December 12, 2025

Alderman Reilly Reports

This Week at City Council

City Council met on Wednesday, December 10, as budget negotiations continue ahead of next week’s scheduled vote on the Mayor’s proposed budget.

In advance of that vote, 27 Aldermen submitted a revised budget in a letter to the Mayor’s budget team. In the letter, Alderman Reilly and his colleagues call for “clear-eyed, data-driven” solutions to the City’s fiscal challenges. As reported by CBS News and others, the Alders' proposal eliminates the $100 million head tax, makes full advance pension payments, and funds Chicago’s debts to firefighters without any additional borrowing.

Alderman Reilly previously led his colleagues to defeat the Mayor’s head tax proposal in the Committee on Finance on November 17. Despite that vote, Mayor Johnson has since increased the rate of his proposed head tax, from $21 per employee to $33 per employee, underscoring his unwillingness to collaborate with the City Council on workable solutions.

Earlier this week, Alderman Reilly and his colleagues held a press conference outlining their proposal and voicing concerns about the Mayor’s approach to negotiations. Alderman Reilly’s comments at the press conference were covered by WGN and ABC. The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, December 15, with members prepared to reconvene on December 16, 17, 18, and 23, if necessary, to pass a budget before the end of the year.

Demonstration in the Loop

Friday, December 19

On Friday morning, December 19, a group of demonstrators will march in the Loop, with portions of the permitted route entering the 42nd Ward. The participants will begin assembling at the corner of State and Jackson at 10:30am, and the group will march from 11:30am to 12:30pm. The demonstrators will travel north on State St, west on Madison St, and south on Desplaines St to reach their disbanding area.

The march will not include any floats or vehicles, but the organizers are expected to have a small speaker, a guitar, and several 3x5 foot banners. The City is expecting around 120 participants. Street closures are not scheduled for this event, but residents should prepare for CPD to implement rolling closures if necessary.

Chicago Winter Weather Precautions

The Chicago Office of Emergency Communications has issued a reminder to all residents to prepare for the cold temperatures that are forecasted this weekend. The National Weather Service in Chicago is forecasting periodic snow throughout this weekend and wind chills reaching -30°F. The City of Chicago operates 284 public warming centers during the winter season. A list of these centers operating this weekend can be found by clicking here.

Additionally, the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) operates 21 Senior Centers that act as warming centers when temperatures are below 32°F. These centers are open 8:30am - 4:30pm with the exception of Renaissance Court (78 E Washington), which is open 10am - 5pm.

For winter preparation information visit, Chicago.gov/OEMC for more details and links to other local, state and federal resources.

Free Smoke Alarms for 42nd Ward Residents

Stop by our office in City Hall, Room 200 at 121 N. LaSalle Street for a free smoke detector! Most fires occur at night when people are sleeping. A smoke detector can alert you when there is a fire, in time to save your life.

Below are some tips to ensure your smoke detector is properly installed and working correctly:

Routinely test your detector correctly
When a smoke detector sounds, get outside and call 911
Install smoke detectors within 15 feet of any sleeping room and every level of your house
Replace your smoke detector every 10 years. Write the installation date on the unit
Don't forget to install Carbon Monoxide detectors on every floor as well
Any questions on smoke detectors or carbon monoxide detectors, call the Chicago Fire Department Public Education Division at (312) 747-6691

A special thank you to the Chicago Fire Department for the smoke detectors. Smoke detectors can be picked up from the 42nd Ward Office between the hours of 9am-4pm, Monday through Friday in City Hall, Room 200.

To coordinate picking up a smoke alarm, please call us at (312) 744-3062 or send us a note via email (office@ward42chicago.com).

CAPS Meetings

18th District: (312-742-5778 / CAPS.018District@chicagopolice.org)

There are no remaining beat meetings for this district in the month of December.

1st District: (312-745-4381 / CAPS.001District@chicagopolice.org)

There are no remaining beat meetings for this district in the month of December.

