Traffic-related incidents among pedestrians and cyclists have surged over the past few years.

We’ve certainly seen the evidence here in the Tri-Cities, with notable bike tragedies occurring in Batavia and St. Charles in 2023.

It’s part of a larger trend. According to the bicycle advocacy organization Ride Illinois, our state saw 40 fatal bike crashes in 2023.

In 2019, there were only 12.

The data suggests that regardless of location — urban, suburban or rural — Illinois cyclists are in equal danger. In this Streetsblog Chicago interview, Ride Illinois’ executive director Dave Simmons points out that fatal crashes have occurred from the Wisconsin border to Cairo (a difference of 400+ miles).

As part of its new "Our Response to Fatal Crashes" campaign, Ride Illinois is generating awareness about the statewide crisis, complete with a comprehensive map tracking all fatal crashes in the state since 2018.

One thing I find interesting about the organization’s campaign is the thoughtful way it distinguishes between the terms “crash” and “accident” — intentionally using “crash” to emphasize that these incidents are not a foregone conclusion.

They don’t say “accident” because the term suggests that no one’s to blame — that the incident couldn’t have been prevented. Using “crash” takes into account the importance of people’s actions, public policies and the avoidable nature of these crashes.

We do have initiatives focused on making our area more bike and pedestrian-friendly in the works in all three cities (full disclosure: I sit on Geneva’s Bike & Pedestrian Advisory Committee, formed in August 2023).

I’m planning to do a deeper dive on those initiatives once I learn a little more about the work being done in Batavia and St. Charles.

In the meantime, the research and storytelling being done by Ride Illinois can inform and inspire our strategies here in the Tri-Cities.

You can check out the full Simmons interview here.

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☑️ Fermilab fun: The excavation of three massive caverns a mile beneath the Earth’s surface has been completed, paving the way for Fermilab’s ambitious DUNE experiment.

🔒 Triumphant taverns: St. Charles City Council considered a proposal to limit the number of liquor licenses that can be issued downtown. The verdict? It’s a no-go.

🔒 Inside the climate plan: Kane County’s new climate plan aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and implement severe weather resilience strategies, ultimately getting to carbon neutral by 2050.

☑️ Project decongest: Later this month, construction will commence on a new traffic signal, pavement widening, new left-hand turn lanes and pedestrian actuators at the Prairie/Wilson Street intersection in Batavia.

☑️ Huge shoes to fill: If it seems like we mention Tom Skilling a lot in this newsletter, well…you’re right. I’m a weather nerd from a family of Skilling fans. So it’s bittersweet to see that WGN has named his successor.

☑️ Hearings in Batavia: Two public hearings will be held at City Council Chambers on Wednesday evening — one related to zoning code changes for a property at the Wilson/Randall intersection and another for zoning map amendments for multiple residential properties.

☑️ Hooter safety: With Great Horned Owls currently nesting in area forest preserves, the Forest Preserves of Kane County ask that folks take a few simple steps to ensure their safety and well-being.

☑️ Local standouts: The Daily Herald is accepting nominations for High School Athlete of the Month — a nice chance to help some Tri-Cities student-athletes get wider recognition.

☑️ Eyeing summer: Season passes for Batavia’s Hall Quarry Beach go on sale tomorrow at reduced rates.

☑️ Buying + selling: Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles each saw five home sales for the week ending on 1/27.

☑️ Batavia preschool: Registration for the 2024-2025 school year in Batavia’s New Horizons program starts today. Parents must register in person at the Civic Center or Eastside Community Center.

☑️ Inspirational evening: CASA Kane County will host its 30th annual Children's Champion Celebration Gala on 3/2 at the Q Center in St. Charles. It tends to sell out quickly.

*Below are “listed” start/end times — actual play times tend to vary. The 🎟️ symbol indicates an admission fee. Links to band/event info are provided where available.

✔️ Ryan Worthy: Firewater BBQ | Geneva | 5-7PM | Musician info

🎟️ Relic - Enchanted Forest: Baker Memorial United Methodist Church | St. Charles | 7PM | Event info

✔️ Tim Gleason: Flagship on the Fox | St. Charles | 6-9PM | Musician info

✔️ Pete Jive: Firewater BBQ | Geneva | 5-7PM | Musician info

✔️ Junkyard Groove: Flagship on the Fox | St. Charles | 5-8PM | Band info

✔️ PBJ: EvenFlow | Geneva | 8PM | Event info

☑️ St. Charles Restaurant Week | St. Charles Restaurant Week begins today! Here’s the official guide to a week of dining deals.

☑️ Climate Action Plan Public Session | Geneva Public Library | 6-7:30 PM | Kane County is hosting a series of public input sessions​ to seek feedback on a draft of its first Climate Action Implementation Plan (CAIP).

🎟️ Magic & Mischief | Arcada Theatre | 7PM | Ideal for a dinner-and-a-show date night, The Great Boutelli will put on a highly entertaining show of magic and mystery.

🎟️ Super Shuffle 5K | Geneva | 10AM | Start carb-loading now for the Geneva Park District’s annual Super Bowl Sunday 5K race, which includes a little afterparty with food, drinks and games.

☑️ Batavia: The agenda for tonight’s meeting includes approval of the city’s Strategic Plan for 2024-2028 and expanding the moratorium on South River Street projects.

☑️ Geneva: The agenda for tonight’s meeting includes a proclamation for Black History Month, a SPAC appointment and a public hearing on the FY 2025 City of Geneva Budget.

☑️ St. Charles: The agenda for tonight’s meeting includes a proclamation for Random Acts of Kindness Week and several committee reports.

Among the items covered at the 1/30 Batavia Committee of the Whole meeting (full video here):

*️⃣ Get the comprehensive recap from Councilman Pieper’s excellent Nextdoor update.

🌤️ Today: High 43F | Low 28F | A lil’ chilly

🌤️ Tuesday: High 48F | Low 33F | Nice n’ sunny

⛅ Wednesday: High 53F | Low 41F | Getting warmer

⛅ Thursday: High 56F | Low 46F | Full spring tease

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