To: Senator Mulroe, State Representative Martwick, Alderman Sposato, and Alderman Cullerton

The Safety of Irving Park Rd., Between Harlem Ave. & Cumberland Ave. in Chicago

Our Illinois Route 19, aka Irving Park Rd., acts much like a highway, between Harlem Ave. and Cumberland Ave. in Chicago, IL. Cars zoom by with little concern for the pedestrians and the bikers.

Anyone who would pull a traffic report would note that deadly accidents and the bumper- to- bumper accidents are not a stranger here! Two of my neighbors were killed here over the past two years, one on a bike and one in the car. This year, someone just drove through the rusted-out fence into Irving Park Cemetery.

There are two cemeteries on each side of Irving Park Rd., which are Acacia Park Cemetery and Irving Park Cemetery. They used to have concrete sidewalks in the front, bordering with Irving Park Rd. until the walkways were abandoned in the late 1960's. Now, there are merely paths of mud and gravel. Often kids on bikes, mothers with strollers and elderly with their shopping carts either struggle through the gravel and mud filled paths or they maneuver their equipment into the state street. These sidewalks must be replaced.

Also, if anyone would talk to the school crossing guard by N. Pioneer Ave., they would learn of the frequent dangers of crossing the street, like kids almost getting clipped by an impatient car. She will be back in the fall when the school restarts and would appreciate having traffic lights installed at Pioneer Ave.

I PLEA with all concerned citizens to assist with getting these overdue safety issues resolved by signing this petition, which requests the following:

Traffic lights by Pioneer Ave to slow down the "highway" traffic and to provide the safe passage, especially for our school age children and the elderly;

Adding identified crosswalk by Pacific Ave. for the bus stop crossing; and

Rebuilding the Irving Park Rd. sidewalks in the front of both Acacia Park Cemetery and Irving Park Cemetery.

Thank you!

Why is this important?

People in the area, including my own family, have been detrimentally impacted by the lack of safety on Irving Park Rd. It is problematic and frankly dangerous to cross the busy street to walk to the nearby bus stop, stores, restaurants and to meet-up with friends. A handful of us tried to contact the local politicians with this plea with mixed results. We need this petition to add traction to our request for the improved safety in our community.