April 9, 2020

Dear Neighbor:



Thank you to everyone who joined us in participating in Wellness Wednesday yesterday. Today is a great day to support our many local restaurants and their employees: Takeout Thursday. If you're able, please support local businesses by ordering delivery or curbside pickup from a restaurant in the Ward. Click here for more information.



Today Mayor Lightfoot and CTA announced changes to CTA bus operations in an effort to help contain the spread of Coronavirus. Effective today, buses will primarily use rear-door boarding, except for riders who need to use the ramp. Additionally, buses will be limiting capacity to 15 riders for standard buses and 22 riders on the extended articulated buses. If a bus passes you by, it is likely due to this reason and you should wait for the next bus to arrive. For more details on these new operations, click here.



Today Mayor Lightfoot also announced a partnership with Uber and Lyft to help provide free transportation to people fleeing domestic violence. Through a partnership with the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline, individuals who call the hotline can request a ride to the location of their choosing, and the closest Uber or Lyft driver will come to pick them up. This is an important initiative to help protect neighbors. With the stay-at-home order in place, for people experiencing domestic violence, this can create a dangerous situation. Thank you to Uber and Lyft for providing this critical service. For more information, click here.



As we continue to show gratitude for essential workers, I would be remiss if I did not say a special thank you to the Streets and Sanitation crews who work year-round to keep our community clean and safe. Especially during this time with many people staying home, garbage collectors are seeing increased load sizes. Thank you to the men and women of the Department of Streets & Sanitation that are out in our community and across the City doing important work during this crisis.



I want to again reinforce the need to practice social distancing. During her daily Q&A session on Facebook Live today, Dr. Allison Arwady explained that just because you are wearing a mask or face covering, does not mean that you don't need to social distance. It's not an either-or situation. This is true when inside and when outside. Our community is one of the densest in Chicago and we all enjoy walking through our beautiful neighborhoods. That said, please be sure to be generous when leaving six or more feet between other people when walking, jogging, and biking through the neighborhood.



Please continue to stay home as much as possible, wash your hands frequently, and wear a cloth face covering when you leave the house to pick up essential supplies. Click here for more CDC guidelines about protecting yourself, family, and neighbors against Coronavirus.



Stay well and stay home.



Sincerely,



Harry Osterman

Alderman, 48th Ward

