More Lighting Needed on Central Street, Business Owners Say

As changes are beginning to occur around the Central Street/Green Bay Road corridor in northeast Evanston, some business owners in the Central Street East business district are stressing the importance of improved lighting in the area.

“We moved here east of Green Bay last April and are amazed to see how dark it is and how terrible the traffic is because of that,” said Patty O’Neill-Cynkar, owner of Perennials. “Even when there is a crossing guard, cars aren’t stopping for people. My employees tell me all the time how treacherous it is to cross the street at the end of the day.”

Bob Danon, owner of The Danon Gallery next door, agrees.

“The lighting is weak all along Central Street - both sides of Green Bay,” he said. “In all Evanston neighborhoods it is dark around corners - but this intersection (Central and Green Bay) is particularly dark, and even in the daytime is dangerous.”

The problem came to the forefront in December when an Evanston woman was nearly killed near Central and Ashland when a UPS bus hit her, causing her to be trapped under a wheel for a half-hour. READ MORE HERE

“Sadly, I’m surprised there haven’t been more (accidents),” O’Neill-Cynkar said. “We need to see more street lights or upgrade them to be brighter. Right now it’s a great place for someone to hide knock you over and rob you.”

“It does get kind of desolate at night,” added Berne Brady, owner of The Printed Word. “I always lock the door early because it is too dark. Adding more street lights would be beneficial.”

According to Julie Heinz, manager of Preston’s Flowers and Gifts, the problem has actually persisted for years. Ever since the theater marquees that lit up the streets for years went away.

“We had a 1,500 seat theater in the 1700 block of Central that had all neon lighting and lit up the whole area,” recalls Heinz, a longtime employee in the Central Street east business district.

“Over the years, the street lighting got a lot dimmer. It’s very hard to see, especially in winter when people are wearing black coats,” Heinz said, adding in her concern for employees who leave the hospital and those who get off at the nearby train station.

“We need some sidewalk and corner lighting to make it safer for them.”

But not every business owner expressed the same concerns. Fred Gale, owner of the new Ten Mile House restaurant, said he likes the quaintness of the lighting, saying it adds to the positive atmosphere in the district.

“We may need an extra stoplight or stop sign, but overall the lighting is fine,” he said. “I know I might be in the minority on this, but I like the dim lighting.”

Charlie Lettner, a Wilmette resident who walks Central Street nearly every day, also doesn’t see it as a huge issue and questions what could possibly be done to lighten the area up.

“I’m not sure how much brighter you could get it,” he said. “I know it’s a rough corner, but the businesses do their part in getting the street lit, so I don’t see what else could be done.”

Something is already being done about the area, Seventh Ward Alderperson Jane Grover says, adding that she has heard “no objection” about increasing the number of light stands or changing the wattage in the current ones on Central.

“(The lighting) may be something included in the Central-Green Bay improvement project, which we are hoping will improve the streets, landscaping and sidewalks,” Grover said. “We have a couple projects in the planning and design stages as we are mostly looking for a way to brand Central Street with lighting, garbage and recycling receptacles and park benches.”

One Public Works project for one block of new sidewalk near Central and Green Bay is expected to be completed this year, she said.

But the lighting will remain a concern for some utilizing the corridor for work and leisure.

Danon says he would like the area to be lit like Sheridan Road near Northwestern University.

“There is good lighting on both sides of the street there,” he said while remaining skeptical of the chance of a similar solution being applied to Central.

“They certainly won’t do that with the bigger and brighter lights, but there are just so many places to put extra lights near the Metro viaduct,” he added. “Why should we have to wait? It is needed, it’s very dangerous right now and we aren’t talking big bucks. There’s no excuse as this should be a very easy problem to solve.”

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