Today Alderman Colon forwarded us a message from CDOT which included the scheduled work dates of the Home Zone project.  According to CDOT, our project is scheduled to run from 7/27 through 8/6.

It looks like work will be completed in two weeks!

NO.	PROGRAM	WARD	APPL #	LOCATION	BREAK DATE	POUR DATE	BACKFILL DATE	GRIND DATE	ASHPHALT PLACEMENT DATE	PROJ END DATE
2	MENU BUMP OUT	35	048037	2400 N ALBANY AVE	7/27/2010	7/28/2010	8/2/2010	8/3/2010	8/4/2010	8/6/2010

Today Alderman Rey Colon confirmed that the Home Zone is on the list of projects slated for completion in the 35th ward.

It looks like the project will be happening this Summer!

CDOT has completed the detailed cost estimate for our project and sent it to Alderman Colon. (See new detailed plan on the design page). Here is the email from the engineer at CDOT:

Alderman Colón, we have finalized the cost estimate for the attached Albany Avenue home zone concept. The project is estimated to cost $150,000. Based on discussions with [community project leader] Julie [Dworkin], she had requested that two larger mid-block bump outs will be covered in sod. The two smaller bump-outs near the alleys at both ends of the block will be landscaped with plant material. The two bump outs near Kedzie and the church will be constructed in concrete to facilitate the installation new accessible pedestrian ramps. The grass and landscaped bump outs will require a maintenance agreement to be established between the block club and the City, which I've attached for your reference. [This agreement is also on the design page --editor] I will be providing you with an official letter summarizing our cost estimate and requesting use of your Menu Program funds to construct these improvements.

We requested that the two larger bump out have sod because I saw those as community/play space. We can decide as a block what will go there, but I thought it made sense to start with grass instead of just dirt. The smaller ones could have native plants like the bump-outs at Wrightwood and Kedzie or by the corner store. We will need to sign the maintenance agreement with the city, so at some point we will need to meet to decide who will be responsible for what.

The final approved design is now on the Design page. We were lucky to have an alderman who was already primed to be supportive of this kind of initiative because of other bicycle and pedestrian activism in the ward. Ultimately, though it was the support of so many neighbors on the block that made it happen.