Latest news with #OfficeofEmergencyManagementandCommunications
Time Out
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- Time Out
The NASCAR street closures are officially here—here's what to know
It wouldn't be summer in Chicago if you weren't worried about your commute in one way or another, especially along the lake front. And now there's an additional cause for concern: The 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race will return to Grant Park for its third edition on Saturday, July 5 and Sunday, July 6, which means street closures will be in full effect ahead of the event throughout the Loop for vehicle and pedestrian traffic. It's one thing if you're planning on attending the festivities (including the headlining performance from the Grammy Award-winning Zac Brown Band) and it's another if you're just trying to get to work. RECOMMENDED: You can eat a tasting menu right on the NASCAR Chicago race track this summer Having kicked off on June 19, closures will commence in phases with Balbo Drive between Columbus Drive and DuSable Lake Shore Drive shutting down, followed by Ida B. Wells Drive, Congress Plaza Drive, and Michigan Avenue. By race weekend on July 5 and 6, you can expect all roads around Grant Park to be off-limits to vehicular traffic, including: DuSable Lake Shore Drive between McFetridge Drive and Randolph Street. Northbound Michigan Avenue between Roosevelt Road and Monroe Street. Southbound Michigan Avenue between Monroe Street to 8 th Street. Street. Monroe Street from Michigan Avenue to DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Columbus Drive from Roosevelt Road to Monroe Street. Roosevelt Road from DuSable Lake Shore Drive to Michigan Avenue. Jackson Drive from Michigan Avenue to DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Ida B. Wells Drive from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive. Northbound Indiana Avenue between Roosevelt Road and 13th Street. The full traffic plan and a summary of road impacts, including specific dates and times as well as sidewalk impacts, can be seen here, per the Office of Emergency Management and Communications. According to the OEMC, all businesses and residences will remain accessible during course setup, race weekend and the break-down. The traffic congestion will affect Chicagoans for a total of 18 days, which is graciously less than the inaugural event in 2023, yet it's still a significant inconvenience for local drivers. Plan ahead to avoid frustration and time stuck in traffic!
Time Out
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- Time Out
The NASCAR street closures are officially here—what drivers need to know
It wouldn't be summer in Chicago if you weren't worried about your commute in one way or another, especially along the lake front. And now there's an additional cause for concern: The 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race will return to Grant Park for its third edition on Saturday, July 5 and Sunday, July 6, which means street closures will be in full effect ahead of the event throughout the Loop for vehicle and pedestrian traffic. It's one thing if you're planning on attending the festivities (including the headlining performance from the Grammy Award-winning Zac Brown Band) and it's another if you're just trying to get to work. Having kicked off on June 19, closures will commence in phases with Balbo Drive between Columbus Drive and DuSable Lake Shore Drive shutting down, followed by Ida B. Wells Drive, Congress Plaza Drive, and Michigan Avenue. By race weekend on July 5 and 6, you can expect all roads around Grant Park to be off-limits to vehicular traffic, including: DuSable Lake Shore Drive between McFetridge Drive and Randolph Street. Northbound Michigan Avenue between Roosevelt Road and Monroe Street. Southbound Michigan Avenue between Monroe Street to 8 th Street. Monroe Street from Michigan Avenue to DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Columbus Drive from Roosevelt Road to Monroe Street. Roosevelt Road from DuSable Lake Shore Drive to Michigan Avenue. Jackson Drive from Michigan Avenue to DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Ida B. Wells Drive from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive. Northbound Indiana Avenue between Roosevelt Road and 13 th Street. The full traffic plan and a summary of road impacts, including specific dates and times as well as sidewalk impacts, can be seen here, per the Office of Emergency Management and Communications. According to the OEMC, all businesses and residences will remain accessible during course setup, race weekend and the break-down. The traffic congestion will affect Chicagoans for a total of 18 days, which is graciously less than the inaugural event in 2023, yet it's still a significant inconvenience for local drivers. Plan ahead to avoid frustration and time stuck in traffic!
