Ward Night Recap: May 19, 2026
Thanks to everyone who attended our May 19 Ward Night. Here’s a brief summary of what we discussed:
BIKING NEAR GOUDY ELEMENTARY. Goudy Elementary recently installed a gates on the east side of the building, cutting off Winthrop between Winona and Foster to through traffic when the gates are closed. Neighbors at Ward Night discussed various solutions for helping cyclists and pedestrians safely access alternate routes; the 48th Ward team will continue to review these solutions with city departments. Currently, cyclists and pedestrians are advised to travel down either alley, down Kenmore, or on Broadway depending on the direction of travel. Remember: if your detour of choice requires you to travel on the sidewalk, be sure to walk your wheels!
FERN HILL / EMANUEL CONGREGATION REDEVELOPMENT. Multiple neighbors voiced their support for the proposed Emanuel Congregation Synagogue redevelopment. View a recap of a recent community meeting about this project here. Our office is hosting a follow-up meeting on May 28, 2026. Register for that here. After our May 28 meeting, we will re-open our online feedback form. Read our newsletter for future updates.
CHI VS. HATE. Alderwoman Manaa-Hoppenworth was proud to co-sponsor Chi Vs. Hate, an ordinance which created a "hate incident" category for non-criminal acts that are motivated by bias against someone's race, color, gender identity, age, religion, disability, national origin, ancestry, or sexual orientation. Since the ordinance passed in December of 2023, Ald. Manaa-Hoppenworth has continued to work with the Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR) and local agencies to spread awareness of this expanded infrastructure for reporting, documenting, and monitoring acts of hate in our city.
PARK CLEANING & SUPPORT FOR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS.
Since the beginning of 2023, we’ve successfully housed 140+ people sleeping in tents along the lakefront. Many of these people were paired with permanent housing through accelerated moving events (AMEs). Many more were placed in housing by the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) outside of the AME program. Others received shelter placements. We continue to work with DFSS on daily outreach to match people with housing.
The Chicago Park District maintains public park property and, in partnership with the City of Chicago, is responsible for ensuring the safety and accessibility of public spaces for employees, residents, and park patrons. Every month, the Park District and City partners conduct Coordinated Encampment Cleanings to help maintain clean and sanitary public areas, protect public health and safety, and ensure accessibility for all. These coordinated cleanings are not encampment closures.
GRAFFITI REPORTING. The Department of Streets and Sanitation (DSS) responds very quickly to graffiti removal requests submitted through 311. However, a neighbors pointed out to us that the reporting system requires you to enter a specific address, which can make it difficult to report graffiti in places with no exact address such as along the beach or between buildings on the sidewalk. If you encounter difficulty reporting graffiti due to it’s location, we encourage you to send a photo and the 311 service request number to our office at info@the48thward.org so we can follow up with DSS.
FRIDAY, MAY 8 - OFFICER BARTHOLOMEW FUNERAL SERVICE. We understand that the funeral services for Officer John Bartholomew earlier this month created traffic impacts that caused significant inconvenience for folks traveling within the 48th Ward and beyond. We also understand that the notices released by the Chicago Police Department (CPD) prior to May 8 did not encompass the full scope or duration of the traffic impacts people experienced on the day. We encourage folks to file a complaint through the Civilian Office of Police Accountability here. Additionally, our team meets regularly with the 20th and 24th Police District commanders and we will be sure to discuss this problem with them at the earliest opportunity.
WALK YOUR WHEELS. Everyone is safer when we organize our streets. By city ordinance, it is illegal for anyone over the age of 12 to bike on the sidewalk. We’re continuing to replace broken and missing signage and work with personal mobility companies like Divvy and Lyft on education to keep cyclists off the sidewalk and in bikelanes on calmer streets for the safety of cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers alike.
RECENT SHOOTING ON THOME. Last week, there was a shooting on the 1400 block of Thome that left one dead and another critically injured. The incident ocurred before school drop-off; no students or children were involved. Read the statement from our office here. Note that since our office sent this message, various local news outlets have published additional details about the incident. Read more about our office’s approach to public safety here.
Register for the next Ward Night on June 2, 2026 here.
