Dear Neighbors,
With Labor Day coming up this Monday, our 43rd Ward Office will be closed Saturday, September 5th, and Monday, September 7th, reopening Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. This week also marks the end of our summer hours, and beginning Tuesday, we’ll return to our regular Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. schedule. We’re also proud to be entering our third year of Saturday office hours, remaining one of the first and only aldermanic offices in Chicago to regularly open on Saturdays and provide residents another opportunity to access City services outside the traditional workweek.
Supporting Lincoln Avenue Businesses During Water Main Work
As work continues on the 137 year old water main replacement along Lincoln Avenue between Diversey and Wrightwood, our office wants to provide some additional context on the full street emergency closure and, most importantly, remind everyone that businesses along this stretch remain open and accessible.
The project’s scope includes: (i) the installation of approximately 1,762 feet of 8-inch water main at N. Lincoln Ave (Diversey Pkwy - Wrightwood Ave) with lead water service line replacement; and (ii) the installation of approximately 587 feet of 8-inch water main at W. Schubert Ave (Lincoln Ave-Racine Ave) with lead water service line replacement. The scheduled water main work began last year (2025) and has been ongoing. However, the original project was not intended to require the full closure of Lincoln Avenue. Unexpectedly, crews found unmarked utilities and other underground conflicts, which determined that a full closure was necessary for structural and safety reasons. Once our office learned of that change we immediately began communicating the closure to residents and businesses, including through a ward-wide newsletter and social media. We also requested a delay in the work, which was not tenable due to city policies and safety concerns. That being said, the work is currently on schedule, and Lincoln Avenue is expected to reopen to traffic in early October.
We fully recognize the significant impact an extended closure can have on a commercial corridor, and our priority remains minimizing disruption while allowing crews to complete this critical infrastructure work without unnecessary delays. In the meantime, Lincoln Avenue is still open for business. More than a dozen businesses are located along the affected stretch, many of them longtime neighborhood staples. We encourage everyone who can to continue visiting, dining, shopping and supporting them while construction is underway.
As the project progresses, our office will remain in constant contact with the Department of Water Management (DWM), nearby businesses, the Chamber of Commerce, and residents to address issues as they arise. This includes facilitating communication between impacted businesses and project supervision, onsite visits, and a continuous push for safe expedited work with DWM management. We would like to give a huge shout out to the crews working tirelessly to ensure these important improvements are made in the swiftest and safest way possible. Thank you to the Department of Water Management and their contractors on this project, especially Jacob Parrish and Dan Godley!
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John’s Food & Wine Named Restaurant of the Year
Congratulations to Lincoln Park’s John's Food and Wine, which was named Food & Wine’s 2026 Restaurant of the Year this week! Located at 2114 N. Halsted Street, John’s was selected following a nationwide search, earning recognition not only for its creative modern American food, but also for an innovative business model designed to better support restaurant workers. Owners and longtime friends Tom Rogers and Adam McFarland have built a model where employees earn at least $25 an hour and a 20% hospitality charge is shared among non-management staff, helping provide some of the highest wages for cooks and dishwashers in Chicago. It’s exciting to see another 43rd Ward small business receive national recognition, and congratulations to the entire team on this well-deserved honor!
Bike the Drive Returns
This Sunday, September 6th, the 25th annual Bike the Drive returns, giving thousands of cyclists the chance to enjoy DuSable Lake Shore Drive without cars. Riders can bike as much or as little of the 30-mile course as they would like, with the ride beginning at 6:30 a.m. and a convenient entry point right here in the 43rd Ward at Fullerton Avenue. Proceeds benefit the Active Transportation Alliance and its work to make walking, biking, and public transit safer and more accessible throughout Chicagoland. Residents should also plan for traffic impacts: Lake Shore Drive will be closed to vehicles from Bryn Mawr Avenue to 57th Street from approximately 6:00 a.m. to noon on Sunday, with several CTA bus routes also affected.
Chicago has a proud and deeply rooted labor history, and this weekend is an opportunity to celebrate the working people and organized labor movement that have helped build our city. We hope everyone enjoys the holiday and the final days of summer!
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The 43rd Ward Public Service Office
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Modernizing The 43rd Ward Office
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Last month, our office was proud to be highlighted nationally in a new Indigov and Granicus case study recognizing the 43rd Ward as a model for tech-forward constituent services & responsive local government. The report highlights how our office integrates Chicago’s 311 system directly into our internal workflow, allowing us to respond faster, track issues more efficiently, and proactively communicate with residents. I’m incredibly proud of our small but mighty team for continuing to help set a new standard for modern local government as we believe local government should be as responsive, transparent, and modern as the people it serves. I encourage you to check out the full report here.
