Chicago, December 22, 2017 –Chicago provided nearly 2.5 million service requests to residents across the City this year with resources ranging from tree trimming, to replacing garbage carts, to graffiti removal and more.

“Chicago remains committed to delivering city services in the most efficient, cost effective manner possible. These are the fundamental building blocks needed to maintain strong, healthy communities. And these are the resources we’ll continue providing our residents in 2018,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Using a “blitz” model, crews from the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation (DSS) and the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) were also able to provided additional resources to 17 communities most in need of services this year.

“By focusing on one neighborhood each week, city service agencies were able to more efficiently fulfill service requests from residents and address issues like graffiti, rodent control and potholes on a larger scale,” said Acting Commissioner John Tully.

Neighborhood blitz locations included Burnside, Brighton Park, Auburn Gresham, North Lawndale, Austin, Chinatown, Roseland, South Chicago, Fernwood, Uptown, Ashburn, Hollywood Park, Budlong Woods, East Garfield Park, and Englewood. The neighborhood were selected based on the number and severity of pending requests, as well as input from residents and community organizations.

“Making sure the sidewalks and roads are safe, well lit, and clearly marked improves the quality of life in every neighborhood,” said Rebekah Scheinfeld, Commissioner of CDOT. “During blitzes our crews on site work directly with community groups and residents in specific neighborhoods to help ensure that we direct available resources to the community’s priorities.”

Through these targeted blitzes alone crews were able to:

• Haul away 5,400 bags of debris
• Fill 4,000 potholes
• Replace more than 1,500 traffic signs
• Remove graffiti from 750 locations
• Conduct rodent baiting at 600 locations
• Repair nearly 350 street lights
• Clean 200 vacant lots
• Tow away 160 abandoned cars, and more.

For more information or to request a city service, call 311 or visit www.cityofchicago.org. Please follow DSS (@streetsandsan) and CDOT (@ChicagoDOT) on Twitter and search #chiblitz to see blitz photos.

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