Crews continue to install pavement markings across Oak Park along the Neighborhood Greenway network. A centerpiece of the recently approved Bike Plan Update, Neighborhood Greenways are a network of low-traffic, residential streets designed to prioritize bicycle travel and improve safety for cyclists of all ages and abilities. The greenways and their associated pavement markings are intended to calm vehicular traffic, enhance street crossings and provide seamless connections to key destinations like schools, transit hubs and local businesses. Pavement markings are being installed along Lemoyne Parkway, Lombard Avenue, Harvey Avenue, Home Avenue, Elmwood Avenue and Fair Oaks Avenue. Signs indicating that these roads have been designated as Neighborhood Greenways will be installed at a later date. Click here for a map showing various bike network treatments outlined in the Bike Plan.

The Village’s Plan Commission will hold a public hearing to review a proposal from QuikTrip Corporation to build and operate a gas station and convenience store at the southeast corner of Harlem Avenue and Garfield Street. The hearing will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11 at Village Hall. The Village’s Zoning Code provides property owners and contract purchasers the right to apply for zoning relief for both residential and commercial developments. Once a complete application is submitted, the Village is required to process it through a public hearing and issue a final decision. The public hearing will take place next week, though a final decision will come from the Village Board later. Anyone interested may attend the public hearing on Sept. 11 and share comments. Visit www.oak-park.us/PC925 for more information. The application is available for review on the Village website under “Applications for Public Hearing” on the Plan Commission page.

An article recently posted on the Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation website features the Village’s Fleet Services Division as a success story among municipal governments. The article includes Fleet Services Superintendent and IACT Steering Committee member Ken Crowley’s advice for developing a sustainable fleet based on his decades of experience making the Village’s fleet greener. Today the Village’s fleet consists of 119 alternative fuel vehicles running on electric, B20 or as an electric-hybrid. The EV and hybrid portion of the fleet includes 28 EVs and 41 hybrids utilized by nearly every department. Click here to read the article.

The Police Department welcomed three new Police Officers as (pictured from left) Maliek Wade, Shane Fessenden and Anthony Ponce were sworn in during a ceremony Thursday at Village Hall. All three will soon begin their training at the police academy. Maliek has a Bachelor of Science in computer science from the University of Illinois Chicago. He spent the past three years as a data engineer and has experience working as a mentor during and after college. Shane studied forestry and environmental studies at Southern Illinois University and worked for the past eight years as an arborist.  Elsewhere, the Public Health Department welcomed Betty Arguezo-Gonzales as its new Public Health Nurse this week. A registered nurse and community health worker, Betty is a Chicago native and a bilingual Spanish speaker. Her background is in compliance, patient quality and community health. Prior to transitioning to Oak Park, Betty worked in a small specialty hospital and shelter for children in the DCFS system.

The Village is joining community partners in hosting a Suicide Prevention Summit that aims to bring together mental health professionals, community leaders, educators, first responders and individuals with lived experience to explore suicide prevention through education, connection and empowerment. The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 19 at the Hyatt Lodge Conference Center in Oak Brook. Find more information and register to attend at suicidepreventionsummit.my.canva.site. Featured speakers and sessions include a keynote presentation from Dr. Nneka Burnett-Zeigler, Chief Behavioral Health Officer, Illinois Department of Human Services and a closing address from Michael Bushman of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The event also includes breakout sessions around a range of topics.

The Lombard Avenue bridge over the I-290 expressway will be closed to vehicle traffic from Sept. 10-24 as part of an ongoing project involving repairs to multiple bridges in Oak Park. Digital construction messaging signs have been installed indicating the dates for the closure and detour routes. Pedestrian access on one side of the street will be maintained throughout the repairs. Commuters will also be able to enter the CTA’s Austin Blue Line station from Lombard Avenue while work is ongoing. The work on the bridge will include curb repairs, pavement and sidewalk patching, asphalt patching and joint replacements. Repairs on the Oak Park Avenue bridge will follow, with a start date still to be scheduled. Repairs on the East Avenue bridge are wrapping up this week with crews completing concrete patching and applying concrete sealer.