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ADU Ordinance Now in Effect
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As of April 1, the City’s ordinance to legalize Additional Dwelling Units (ADUs), is officially in effect. Expanding access to ADUs is an important step toward addressing Chicago’s housing shortage and creating more flexible, affordable living options in our neighborhoods. If you have ever considered adding an ADU, whether to create additional income or keep family members close, now is a great time to explore your options. You can enter basic information about your property to see how many units you may be eligible for and learn how to get started. The site also includes an interactive map that allows you to look up eligibility by address. I was proud to support this effort, and I encourage you to learn more, share this opportunity with neighbors, and explore how this program can help expand housing options.
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Crime, and safety remain top of mind for our community. Each week, the 18th and 19th District post Compstat numbers that reflect changes in indexes for key crimes. As a reminder, these statistics represent 100% of the 18th & 19th Police Districts; accordingly, they represent an area much larger than our ward.
For 18th District (south of Fullerton) Week 35 Compstat.
For 19th District (north of Fullerton) Week 35 Compstat.
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We work closely with the 43rd Ward’s local CAPS districts, which include the 18th (Near North) and 19th (Town Hall) Police Districts. Our office is in frequent contact with officers from both of these districts and their local CAPS officers, who host a variety of community forums and events including beat meetings, informational settings, and expert panel discussions, as well as sending out community alerts when a pattern of crime is detected.
Beat Meetings are part of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy and an excellent way to hear directly from CPD about your neighborhood. Meetings are held in the evenings every two months. Click here and find out your Police District and Beat number, and click here for a larger and printable version of the graphic.
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Ald. Knudsen Continues to Urge Johnson & CDOT to Prioritize Bridge Closures and Offer Alternative Traffic Congestion Plans
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"The ongoing closure of river bridges (especially the Cortland Bridge) has created major traffic strain and frustration for residents and businesses alike. Alongside seven other aldermen, I sent a letter to Mayor Johnson urging his administration and CDOT to prioritize this bridge issue. My office will continue pushing for clearer communication, smarter coordination, and the fastest safe timeline possible to get these bridges reopened." -Ald. Timmy Knudsen
Alderman Knudsen supported a proposal from 2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins requiring the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) to present a detailed traffic plan before closing any bridge for more than 30 days. The plan must outline how congestion will be reduced — including detours, parking adjustments, and other mitigation strategies. Our office also received a letter back from CDOT, outlining steps they are taking to help reduce traffic congestion and delays for 43rd Ward residents. You can read it here.
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Interactive Ward 43 Parking Zone Map
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Our office has created a parking zone map to help residents better understand where residential parking zones are located throughout the ward. For several streets, a Residential Parking Permit may not be required. Some areas may instead be free parking, pay-to-park, school zones, or tow and loading zones that restrict parking during certain hours.
While the map can be helpful for general reference, posted signage is always the most reliable indicator of parking rules. We encourage residents and visitors to carefully check street signs when parking to confirm the applicable restrictions.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Have questions about street work happening in your area? The Department of Transportation has a wonderful tool to look up street work in your area called the Chi Street Work Portal. Here you can input an address and see all surrounding permits for projects on that street. The map is also interactive, allowing residents to view the real permits, view projects in other areas of the City, and see which type of work is being done on your street.
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Parking Enforcement via 311
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The Department of Finance (DOF) announced that City residents now have the option of reporting the following parking enforcement violations: Bus Lane Parking, Commercial Loading Zone, Commercial Vehicle Parked on a Residential Street, Disabled Parking, Fire Hydrant Parking, Residential Parking, Rush Hour Zones, School Safety Zones, Vehicle Parked in Bike Lane, Other (Semi-trucks parked on streets, etc.) Neighbors can report parking violations by calling 311, using the CHI311 app, or through the 311 website. The request type is “Finance Parking Code Enforcement Review.”
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E-Scooters and E-Bikes Policy Updates
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Please click here for updated guidance and rules from CDOT on Scooter and E-Bike rides.
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I want to keep spreading the good word of how powerful a tool CHI 311 is to address non-emergency services in our Ward. Via the CHI 311 website and mobile app, you can:
- Create new service requests and check the status of existing requests (such as on timing and completion).
- Snap a photo of an issue to submit it with a request to improve location accuracy.
- Get local and relevant information/tips regarding the 43rd Ward including visibility into what other requests are being made in your neighborhood. The free CHI 311 mobile app is available for both iOS and Android devices and may be downloaded in the Apple App Store or Google Play.
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