Residents concerned about high speeds and cut-through traffic on the 500 and 600 blocks of South Grove Avenue can expect new traffic-calming measures to be implemented.
“Residents have witnessed and mentioned numerous near incidents in the past several weeks, and we fear it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident,” three residents of South Grove Avenue wrote to the transportation commission July 7, 2022. They said cars often use their street to cut over to Oak Park Avenue, avoiding the traffic light at Madison Street.
Oak Park trustees approved a more limited village staff recommendation, once again rejecting the transportation commission recommendation with stronger measures, like those on Gunderson Avenue.
The staff recommendation includes installing a “Cross Traffic Does Not Stop” sign at South Grove Avenue and Adams Street and at South Grove Avenue and Monroe Street, repainting the crosswalks, using radar speed signs on an interim basis and creating a paint-and-post pinch-point on South Grove Avenue at the alley south of Madison Street. These measures will cost about $4,000.
The transportation commission recommendation, in addition to the measures above, would have included installing a paint-and-post bump-out at the northeast corner of South Grove Avenue and Adams Street. The commission voted 5-0 for these recommendations at its Sept. 9 meeting. The bump-out would cost an additional $1,500.
Village Engineer Bill McKenna said the bump-out could have some negative consequences, including forcing larger vehicles to swerve around the bump and into the oncoming traffic lane, he said. But Ron Burke, chair of the transportation commission, said it could slow turn speeds for drivers who aren’t stopping at the stop sign at South Grove Avenue and Adams Street.
McKenna said the village did not do a stop sign compliance study for the corner.
But based on data from Oct. 19 and 20, 2022, McKenna said the volume of cars on South Grove Avenue is about 350 to 500 per day, less than the average of 800 to 1,200 cars per day on other residential streets. Adams Street and Monroe Street also have low traffic volumes.
McKenna also said about 70% of drivers on the 500 and 600 blocks of South Grove Avenue are compliant with the 25-mph speed limit. More than 90% of drivers are going less than 5 mph over the speed limit. From March 2019 to March 2024, there were three collisions along the 500 block of South Grover Avenue and none along the 600 block.
The data regarding volume and speed from 2022 was consistent with data collected in 2018 and more recently, McKenna told trustees.
Trustees Brian Straw and Cory Wesley supported the transportation commission’s recommendation, including the bump-out.
“[The bump-out] would make a rolling stop a 2-mile-per-hour rolling stop instead of a 5-mile-per-hour rolling stop,” Straw said. “It might not get [stop sign] compliance, but it might promote safety for those people who are not compliant.”
The average speeds in this area might not be over 30 mph, Straw said, but there are some drivers going much faster than the speed limit. And pinch-points might not solve that, he said. Wesley also asked village staff to work with the police department to step up enforcement efforts for speeding or other traffic violations.
Village President Vicki Scaman said she’d like to implement a “slow down” campaign in the village, making people more aware of their behavior and asking residents to give themselves more time to travel from one place to another.
As part of the consent agenda, the village board also approved traffic-calming measures on the 1000 and 11000 blocks of South Humphrey Avenue. The board agreed with the transportation commission to install paint-and-post curb extensions around South Humphrey Avenue and Harvard Street, trim trees around the intersection, use radar speed signs on an interim basis, target police enforcement at the intersection and install paint-and-post pinch-points. The efforts are expected to cost $23,200.