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Close gap in lakefront parks?
Chicago residents in the city's Edgewater neighborhood will get to vote next month on a plan to extend lakefront parks from Hollywood Avenue to the Evanston city line.
The non-binding referendum was placed on the ballot by neighborhood residents who oppose the park plan, which was advanced earlier this year by the advocacy group Friends of the Parks.
Medill Reports talked to organizers of the referendum vote.
Many Evanston residents have been leery of park expansion projects, fearing increased traffic from Chicago along Sheridan Road. They also defeated plans a few years back to build a marina on the Evanston lakefront near the Chicago border.
I would bike to work downtown in the loop every day in the summer if I had this option. Right now the "best" route is down Chicago to Clark St, where the bike lanes come and go at random points along the way. As I fear being creamed by a bus or taxi or "door"ed by an inattentive motorist, I instead take the train.
Evanstonians and Chicagoans who live near the lake along Sheridan Rd. always seem to get their way over the majority of those who do not live near the lake.
First, they shout down any plans for a marina even though the feds were ready to kick in money to help build it. Their excuse was the marina would damage the pristine condition of the lakefront.
So, why do these same people oppose more parks?
They just want to keep people away from Chicago and Evanston's best resource - Lake Michigan - and have it all for themselves.
Anonymous Al
Lake Michigan belongs to all of us, not the few who live near it. We ALL should enjoy the lake with parks, and a marina would have been nice.
I like this idea because it would make it much easier getting downtown on a bike.....but I'd like to know what my fellow Evanstonians think of this idea. Sound off, people!
:^)
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