Chicago Tribune
21-06-2025
- Climate
- Chicago Tribune
First extreme heat wave of 2025 headed to Chicago: What to know for the weekend
Beginning Saturday, Chicagoans can expect intense heat compounded by muggy humidity for the next several days. The National Weather Service has declared an extreme heat warning in Cook County from 10 a.m. Saturday through midnight Monday. Daytime temperatures may reach 97 degrees on Saturday, with a peak afternoon heat index of 106, according to the National Weather Service. At night, temperatures will probably 'struggle' to drop below 80 degrees, said Brett Borchardt, a senior meteorologist at the National Weather Service. That makes this first heat wave of the year particularly dangerous. 'So we have a prolonged period of time where we're not able to cool off, and the effects of heat accumulate,' Borchardt said. 'That's when we start to see those heat-related illnesses crop up.' Through Sunday and Monday, daytime temperatures may continue to hit the mid- to high-90s, and the heat index is forecast to reach 100 to 105 degrees. The National Weather Service may extend its heat warning through Tuesday if conditions persist, Borchardt said during a Friday morning news conference at the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications. High humidity is also contributing to this weekend's heat warning. The combination of extreme heat and humidity can have dangerous health consequences such as nausea, confusion and passing out. The heat can also turn deadly, city officials stressed. Mayor Brandon Johnson urged Chicagoans to take the warning seriously, adding that officials have learned grave lessons from the past. 'We are one month away from the 30-year anniversary of the 1995 heat wave, the deadliest heat wave in American history,' Johnson said. 'We lost more than 700 Chicagoans. Most of them were the elderly and poor. … It really challenged the city to recognize the danger of extreme heat.' Over the last three years, the city recorded 485 heat-related deaths and more than 700 heat-related emergency room visits in Chicago, Public Health Commissioner Olusimbo Ige said. People who are already sick and people older than 65 are the most vulnerable, she added. Certain regions of the city may also be more susceptible to extreme heat because of the urban heat island effect — when factors, including building materials and tree canopy cover, cause the environment to trap more heat. Public health data shows the 60620, 60623, 60628 and 60651 ZIP codes historically see more heat-related emergencies than other locations, Ige said. Residents should stay inside with air conditioning if possible, officials said. According to Ige, 89% of the city's population live in air conditioned buildings. Almost 180 city facilities serve as cooling centers during heat waves, including public libraries, Department of Family and Support Services and Park District buildings. There are an additional 110 spray features at city parks. However, most cooling centers have limited hours that don't extend throughout the evening. According to city data, 33 cooling centers aren't open during the weekend and 26 are not open Sundays. Only 3% of Chicagoans went to a cooling center in 2024, Ige said. Other ways to stay safe during the heat wave include drinking lots of water, wearing light clothing, keeping ovens and stoves shut off and cooling off with a cold bath or ice packs, officials said. The city plans to send teams out to do well-being checks on older and homeless people throughout the weekend, said Maura McCauley, acting commissioner of the Department of Family and Support Services. And for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic, the city is opening all its pools again seven days a week. Outdoor pools open Saturday, and can help residents beat the heat, Park District chief of staff Michael Merchant said.
Chicago Tribune
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Thousands rally, march through Loop for national ‘Hands Off!' protest
Thousands rallied and marched around downtown Saturday afternoon to take part in a national day of action to say 'hands off' to President Donald Trump's administration. So-called Hands Off! demonstrations were organized for more than 1,200 locations in all 50 states by more than 150 groups including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists. The rallies appeared peaceful, with no immediate reports of arrests. In Chicago, a flood of people swarmed Daley Plaza, with hundreds filling the surrounding streets by noon. The crowd then began an hourlong march making a loop around to State Street and then back to Daley Plaza. People of all ages and backgrounds made up the protest in Chicago. Holding signs and posters seemed more common than not, with many expressing similar sentiments, like 'hands off' immigrants, reproductive rights, gun violence prevention, democracy, lgbtq+ rights and more. The city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications said it does not provide crowd counts. Anthony and Veena Claypool journeyed downtown with their 9-year-old twin sons from the Belmont Cragin neighborhood for the mass gathering. Both former public school teachers, the Claypools said they wanted to show up to set an example for their sons. 'One part of what we're doing is modeling what it means to stand up for all of our community members and to be upstanders, even though we feel generally protected in Chicago and Illinois, we are standing up for historically marginalized groups all over who don't have all the same privileges and accesses that we do,' Veena Claypool said. Wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf, she said one of her sons had asked her if she should be 'wearing that in the presence of police.' 'That is really concerning to me,' she said. 'My children are growing up in the era of protests, so they do have a fear of police. It doesn't mean we won't continue to exercise our rights and make our voices heard, especially for those who don't have the same luxury.' Anthony Claypool said the government is 'on the precipice of a fascist takeover as billionaires are sitting in every important' Cabinet position. He said immigration enforcement has 'become completely unhinged,' intentional efforts are being made to alienate allies, hate crimes are on the rise and a lack of due process persists. 'Everything that the United States claims to be, they are undermining,' he said. 'I don't think it's ok.' Photographer Bari Baskin and her mother, Sandra Baskin, a real estate agent, said they participated to 'resist the collapse of our democracy' and be a 'part of the power of the people.' Bari Baskin said she marched in Washington, D.C., in 2016 and 'can't believe we have to do this again' but was 'encouraged' by the crowd size. 'Our numbers are bigger than those trying to destroy us,' she said. 'Joy is a form of resistance, and this turnout is giving me a lot of joy.' Asked about the protests, the White House said 'President Trump's position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats' stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors.' Erin Sinnaeve and her daughter Megan Sinnaeve traveled over an hour from Aurora to join the protest. Erin Sinnaeve, a veteran who worked as a nurse in the Navy, said she joined the day of action to protect the rights of her daughter and all children and ensure proper access to health care and education, as well as support veteran job security. 'It's better to be out here caring about the community than to be at home watching the news and getting stressed out,' she said. Megan Sinnaeve, a college student, said she wanted to 'be here today for the people that can't be.' 'It's through people and their civic duties that we are going to restore democracy,' she said. 'It's through civic engagement that change is going to happen. Through all these people from different backgrounds and generations, change will come.'