Water and sewer improvements – The contractor finished all the underground work on Iowa Street this week as part of this year’s ongoing water and sewer improvement project. Crews cleaned up the site on Iowa and returned to Forest Avenue to remove the old fire hydrants and valves connected to the old water main. Sidewalk removals on Forest also started earlier this week. One side will be removed at a time to maintain pedestrian access. This week the contractor is removing the pavement on the 700 and 800 blocks of Columbian down to 15 inches below the gutter line. Crews will place geotextile fabric and stone base this week and will continue into next week if needed.

Street resurfacing – Storm sewer work is getting underway on Thomas Street as part of this year’s street resurfacing project. Sawcutting and concrete removal crews have begun work on Fair Oaks Avenue, with concrete installation crews to follow shortly after.

ComEd fiber installation project – ComEd began construction on the first phase of its project to install a fiber optic cable on Randolph Street between Oak Park Avenue and Chestnut Lane. The first phase, between Chestnut and Home Avenue, is scheduled to be completed by Sept. 10. The project will then move east to the block between Home and Clinton Avenue.  The entire project is anticipated to be wrapped up by the end of October.

Sidewalk improvements – Sidewalk angle cutting started this week as the Village’s annual sidewalk improvement project gets underway. Angle cuts will take about two weeks to complete and will be focused on the northwest quadrant of town. Sidewalk replacements will begin late next week or the following week.

The next stop in the First Fridays Street Festival Series is happening from 5 to 9 p.m. tonight in the South Town Business District. Enjoy live music, explore local vendors and take part in family-friendly activities during this free event in the parking lot off Harrison Street just east of Oak Park Avenue behind Carnival Grocery Oak Park and Fifth Third Bank. More information is at www.firstfridaysoakpark.org.

The Oak Park Farmers' Market annual Pie Bake-Off is taking place from about 9 to 11 a.m. this Saturday, Sept. 6 in the Pilgrim Church parking lot at 460 Lake St. A panel of judges will choose a first, second and third place winner from this year’s entrants. To top it off, samples of pie will be given away to Market visitors after the contest on a first-come, first-served basis. Now in its 50th year, the Farmers’ Market takes place from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through October. For more information about the Market, visit www.oak-park.us/farmersmarket.

BarrieFest is happening from noon to 5 p.m. this Saturday, Sept. 6 in Barrie Park. Hosted by the Southeast Oak Park Community Organization (SEOPCO), BarrieFest is a neighborhood celebration featuring food, fun and friendship. Several Village departments plan to be on hand to share information about programs and resources. More information is available via SEOPCO’s Facebook event listing.

The Village's Office of Sustainability & Resilience is hosting a Benchmarking Data Jam from 3 to 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 15 in the small meeting room at the Oak Park Public Library. During this hands-on workshop, building owners and managers will learn how to set up a FREE account in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, how to set up a building profile, how to collect and enter monthly energy and water use data for an entire building, and how to share data to comply with the Village of Oak Park's Energy and Water Benchmarking Ordinance. Find more information and a link to register at www.oak-park.us/datajam925.

The Village is partnering with Elevate, a local nonprofit, to design a program to help homeowners, tenants and multi-family building owners save energy, lower utility bills and keep homes comfortable. Community members are invited to a roundtable discussion to share their ideas and experience with energy efficiency as Oak Park residents. The roundtable will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25. The feedback will help the Village create an equitable program that benefits the entire community. Registration is free, but space is limited. Click here to register to attend.

Local artists will be participating in Oak Park’s inaugural Plein Air Festival today through Sunday, Sept. 5-7. The open-air painting event is coordinated by the Oak Park Area Arts Council and Explore Oak Park & Beyond. Artists will be free to paint across various locations in Oak Park during the three-day event, culminating in a closing reception from 3 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 7 at the Nineteenth Century Charitable Association where works will be displayed, sold, judged and eligible for prizes. Find more information at www.oak-park.us/pleinair.

The Oak Park IL Film Festival returns with a gala opening night showing of “Moonstruck,” featuring longtime Oak Park resident John Mahoney on Sept. 11 at the Lake Theatre. The event continues with an independent film showcase Sept. 13-14 at Madison Street Theater featuring a full slate of special screenings and panel discussions featuring the best filmmaking talent that Oak Park has to offer. Visit www.opilff.org for more information and to purchase tickets.