Aragon Lot Temporarily Available & Other Snow News

From Ald. Shiller's office (46th Ward):

"The arterial streets are plowed and Streets and Sanitation has finished the schools and hospitals, so they have been working on the side streets since yesterday.  They are plowing in some areas, but they are also scooping up the snow and dumping it at a location near the lake, so it is a time consuming process.  At this time they are also in the process of "tracking" all the alleys to make them passable.  Tracking means that S&S will create ruts by driving one of their trucks through the alley.  Other vehicles can then use the ruts to get through.

We also encourage any willing neighbors to help others.  Check on any seniors or disabled neighbors that you know.  Feel free to shovel pathways in front of neighbors' homes who may not have shovelled.  If you are home and able, keep checking the streets for neighbors that may be stuck in the snow and lend a hand (or a shovel :)).  This is a great time to work together and demonstrate that we are really the "City of Broad Shoulders."

The Aragon Ballroom has had their auxilliary parking lot at Lawrence and Winthrop cleared, and they have generously offered to allow residents to park there AT NO CHARGE until Tuesday, February 8th, at 7am.  This is an unmarked, unsupervised lot, so please be mindful of others and use your best judgment when you park your vehicle. We are continuing to work on parking alternatives and field your calls about snow removal, so please do your part and help your community in any ways you can, too.  Feel free to call our office if you are looking for volunteer opportunities, and have a great weekend!  Cricket Hill is waiting for you and your sled."

From Ald. Smith's office (48th Ward):

"First of all, thank you to everyone who has pitched in to help their neighbors dig out from our massive snowfall and to those of you who have e-mailed to let us know of trouble spots. Please continue to let us know about trouble spots (e-mail preferred). Also, let us know if a problem you previously reported has been cleared. This way we can check it off our list.

Streets and Sanitation crews are working around the clock to clear the snow as fast as possible. They are prioritizing their efforts based on public safety and access. As soon as possible, they will be bringing equipment down alleys to try to clear paths for cars. If major snow pile-ups exist, they will deal with them.

There are a few things you can do going forward to help: 

• Please be considerate of your neighbors. We know that some buildings are hiring private snow removal contractors to clear their lots and driveways. But we've had complaints that some of these contractors are piling the snow in front of other buildings or in the alley. This makes a bad situation worse for others. 
• If you are able, either alone or together with your neighbors, please shovel the crosswalks.
• If you know of a senior or person with a medical issue who needs help, call 311 for assistance."