Community residents in three wards participated in this year’s Participatory Budgeting cycle: the 22nd Ward (Alderman Rick Muñoz), the 45th Ward (Alderman John Arena) and the 49th Ward (Alderman Joe Moore).
Nearly 3,000 people came out to vote on how to spend $3 million in their communities. Residents chose 13 projects, which included:
- Street resurfacing, street lighting and sidewalk repairs
- New speed humps for residential streets and school zones;
- Mural to spruce up a viaduct;
- Tree planting;
- New playground and other park improvements;
- Pigeon abatement in viaducts and overpasses;
- Bus stop benches;
- Library improvements; and
- Beach path extension
The 2013-2014 PB Chicago cycle has seen an increase in participation of minorities and low-income residents throughout the wards as well as an increase in voter turnout.
