After scores of Evanston residents voiced their concerns about dust and debris from the demolition of Ryan Field, a Northwestern University representative announced at a Northwestern University/City Committee meeting last week that the university will offer car wash vouchers to residents who live in areas that trucks carrying demolition debris run through.
Dave Davis, the university’s senior executive director for neighborhood and community relations, said residents can sign up online to receive a car wash voucher. For months, residents have made public comments during committee meetings to raise awareness of filthy trucks spreading dust that some see as a health hazard.
Next week, Davis said the Central Street Consortium, Ryan Field’s construction manager, will send an email providing detailed instructions on how to claim the car wash vouchers to everyone who signs up (more details below).
“The reason why it actually took so long is because we were trying to identify an Evanston car washing partner. And surprisingly, that was a much more difficult process than any of us could have ever expected,” Davis said. Central Street Consortium has made efforts to mitigate spreading dust by misting and washing trucks and installing stone roads on the construction site, Davis said.
Davis said the volume of trucks that drive on the approved truck route, which traverses all or parts of Central Street, Sherman Avenue, Emerson Street, Golf Road and Crawford, according to the map, will decrease now that the excavation part of the Ryan Field rebuild is complete. Street sweepers and a truck washing station are also being used to mitigate dust, he said.
“We feel like there’s a volcano of ash,” Evanston resident Tina Paden said during public comment. “And I really feel bad for anybody on Central (Street) because they look like they went through some kind of storm or something because (it’s) really terrible.”
Resident Jane Danielson-Rickard said “I know people are having asthma attacks, including me. Something needs to be done about the dust before we see lung cancer and before we see COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and other chronic diseases.”
1st ward city council member Clare Kelly said she is aware of the harm caused by dust spread by trucks on the truck route and is working on mitigating its worst effects.
“I know that both Northwestern and our staff really want to minimize and have been working hard to minimize the negative impact, and so they do want to hear this too and continue to work to minimize the negative impact,” Kelly said.
State law states that trucks carrying loose material, such as dirt, stone and gravel must be covered by a tarp. Evanston Police Sergeant Jeff Faison said most trucks are covering their loads and following traffic laws, and the number of trucks that are not in compliance “are very low.”
“I’m not trying to minimize anything. I’m trying to say what we observed,” Faison said. “But we are not out there 24/7 and we are not at every intersection at every time, and it is a long truck route, and there are a lot of trucks.”
Trucks that are empty often spread more dust because a tarp is not required for them, several residents commented.
Evanston’s Deputy City Manager Cárina Sanchez said that Northwestern and its construction manager have been able to keep its truck drivers accountable when residents make a complaint, providing proof that can be verified.
“They’re trying to do their best to also address it directly with the truck drivers and the companies and everybody else,” she said.
To receive a car wash voucher, residents can visit https://form.jotform.com/242196263358058. They will be asked for their address, phone number, and the number of vehicles affected by dust.
