On warm weekends nights instead of hearing sounds of crickets chirping, people in the community are hearing tires screeching, mufflers popping, and sirens blaring. Sometimes until 2:30am.
Residents are afraid. They are afraid to go out of their house on a Friday or Saturday evening. Afraid of having family and friends struck by a car traveling at high rates of speed. Afraid to go for walks outside in the evening. Some believe the street racing that’s happening here is the worst in the Country.
The lawlessness has been going on for over a year. It’s out of control. Just a few examples; Police cars rushing up and down Ashland Ave with piercing sirens and blue lights flashing. A street racer doing spins in the middle of Ashland Ave. The car spins at high rates of speed as smoke shoots out from the tires as they they burn from the rubber tires hitting pavement. A fog of smoke from the tires fills Ashland. The car almost hitting pedestrians and a light poll. In the Mariano’s parking lot a women is attacked by an angry mob. They can be seen destroying the car. Jumping up and down on her car and breaking the windows. Street Racers flying down Archer Ave., 35th Street, 39th Street and other streets in our community.
A person described the scene as something out of the movie Mad Max. Complete lawlessness. Residents posting on social media that they have had enough. Some have lost hope and are considering moving from the city.
Residents are offering solutions. What better place to find solutions than from the residents of the community. In a Community Based Solutions approach lead by Steve Demitro, residents were asked to respond to a question on how to solve the Street Race Crises. Amazing Answers from Residents started pouring in. Here are only a few of the many suggestions from the community;
The action centers around the Mariano’s parking lot. It stands to reason that restricting access to the lot would make it harder for as many people to come. There are probably 300 cars there by the time the grocery closes on Friday nights. Could the strip mall add physical barriers to access after businesses close at 9, like Pete’s Market in Pilsen? Or could we have police barriers up on Fri and Sat nights?
Community resident 1
…Speed cameras down Ashland effective (ex:9pm-9am)
Use cameras to capture license plates and ticket vehicles that participate …
Community resident 2
Some of the cars driving recklessly on the city streets are capable of going over 200 MHP and 0-60 in 3-4 seconds. The Dodge Charger Hellcat is one such car that was in the middle of Ashland Ave spinning at high rates of speed in front of the police.
We need physical impairments in the roadways like speed bumps. Why isn’t the Marianos parking lot locked up after 11? All the businesses are closed except Burger King, they should have an entrance and exit of their own. If the police would let the Loomis street racers all gather and then roadblock them in at cermak and Eleanor and then go car to car for license and registration they’d probably arrest half the participants.
Community resident 3
Volunteers are collecting information and working on a Community Based Solutions approach and hopes to have a plan to end the Street Racing in our community and make the streets safe. If you have any suggestion that you believe will help stop the street racing and make our streets safe again please let us know by filling out the form.