I’m consistently amazed by how darkish Evanston streets are. While I admire the historic significance of the Tallmadge lamp posts round the residential neighborhoods, it’s apparent to anybody going out after darkish, that they merely don’t present ample gentle for a secure surroundings.
The drawback is bigger in the summer season, when the timber are leafed out, as a result of most of the lamps are in the tree cover and most of the gentle output is shielded. In addition, there are pitifully few fixtures on every block. In my neighborhood, there are some blocks the place the few lampposts are solely on one aspect of the avenue and supply completely no gentle protection on the different aspect. Contributing to the dearth of sunshine is the minimal variety of lamps alongside the block.
This is a harmful scenario each for drivers and pedestrians. While these lamps could have been ample when initially designed, the development of timber and todays improved lighting expertise have left our streets and sidewalks actually “in the dark.”
I notice the enormity and costliness of the effort required to appropriate this case however after makes an attempt to refit the fixtures with increased output gentle sources have apparently failed, when does the misplaced “attachment” of the neighborhood to these historic failures lead to a realization that as a neighborhood we’d like one thing higher? How does the neighborhood let the metropolis know that it is a concern and a precedence? Why can’t a substitute program be began with a aim of full substitute over a acknowledged time interval? Please observe that the Tallmadge posts will not be discovered on business or excessive-site visitors streets. There should be a cause.
Let’s wake up Evanston and “see the light”.
Barry Goldberg
Third Ward