Happy Friday Neighbors,

It’s already March! Spring is around the corner and it feels like the year is already flying by. This week we celebrated Chicago’s 189th birthday. After the year we have had, I can confidently say that I have never felt prouder to be a Chicagoan. Time after time, our city and our neighborhoods have been tested, whether through economic challenges, global epidemic, a fascist federal government and wannabe dictator (not to mention the extremes of Chicago winter).

Chicagoans are resilient in a way few cities are. Our people are working class tough and when push comes to shove, we rise up together––we’ve shown that this year in new ways, as neighbors have literally stood shoulder to shoulder to protect our neighborhoods from the federal government. We have a soul and a spirit that is molded by struggle, infused with robust culture, and made greater by the variety of perspective and experiences here. We show an indomitable will that best exemplifies the exceptional values we believe our country should stand for.

We also have the best of two worlds: Chicago offers the metropolitan experience of a world class city, with its richness, its architecture, cuisine, our lake, the river, and the abundance of flavor and community in our 77 neighborhoods. But we also have a small town feel, where neighbors help each other out, where struggles are addressed and alleviated together, and every neighbor knows that each block is shared, that our kids are our future, and our elders have a wealth of wisdom and experience.

And everyone knows where to bring their issues when help is needed: their local Alder! Here in the 40th, you can find us at 5620 N Western during office hours, at 40thWard.org and on social media, and, of course, out in the community. We stay connected and grounded in the values of remaining accessible, transparent, and accountable. It’s how we help do our part to deliver on the Chicago we believe in for our neighbors.

In that spirit, I invite you to our Quarterly Ward Townhall on Wednesday March 11th from 6-8pm at Swedish Anderson Pavillion 2751 W Winona! Come meet the team, learn about everything we do here at the ward and for our city––and, of course, get answers to your questions.

Now celebrate Chicago’s Birthday responsibly, and I look forward to seeing you all next week!

Yours in Service and Community,

Andre Vasquez

Lincoln Avenue Streetscape

The second and final phase of the Lincoln Avenue Streetscape Project is nearing the finish line! Contractors are currently working on finishing up the Ainslie Arts Plaza and modernizing the Western Avenue traffic signal.

Work at Ainslie & Western on the traffic lights is set to begin on March 9th! As a reminder, starting this month, there will be no left turns from Ainslie Street westbound lanes onto Western Avenue southbound lanes. There will be a dual right-hand turn lane from eastbound Ainslie onto southbound Western Avenue.

We’ve gotten a lot of questions from neighbors about this, and we reached out to the Department of Transportation (CDOT) to get more information! This change is part of the larger pedestrian and bike safety improvements happening as part of Lincoln Avenue Streetscape, but this particular intersection was landed on after CDOT conducted a traffic study and determined that Ainslie and Western was the the safest route for cyclists to cross, and the least impactful to transit and vehicular traffic.

You can find a full explanation of the change on our website, but briefly: a dedicated bike signal phase is necessary to provide safe crossing for cyclists without coming into conflict with vehicles. However, adding an additional phase would cause a lot of congestion for buses and cars along Western. Removing the southbound/westbound turns reduces that congestion, without having a major impact––currently, southbound/westbound turns only account for around 1.5% of vehicle movements at this intersection––especially because an alternative route exists at the signalized left turn with dedicated turn lane just one block south at Lawrence and Western.

The installation of the new poles at this intersection is expected to take roughly 2-3 weeks, including testing. Completion is expected by the end of March. Visit 40thward.org/lincolntrafficchanges for more information!

Ashland Resurfacing & Traffic Signal

Construction will resume next week on Ashland Avenue! The contractor plans to begin installing the sewer structures and connections on Ashland between Sunnyside and Carmen. For more on details and timeline, visit the project page.

Construction for the Ashland and Berwyn traffic signal is on hold, as contractors ran into some unexpected material issues. Once they have an estimated delivery date for those materials, we will update the timeline for completion. In the meantime, we are checking in regularly to make sure the light is operational as soon as possible.

