An overview of River Forest’s approach to traffic safety issues plus updates on projects on Washington Boulevard and Thatcher Avenue were front and center at the March 10 village board meeting.
In his presentation to officials, Jack Bielak, director of public works and engineering, said community engagement was “the cornerstone” of the village wide traffic study that was presented in 2023. He noted that traffic safety is a high priority of residents based on input provided at the Neighborhood Dialogues program conducted last year and at sessions of “casual conversations” with village President Cathy Adduci.
The goal of the traffic study was to identify high risk streets and intersections, incorporating data from the safe route to schools and village wide bike routes efforts, Bielak said. Among the results was a traffic calming toolbox.
Based on data collection, the Traffic and Safety Commission will review requests and vote on recommended changes. Signage and striping changes are handled at a staff level because no code changes are necessary. Proposed changes to traffic control, parking and roadway configuration are sent to the village board for review and consideration.
Bielak cited the 1500 block of Monroe Avenue and Washington as demonstrating the effectiveness of traffic calming measures.
On Monroe, staff members responded to resident complaints about speeding vehicles by striping parking lanes. Data showed that the average speed on that block dropped from 35 miles per hour to 29 miles per hour.
On Washington, which Bielak said led to “significant feedback,” installation of delineators at each intersection led to a reduction in average speed of four to seven miles per hour.
Bielak noted that the traffic calming measures on Washington are a temporary solution with long-term measures included in a proposed $1.8 million project in 2027. That project would include a road diet, bump outs, Americans with Disabilities Act improvements and various other traffic calming measures that contribute to bicycle and pedestrian safety.
Traffic safety on Thatcher would be addressed in conjunction with the coming extension of the Des Plaines River Trail. The River Forest section of the trail would mainly run along Thatcher between North Avenue and Madison Street.
“We need wholesale changes through the entire corridor,” Bielak said, noting the street’s imbalanced lane configuration of one northbound land and two southbound lanes. He said the average speed in the northbound lane is 38 miles per hour and in the southbound lanes is between 42 and 44 miles per hour. The speed limit is 25 miles per hour.
Improvement options on Lake Street are limited because the street is controlled by the Illinois Department of Transportation, unlike in neighboring Oak Park, where the street is controlled by the village.
Trustee Erika Bachner suggested that the village take control of Lake, which Adduci supported.
“This is an opportunity for us to make it safer,” Adduci said. “We should ask Oak Park how they did it and how it’s working out.”
Village Administrator Matt Walsh concurred, saying, “It’s worth taking the shot.”
Data collection includes a five-year crash history study provided by the police department and data gathered through a traffic monitoring device. Bielak noted that the device not only provides data such as vehicle speeds but also is cost effective. Since purchasing the device for $3,000, it has been used 10 times. Before staff members had the device, such data collection was conducted by an engineering firm that would charge the village between $2,000 and $4,000 per study.