelt Road

Feb. 3, 2012 – Crossing Roosevelt Road at Lombard Avenue, Gunderson Avenue and Home Avenue should be a little safer now that lighted crosswalks have been installed. In-roadway warning lights, as they are officially known, were installed as part of the Roosevelt Road streetscape improvement project. Even though state law requires motorists to stop for pedestrians in marked crosswalks, officials say pedestrians can have difficulty getting the right of way without traffic signs or signals, a situation the warning lights may help to remedy. Pressing a button activates a signpost beacon and flashing, in-pavement lights, giving the pedestrian about 30 seconds to cross before the system automatically turns off. The energy-efficient LED lights are solar powered. Officials caution pedestrians to be sure vehicles are stopped before proceeding into the crosswalk. The crosswalks selected for the lighted crossings had the most pedestrians and pedestrian incidents, officials say. For more information regarding these and other enhancements as part of the Roosevelt Road streetscape project, visit www.rooseveltroad.com.

Third-party electricity providers generating confusion

Jan. 31. 2012 – With third-party electricity providers continuing to solicit in Oak Park, officials are cautioning residents not to be misled by salespeople saying they represent the Village's electricity aggregation program. Only those residents and small business owners who chose to opt out of the Village program were not automatically enrolled. Solicitors now calling and going door-to-door in the Village are selling an unrelated program – one that will cost residents a fee to withdraw from the local municipal service. The Village's provider, which was selected through a competitive bid process, is Integrys Energy Services. Neither Integrys nor the Village is soliciting customers for the local program. For more information on the Village's electricity aggregation program, call 708.358.5778 or e-mail sustainability@oak-park.us. Information also is posted at  www.oak-park.us/aggregation.

Residents invited to participate in water conservation focus group

Jan. 26, 2012 – With the City of Chicago dramatically increasing charges to communities for Lake Michigan water, Oak Park is launching a community-based effort to create a water conservation and use efficiency plan. The effort, which will rely heavily on citizen input and participation, will begin with a focus group scheduled for 7 – 9 p.m., Tues., Jan. 31, at Village Hall, 123 Madison St. The goal is to create a plan that will focus on water supply issues to promote efficient water use and conservation in the community. The final plan could be a model for other communities with similar water supply issues. The City of Chicago, which supplies Lake Michigan water to Oak Park and nearby communities, raised rates 25 percent in 2012. Rates are scheduled to rise another 15 percent each year in 2013, 2014 and 2015. For more information on the plan, call 708.358.5778 or e-mail sustainability@oak-park.us.

Voter registration underway

Jan. 23, 2012 – Oak Parkers planning to vote in the spring federal and state primary elections can register through Tues., Feb. 21, at Village Hall, 123 Madison St. Registration is offered from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Mon. - Fri. in the Village Clerk’s Office. Voter registration requires two types of identification, at least one with the current address. A driver’s license or picture ID is preferred, along with an additional item such as a lease or utility bill. Early voting is scheduled for 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., from Mon., Feb. 27 – Thurs., March 15. Registered voters do not need a reason to vote early. Election Day is Tues., March 20. For more information, call 708.358.5670 or e-mail clerk@oak-park.us.

Electronic recycling events planned in response to law change

Jan. 3, 2012 – The Village will offer a monthly electronics recycling program from May through October in response to a new state law that bans most electronic items from Illinois landfills beginning Jan. 1. The Oak Park recycling program will be held from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Saturdays, May 26, June 30, July 28, Aug. 25, Sept. 29 and Oct. 27. Items must be brought to the Public Works Center, 201 S. Lombard Ave. Banned items include computers, peripherals, laptops, monitors, TVs, cell phones, rechargeable batteries, printers, fax machines, MP3 players, cable boxes, satellite receivers, digital converter boxes, stereo equipment, speakers, portable digital assistants, video game consoles, video cassette recorders/players, digital video disk players, zip drives and scanners. For more information, call 708.358.5700 or e-mail publicworks@oak-park.us.

Results of latest citizen survey posted online

Nov. 14, 2011 – Oak Parkers continue to see the community as a great place to live and raise a family, according to the results of the latest survey of Oak Park residents. Some 1,200 Oak Park households were surveyed by mail in late August and early September. More than 450 surveys were completed and returned for 39-percent response rate. With a confidence level of 95 percent, the survey provides an accurate, scientifically valid snapshot of the entire community. Click here to read an executive summary and the complete survey report.

Public safety notification system launched

Oct. 11, 2011 – A system to communicate directly with residents when public safety issues arise is now available to Oak Parkers who register at www.oak-park.us/notifyme. The new system allows residents to choose if and how they would like to be notified should an issue arise – by telephone, e-mail or text message. A simple, two-step process is all it takes to register. Just go to www.oak-park.us/notifyme and complete a brief registration form. Once submitted,  you will receive an e-mail with a link that must be followed to complete the process. The second step is to ensure that individuals cannot be signed up by someone without their consent. Residents who do not have an e-mail address can call 708.358.5698 to register to receive messages by telephone.

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