Alderman Waguespack works with the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) each year on the Neighborhood Infrastructure Menu Program. This Menu Program provides $1.5 million to each Ward for infrastructure maintenance. Projects include street and alley resurfacing and repair, pedestrian safety improvements, curb and gutter replacement, street and alley speed hump installation, as well as other infrastructure improvements. Our office works closely with CDOT to maintain a list of projects to maintain local streets, alleys, and other portions of the public way in a state of good repair. Menu funds can also help with maintenance projects at parks and schools when necessary.  Menu Program funds are also used to make various smaller repairs to curbs, alley aprons, speed humps, etc.

​

A key component of the Menu Program is input from constituents on streets, alleys, and other portions of the public way that need repair. Our staff, guided by constituent inquiries, conducts surveys and maintains a list of potential Menu Program projects. The list of projects is prioritized based on the physical condition of the infrastructure, funding projects demonstrating the most need that affect the majority of residents of the ward first.

Once a Menu Program project is identified, our office submits it to CDOT. The Department then conducts a detailed assessment of the potential project that includes an engineering assessment to develop a cost estimate. CDOT also submits the project to the Office of Underground Coordination to ensure that no other projects (water, underground conduit, etc.) are scheduled for the near future to avoid any duplicative or wasted investment and to identify, prioritize, and implement infrastructure projects in the most efficient means possible. The typical turnaround time between when a project is submitted to CDOT and when it begins is 8-12 months.

 

Pedestrian Safety Improvements

Pedestrian safety is one of Alderman Waguespack’s top priorities. When constituents contact the 32nd Ward office with safety concerns, we ask CDOT to conduct a traffic study at the requested location and use their recommendations to inform Alderman Waguespack’s decision on the appropriate solution to the safety concern. Some of these recommendations require the use of menu funds to install new traffic calming or other safety infrastructure. These might include bump-outs, curb extensions, pavement markings, or other measures. Since 2007, our office has sent over 1,000 letters to CDOT regarding traffic safety and related issues.

 

Local Street and Alley Resurfacing

Street and alley resurfacing comprise the majority of our funding allocation each year. Alderman Waguespack prioritizes street resurfacing and uses resurfacing requests from constituents to identify resurfacing candidates. If you believe your street or alley is in need of resurfacing, please email Paul Sajovec, the Alderman’s chief of staff, at paul@ward32.org. If your street or alley has potholes, you can either contact the 32nd Ward office or submit a pothole patching request through 311.

​

Arterial streets (like Ashland and Western) and collector streets (like Roscoe and Southport) are typically resurfaced through a separate funding mechanism, administered by CDOT. Our office works with them to identify specific streets in the ward in need of resurfacing.

Generally, local street and alley resurfacing takes 2-3 weeks. Crews begin by milling (grinding) the existing asphalt. In the ensuing weeks, crews inspect the exposed subsurface to identify any necessary repairs and ensure alignment of other infrastructure (such as catch basins) with the new surface. Following this process, CDOT will install the new pavement, which is drivable a few minutes after they complete their work. Please note that this timeline is subject to weather conditions, equipment and crew availability, and other extenuating circumstances that can extend the process beyond the standard time window.

 

Speed Humps

Speed humps are the most common, and typically the most effective, traffic calming device CDOT installs. Speed humps are only installed on local residential streets. Because speed humps are not part of standard street and alley design, CDOT and the 32nd Ward office are looking to confirm that at least 65% of the constituents on a block are concerned about high traffic speeds and support the installation of speed humps. Once a petition form is circulated, the 32nd Ward office reviews the signatures to confirm that a sufficient number of households support the installation. To get a petition, please reach out to our Chief of Staff Paul Sajovec, paul@ward32.org.

​

These are a few examples of the most common use of menu funding. Please click here to see the use of funds in recent years. If you have further questions, feel free to contact our office at 773-248-1330 or email us at info@ward32.org.

 

 

32nd Ward 2026 Menu Projects

​

In addition to other infrastructure work, the street and alleys Alderman Waguespack has submitted to CDOT for the 2026 Menu Program are listed below.

​

Street Resurfacing

2300 Block of W Charleston

2000 Block of W Concord

Honore, Lister to Elston

2400 Block of N Marshfield

1300 Block of W Nelson

1500 Block of W Montana

1800 Block of W School

2500 Block of N Wayne

​

Alley Resurfacing (Boundary Streets)

Addison Hamilton Cornelia Leavitt

Armitage Hoyne Homer Leavitt

Avondale Hoyne Lyndale Hamilton

Barry Paulina Nelson Ravenswood

Barry Racine Lakewood Nelson

Belmont Paulina Fletcher Ravenswood

Clybourn Webster Dominick Ashland

Cortland Paulina Marshfield Bloomingdale

Dickens Hoyne McLean Leavitt

Elston Honore Lister Winchester

Fletcher Wolcott Barry Damen

Fullerton Leavitt Medill Oakley

Lakewood Fletcher Belmont Racine

Lyndale Hamilton Webster Leavitt

Lyndale Leavitt Palmer Oakley

Medill Leavitt Belden Oakley

Melrose Lincoln Belmont Paulina

Nelson Racine Lakewood Wellington

Roscoe Hoyne Hamilton School

Roscoe Seeley School Hoyne

Roscoe Wolcott Henderson Damen

Shakespeare Hoyne Charleston Leavitt

Shakespeare Leavitt Charleston Oakley

Wabansia Bell North Oakley

Wabansia Winchester North Damen

Wellington Racine Lakewood Oakdale

Wrightwood Bosworth Altgeld Ashland

Wrightwood Lakewood Altgeld Wayne