On Tuesday, March 29th, our office held a community meeting at Budlong Elementary to present a traffic safety proposal for the area surrounding the school. Parents and staff at Budlong Elementary have raised concerns about traffic safety during drop-off and pick-up hours, including cars ignoring stop signs, and speeding down both Carmen and Washtenaw. Our office requested the […]
Articles and News
Statement on the Proposed Curfew Ordinance
Posted onOn Wednesday, April 30th, Ald. Vasquez joined members of the Progressive Caucus in speaking out against the proposed curfew ordinance, O2024-0010163. See below for the full text of the letter. We, the undersigned Council members, are joining with community advocates in speaking out against the proposed curfew ordinance. We want to begin by recognizing the […]
Protect Yourself Against Measles!
Posted onThe Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) has identified two confirmed cases of measles in Cook County. If you haven’t already, now is the time to make sure you, your loved ones, and your community is protected against measles. About Measles Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease that spreads easily through the air. It […]
Immigration Briefing: April 2025
Posted onOn Tuesday, April 22nd, the Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights hosted a virtual Immigration Briefing! If you missed the briefing, you can find a summary below, as well as ways you can get involved. Enforcement Actions In recent months, there have been efforts to target judges, immigration attorneys, federal prosecutors, and big law firms […]
Plant a Tree this Earth Month!
Posted onDid you know that you can request a free tree planting from the City of Chicago? The City of Chicago launched the Our Roots Chicago project to expand the tree canopy in Chicago by planting 75,000 new trees throughout the city. Through that program, you can request a tree anywhere on the public parkway free of charge […]
Volunteer with the 40th Ward Environmental Board this Earth Month!
Posted onApril is Earth Month! What better way to celebrate than volunteering with the 40th Ward Environmental Board to make our ward and our city a greener place? What is the Environmental Board? The Environmental Board is a group of 40th Ward neighbors who work together on sustainability and climate change mitigation efforts both in the […]
City Council Round-up: April 2025
Posted onIt was an active month in City Council, with several key pieces of legislation being debated, and several exciting new pieces of environmental legislation introduced. Read on for more details! Key Legislation Green Social Housing This week and last week, the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Housing and Real Estate held joint hearings […]
Zoning Proposal: 1948 W. Peterson Ave
Posted onOn Tuesday, March 26th at 6pm, the 40th Ward office will be hosting a virtual Community Zoning Meeting regarding the property at 5308-5310 N. Damen Ave.
How to Handle Street Flooding
Posted onWith the advent of April, rainy season is officially here—which means that we may see some street flooding! Chicago’s sewer network uses an inlet control valve system—otherwise known as rain blockers—that limit water intake during heavy rainfalls to avoid overwhelming the storm water system and prevent sewage backup in basements. That means some amount of […]
Immigration Briefing: March 2025
Posted onOn Tuesday, March 18th, the Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights hosted an Immigration Briefing, during which immigration attorneys discussed recent federal immigration actions. If you missed the briefing, you can find a summary below, as well as ways you can get involved. Enforcement Actions Here are some of the immigration enforcement trends that attorneys […]
The 1st Pothole Patrol of 2025 is Complete!
Posted onThe 40th Ward office has completed our first Pothole Patrol of 2025! Find out more about Pothole Patrol, and some of the streets we’re prioritizing for resurfacing this year, below. What is Pothole Patrol? Each year, Ald. Vasquez drives every street in the ward with members of our team to report every single pothole that […]
Bowmanville Traffic Safety Proposal
Posted onOn Wednesday March 19th, the 40th Ward and Traffic Safety Engineers from Chicago’s Department of Transportation joined the Bowmanville Community Organization (BCO) to discuss a traffic safety along Bowmanville Avenue! Neighbors have been raising concerns about traffic safety on Bowmanville Avenue for several years now. In response to these concerns, the 40th Ward office submitted […]