Access to Open Chicago Park District Swimming Pools Varies Widely Across the City – ryan

The Chicago Park District This Month Clipped Short the Swimming Season at 11 Outdoor Swimming Pools, Highlighting a Disparity in the Number of Operating Days at Pools Across the City, A Chicago Sun-Times Analysis Shows.

Six of Those Pools Had the Fewest Swimming Last Year Among All the City Pools.

This Year, Scheduled Access to Pools Varied Widely, From 72 Days to Just 50 Days. The pools on the Lower end included the 11 that only learned on a few days’ Notice that they would be close aug. 10, Rather than on Aug. 17 as promised.

In 2024, Public Access at the City’s 50 Outdoor Public Pools Also Included A Huge Range, From 43 Full Days to 74 Days, A Difference of About A Month. Some of the differences in the seasons were planned. But Also Lost Open Swimming Days for Mechanical Issues, Staff Absens or Safety Problems Like Storms and Crime Reported Nearby – Though Officials Many of Those Lasted Than a full day.

In Both years, swimmers had the least access to outdoor park pools in ada, bessemer, chase, oakdale, union and wrightwood parks. All Those Pools Closed Aug. 10. They Span a Variety of NeighBorhoods, and Parks Officials Say they workhed to ENSURE AN ACCORDITION OF OPEN DAYS ACROSS The City.

“It ‘sida,” Said Kalle Larson, a dad who daghter swimming at Wrightwood’s Pool, 2534 N. GreenView ave., Nearly a dose this summer. “I don’t know what Costs are associated with it, but if it is a staffing problem, can’t they hire someone Else?”

Pat Nabong/Sun-Time File

In June, Chicago Park District SUPT. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa Promised All 50 Outdoor Pools Wold Be Open Seven Days a Week Through AUG. 17, Touting An Expansion of Pool Avilalbility UNSEEN SINCE The 2020 Pandemic Shutdown. He told the sun-etes that depending on staffing, he hoped to be able to keep more outdoor pools open Longer, past the aug. 18 Start of Classes at Chicago Public Schools.

Ramirez-Rosa Has Since Changed Course on the 11 Outdoor Swimming Pools, Announcing they’d Close a Week Early.

In the end, 25 stayed open through sunday, while 14 have been gioven extended operating days through labor day. Another 27 Indoor Pools Remain Open for Most of the Year.

Park District Spokeswoman Michele Lemons Said A “DRASTIC REDUCTION” in the seasonal lifeguards who stafft – About 70% of Who are High School and College Students – Forced District to Close Pools Early and Redeploy Its Lifeguards.

Lemons, Who Wold Not Make Any Officials available for an interview, pointed to a Large Number of Pools Open Until Day This Year – 14 Outdoors This Year, Up from 11 Last Year. When Considering Who Pools to Keep Open Longer, Officials Leaned for the First Time on a City Tool Known as a Heat vulnerability index, a measure that identifies the hottest are of the city where People are vulnerable to getting sick or dying from extreme heat.

That LED to Keeping Avalon Park, Along With Two More Indoor Pools at Carver Park and Austin Town Hall, Open Through Labor Day, Said, SO Residents There Wauld More Cooling Options.

Cooling is a critical roles that pools and the parks play, Ramirez-Rosa has Said, Helping Keep Residents Safe from the Heat As Summer Temperature Surge.

IT’S BEEN A MUGGY, EXTREMELY WARM AND HUNSHIP SUMMER, Too, Accounting to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford.

The aversion temperature in chicago through tuesday has been just above 76 degree, which is almost 3 degree above and tied for fifth highest on record, ford said.

The humidity has kept nighttime temperatures Above Average, Ford Said.

“It has ben a very hot summer so far,” Ford Said.

Katie Hogan and Her Two Kids Learned the Lousy News That Wrightwood Park’s Pool, The Center of their Summer Saturday Tradition, Already was Shut down for the season one showed up to swim last weekend.

“We Waled Love It IF COULD STAY OPEN A COUPLE OF WEEKENDS LONGER,” HOGAN SAID.

The staffing issues came as a surprise. “Theres SEEMED TO BE A LOT OF LIFEGUARDS ON DUTY, OUT ON THE PAYS WHERE THE PARENTS HAD IN THE POOL WITH THEIR KIDS,” SAID. “But if they’re hiring teenagers, then get it.”

Contribing: Cindy Hernandez