Chicago Tribune
31-03-2025
- Automotive
- Chicago Tribune
NASCAR shaves two weeks off setup, road closures for Chicago Street Race
There's no telling if the cars will set any speed records this summer, but the setup for the Chicago Street Race is projected to go a lot faster. NASCAR and the city announced the traffic plan for the third Chicago Street Race, with buildout and breakdown of the pop-up racecourse in Grant Park reduced to 25 days, shaving nearly two weeks off last year's construction schedule for the July Fourth weekend event. Street closures have been reduced to 18 days, one day less than last year and a 28% improvement from the inaugural event in 2023. The first shutdown is set for June 19, with all streets to be reopened by July 8, according to a news release Monday. 'The city of Chicago has been working with NASCAR in the planning and execution of the 2025 race to further minimize the impact to residents and visitors,' Frank Velez, acting executive director of the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, said in the release. NASCAR is gearing up for a more streamlined race weekend event July 5-6, with a smaller concert lineup, downsized hospitality buildout, reduced ticket prices and an accelerated setup/breakdown schedule. The Cup Series race is also moving from broadcast to cable TV. The Chicago Street Race will once again feature a 12-turn, 2.2-mile course through Grant Park, down DuSable Lake Shore Drive and up Michigan Avenue, which will be closed off and lined with fences, grandstands and hospitality suites. But a relocated concert stage will replace the Skyline, a mammoth temporary structure along Columbus Drive that last year housed the most expensive suites overlooking the start/finish line at Buckingham Fountain. The downsized buildout and consolidation of the premium seating areas enabled the reduced setup and breakdown schedule, minimizing traffic disruption and keeping the park open as long as possible before the event, the city said in the news release. The first street closure is scheduled for June 19 — nine days later than last summer — with Balbo Drive shutting down from Columbus Drive to DuSable Lake Shore Drive. In addition to several lane and temporary closures, Ida B. Wells will be the next full street closure from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive beginning June 23. Street closures will pick up speed in and around Grant Park in the week before the event, culminating with the complete shutdowns of DuSable Lake Shore Drive from Randolph Street to McFetridge Drive, and Michigan Avenue from Roosevelt Road to Monroe Street, beginning July 3. Michigan Avenue is expected to be fully reopened by morning on Monday, July 7, along with northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive. The southbound lanes of DuSable Lake Shore Drive are scheduled to reopen before midnight on July 8. The last trace of the street course is scheduled to be removed by July 14, also days ahead of last year's timetable. A more detailed street closure and traffic plan is available at 'In keeping with our desire to be as responsive as possible to our neighbors, we're proud of the work that we've been able to do with OEMC and the city of Chicago to further reduce the build schedule in 2025,' Julie Giese, Chicago Street Race president, said in a statement. The Chicago Street Race features an Xfinity Series race on Saturday, July 5, and the Grant Park 165 Cup Series race on Sunday, July 6. In 2023, the inaugural Fourth of July weekend event navigated record rainfall that curtailed races, canceled concerts and left remaining fans soaked. Last year, while sunny skies prevailed for the Xfinity Series race on Saturday, the Cup Series race was once again shortened when rain delays forced officials to call the race after 58 laps as darkness fell on the unlit street course. Last year's race generated $128 million in total economic impact and drew 53,036 unique visitors, according to a study commissioned by Choose Chicago, the city's tourism arm. The nationally televised Cup Series race also generated $43.6 million in media value for Chicago, according to a companion report. Earlier this month, NASCAR announced this year's somewhat downsized event, which includes the reduced hospitality buildout and only one musical act — southern rockers the Zac Brown Band — who are scheduled to play after the Xfinity Series race. This year, the Grant Park 165 main event on Sunday is scheduled to start at 1 p.m., 2½ hours earlier than last year, in the hopes of finally finishing the race. The Cup Series broadcast is moving from NBC to cable channel TNT. Tickets, which went on sale in January, are also less expensive this year. Single-day general admission passes start at $99 — a third less than last year — while premium grandstand reserved seats are priced at a nearly 50% reduction.
