Q/A With Mayor Tisdahl: Parking, Bicyclists, Paving and More

Residents of the city of Evanston had plenty on their mind when we asked a simple Facebook question on what you would like to see changed in town. Everything from beach access and active transportation to issues regarding parking and bicycle use were mentioned. So I met up with Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl earlier this summer to ask her to address some of the concerns brought up by residents and fans of the Evanston Patch Facebook page.

Here’s what the Mayor had to say on these issues. Find a separate article here for her take on Evanston residents’ access to city beaches.

Patch (P): Any urban area is going to have issues with parking, and Evanston is no stranger to that problem. Some residents have called for an increase of “free” parking time at the Maple Avenue garage and other ways to ease the problem to locals. Has there been any discussion at City Hall of amending any parking policies?

Mayor Tisdahl (T): There’s been no discussion at City Hall above what we already have. You can park at the garage for free for an hour and longer if you are going to the theatre nearby. It’s also available for overnight parking at the same rate as during the day. Just leave the car there and pick it up the next day.

P: Outside of calling for more ways to get free beach tokens, residents mentioned issues with bicycles above anything else. Has the Mayor’s Office been receiving complaints often about biking on the sidewalks or any other unsafe behavior shown by bicyclists?

T: We have tried to increase the number of people in town that use a bicycle by adding more bike lanes, but as we succeeded in increasing the number of people who travel by bike, we have increased the number of complaints as well. If we were designing a city from scratch, we would make wider lanes and larger bike paths. I just read about one place in South Korea where the lanes are so big, safety is not a worry at all. But we are not starting from scratch and we are not going to kill trees to make the streets wider, so we are just looking at ways to make the best bike lanes possible.

Related: Evanstonians Speak Out on What Needs to be Changed in Town

P: There’s a disagreement I’ve noticed between the desire for the right amount of light on city streets. Some say the city needs to be brighter in an effort to avoid any potential accidents between drivers and pedestrians while others like the character the city shows by having dim lighting. Specifically, a group of business owners on Central Street have mentioned that there needs to be more light in that area. Is this a priority at City Hall?

T: It’s interesting that you mention Central Street, because I have not heard anything about the lighting there. It is possible, though, that Aldermen (Jane) Grover and (Mark) Tendam have. Evey year I go on a light was with Northwestern students, and they tell me about the places they feel are too dark. But then, some longtime Evanston residents feel there is too much light in their neighborhoods. The town was designed for a certain amount of light, we’ve put in brighter bulbs, but it’s a continual struggle to get it to a level where it meets everyone’s needs.

P: The paving of city streets was mentioned by a number of residents, with a few calling for Green Bay Road to be worked on in particular. How does the city decide which streets are paved?

T: There is a five-year list of priority streets. Residents can contact their aldermen and tell them which streets pose the biggest problems. Aldermen can advocate for certain streets to be on the list and citizens can as well.

P: Moving along to highlight the best of Evanston, what would you select as the city’s best feature?

T: The diversity of our people. Of course, we are close to Chicago, on the lakefront and have beautiful homes - but the best thing about us really is the people.

P: If someone is visiting Evanston for one day, what should they make sure not to miss?

T: Shakespeare Gardens at the Northwestern campus, which is kept up by the Evanston Garden Club. That is a marvelous place. You should also go to the top of the lighthouse and see beautiful views of Chicago. If you are coming in the summer, enjoy our bike paths and swim at our beaches. Noah’s Playground for Everyone is quite a spot as well.

P: What’s your favorite beach?

T: I always go to Lighthouse Beach, it’s near me and I love the lighthouse and parks.

P: Would you like to shout out a favorite restaurant?

T: All of them. We are known for our restaurants. But now everyone knows we have Few Spirits, a distillery in town that has won all kinds of awards for Whiskey.

“It’s a great town and we want people to come visit,” the Mayor concluded.