To find your appropriate beat to attend your CAPS meeting, please click here.

42nd Ward Traffic Closures & Construction Projects

Helicopter Lift:

750 N Dearborn

On Saturday, December 20, a helicopter lift will take place at 9am at 750 N Dearborn. The lift will require several surrounding streets to be closed for the 2-hour lift. From 9-11am on 12/20, the following streets will be closed for the safety of motorists and pedestrians:

Chicago Ave from State St to Clark St
Dearborn St from Superior St to Chestnut St
Superior St from Clark St to Dearborn St

Northbound traffic on Dearborn will be rerouted eastbound onto Superior to State St. CPD and traffic aides will be in place to redirect traffic.

Canal St Reconstruction Begins December 15

On Monday, December 15, contractors will begin work on the Canal St reconstruction project. During Phase 1 of the project, the east half of Canal St between Adams and Madison will be blocked, and parking on Canal between Adams and Madison will be prohibited. Two lanes on the west side of Canal St will be maintained for northbound traffic. These closures will last until late 2026. Pedestrian traffic will be maintained on the west side of Canal St. Please click here for a flyer of the impact to vehicle and pedestrian access, and click here for a flyer of the affected CTA bus routes.

Ohio / Ontario Feeder Ramp Project Begins Stage 3

As reported in a previous Reilly Report, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has begun stage 3 of its work on the Ohio / Ontario Street Feeder Ramps. IDOT's press release on these closures can be found here.

Bridge Construction Updates

As reported in a past Reilly Report, construction continues on several downtown bridges, and Alderman Reilly has expressed his frustration with CDOT for a lack of coordination and planning. Traffic aides have been placed on Kingsbury at Chicago, Grand, and Erie to ease congestion. Stay tuned for future updates regarding traffic aides, detours, and closures.

The State Street Bridge project is estimated to be completed by early 2026, the approximate completion date for the Chicago Avenue Bridge is January 2027, and the Lake Street Bridge will be completed by the end of February 2028.

River North CTA Bus Reroutes and Navy Pier Schedule Revision

Due to excessive congestion in River North, the westbound #66 bus no longer stops at Hudson or Kingsbury on Chicago Ave. This schedule matches that of the eastbound #66 bus. Additionally, the #66 and #8 buses will now be rerouted southbound via Wells St instead of Kingsbury St to access Grand Ave from Chicago Ave.

In response to resident concerns and at Alderman Reilly’s request, the first westbound CTA #124 bus will now depart Navy Pier at 8:08am. This change will go into effect on December 21.

Lake Street Bascule Bridge Construction Update

The north-south crosswalk on the west side of Lake St and Wacker Dr has been fully closed and will remain closed for the duration of the project. Pedestrian traffic at this intersection will still be allowed to cross using a protected lane. During all work, CTA Green and Pink lines will operate normally, except for two 12-day planned closures in Fall 2026 and Spring 2027. The work on the Lake Street Bascule Bridge is expected to be completed by the end of February 2028. For the detour map, click here (note: the Canal St detour as listed is no longer in effect as of Dec 2025).

State / Lake CTA Station Upgrade

CDOT and CTA continue work to transform the 108-year-old CTA train station at State & Lake. The work will affect the CTA bus routes listed here. Lake St has been reduced to one lane at the site, and State St has been reduced to one lane in each direction between Wacker Dr and Randolph St. The new station is expected to be finished in 2029.

114 E Oak Façade Work

A partial sidewalk closure is in place for construction on the façade at 114 E Oak. 8 feet of sidewalk clearance will be maintained, and the barricades around the construction site will be removed by February 2026.

830 N Michigan Façade Work

Contractors are completing work on the façade at 830 N Michigan Ave. The temporary wall will be completely removed by the end of today, December 12, and exterior work is scheduled to be completed by the end of December. The full sidewalk will be opened as soon as the project is completed.