Chicago Conservation Corps’ Sustainability Leadership Trainings

Chicago Conservation Corps’ Spring 2026 Sustainability Leadership Training offers a way to spark change in your community. Participants will receive training from C3 Experts representing established organizations already invested in sustainability work. After completing the Sustainability Leadership Training, C3 Leaders become sustainability champions in their communities and receive funds and individualized museum staff support for an unlimited number of sustainability projects. This training course requires participants to be 18+, attend an information session, and submit a short application. Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.

Ladder Up: Free Tax Assistance Program

Ladder Up is offering free tax preparation services for Chicagoans with a household income of up to $40,000 annually. Service locations include Truman College in Uptown, which operates on Mondays-Thursdays (9:00 am - 1:00 pm) and Saturdays (8:30 am - 12:30 pm). Services are provided free of charge and on a first come, first served basis so please arrive early as doors will close when the site is full for the day. Please see the flier for information on additional sites and information on what documentation to bring with you or visit ladderup.org for more information.

Clothing Drive at Budlong Woods Library

On Saturday, March 14th, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., D19 Mutual Aid is hosting a clothing drive at Budlong Woods Library, 5630 N. Lincoln Avenue. Please support our neighbors in need with donations of gently used clothing and new toiletries. For more information about donation guidelines, visit the library for a list of needs, or call us at 312-742-9590.

Andersonville Restaurant Week  

Andersonville Restaurant Week is back! The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce is excited to once again showcase the abundance of great restaurants throughout the district. Restaurant Week is a great way to try a new spot, explore the diverse cuisine and fine dining in Andersonville, and support small business! The wide variety of restaurants will offer $30 / $45 / $60 special prix fixe menus* to enjoy.

Trellus: An Invitation to the Museum of Us 

The Trellus adult education team is excited to host The Museum of Us, the third annual art gallery created by our adult English language learners to express their personal stories. The event will take place at our 2838 W. Peterson location on Tuesday, March 17th from 6-8 pm.

Trellus (formerly Asian Human Services) is dedicated to empowering all immigrant, refugee, and underserved communities by removing barriers and providing supports. The Museum of Us project embodies this mission, and our students, instructors, and staff are excited to share this event with our neighbors, friends, and family.

Spring Vaccination Clinic

The office of State Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-14) is hosting a springtime Vaccination Clinic! Get your flu and Covid-19 vaccines/boosters at no cost. Partnering with the Illinois Department of Public Health, this event will be on Thursday, March 12 from 10am-2pm at 1507 W. Morse Avenue. No ID or insurance required. To register ahead of time, please go to bit.ly/KellyCassidyVaccine. For questions, please email [email protected].

Public Safety Updates

Hi Neighbors,

This week, the Commission locked in a date for a hearing with Superintendent Snelling to talk about CPD’s interactions with federal agents. The meeting will take place on Thursday, April 2, at 6:30 PM. We’re still confirming the location and will share those details as soon as they’re finalized.

In addition, District Councilors from the Workforce Allocation Study working group representing the 2nd, 6th, 9th, 19th, and 20th districts will meet to review Matrix’s findings on ways to make the Police Department more effective and efficient. We look forward to working with CPD, Matrix, and the Commission to help share these findings with the broader community, and encourage you to read the Workforce Allocation Study in the meantime!

I also want to remind neighbors about the 20th District Council’s monthly meeting next Monday! On March 9 at 6:00 PM at the Anderson Pavilion (2751 W. Winona), Alder Vasquez will join us as we discuss public safety in the ward, review the newly released Workforce Allocation Study, and provide updates on the Parking Ticket Pilot Program. This pilot shifts the responsibility for issuing parking violations from CPD to the Department of Finance and increases the number of parking aides. This change allows officers to focus more directly on public safety priorities.

We hope to see you there!

Yours in Service,

Deirdre O’Connor

Public Safety Trends

Overall, violent crime is down 27.8% in the 40th Ward for the year so far compared to last year! Citywide, violent crime is down 8.5%. See below for a breakdown of citywide and 40th Ward statistics across all categories.

Public Safety Meetings

20th District CAPS Business Public Safety Meeting

Join 20th District CAPS for business networking and a discussion on business public safety initiatives on March 10th from 1-3pm at the 20th District Community Room! Questions? Call 312-742-8770 or email [email protected].

Thank you to all the new volunteers who came out to last week’s Front Desk Training! So happy to have you as part of the team!