Monday, April 12, 2004
7:30 PM
Village of Lombard
Village Hall
Transportation & Safety Committee
Trustee Rick Soderstrom, Chairperson |
Trustee Steven D.Sebby, Vice Chairperson |
Greg Gron, Thomas Gibbons, John Schwarz |
Arthur Kuehl and William Lepins,Thomas Murphy |
Staff Liaisons: Deputy Chief Dane Cuny, Patrol Division, Police, |
Justine Gembala, Civil Engineer, Public Works |
Meeting Minutes
Transportation & Safety Committee
Meeting Minutes
April 12, 2004
1.0
Call to Order and Roll Call
The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Soderstrom at 7:30 p.m.
Chairperson Trustee Rick Soderstrom, Greg Gron, John Schwarz, Thomas |
Murphy, Arthur Kuehl and William Lepins |
Present:
Vice Chairperson Trustee Steven D. Sebby and Thomas Gibbons
Absent:
David Dratnol, Village Engineer |
2.0
Public Participation
Mr. Jim Watson, 241 S Edson |
Mr. Watson addressed the committee with a request for a stop sign on Edson between |
Maple and Madison. Mr. Watson commented that Edson has become a raceway, |
especially in the early morning and dinner hour. People use Edson as a cut-through |
because it is a straight shot. There have been incidences of people being hit by cars. |
Nothing serious, but it's dangerous. Lt. Nuestadt suggested he come to a |
Transportation & Safety meeting. This issue has come up before, the Police |
Department did have squad cars out there for a couple weeks and also set up the |
portable radar. Mr. Watson stated that he's here to ask that the Village put up a stop |
sign wherever is deemed most appropriate. He pointed out that there used to be a |
speed bump by the Prairie Path, but it was taken out so there's nothing to slow people |
down. There are always close calls by the Prairie Path, however, the pedestrians have |
a stop sign. |
Soderstrom replied that having served on this committee, one of the things he's come to |
find is that stop signs do not slow traffic down. In some cases it has an adverse effect |
on speeding. He told Mr. Watson the committee will entertain his request. He also told |
Mr. Watson that some additional show of support from neighbors and any information |
about special circumstances, deaf children, etc., would be helpful. |
Gembala explained warrants for stop control. Stop controls are not used to control |
speeding. Gembala offered that staff could see if it meets any of the warrants. Dratnol |
also commented that traffic calming is being looked into by Public Works Committee |
and Transportation & Safety. That may be more appropriate. Cuny commented that a |
speed study would be the next step. |
The Police Department will do a speed study and bring it back to the committee. A copy |
of the report will be sent to Mr. Watson. |
3.0
Approval of Minutes
It was moved by Lepins, seconded by Kuehl, to approve the minutes of the |
March 1, 2004, meeting. The motion carried by a voice vote |
4.0
Unfinished Business
030835
Residential Traffic Speed and Enforcement |
Cuny reviewed the February report. The overall number of stops are decreasing, |
however, the number of tickets have not decreased. |
Soderstrom asked the committee members to consider to what degree the information in |
this report is valuable. Should Cuny continue providing it, has it served it's purpose, has |
it proven it's point? |
030959
B. Illinois Prairie Path Crossing Signage (Continued from May 6th) |
Recommendation from the Transportation & Safety Committee to install signage and |
pavement markings at the Illinois Prairie Path Crossings at Westmore-Meyers and Main |
Street (to include a raised median at Main Street). (DISTRICTS #1 & #5) |
Gembala reviewed the handouts. |
In this location the total roadway is 45', if we were to place an in-roadway sign there it |
would be an obstruction for vehicles. Staff is recommending to install signs on the side |
of the roadway. To enhance signs yield pavement markings could also be installed. For |
north bound it was difficult to find a location. The recommendation is to install the sign in |
the planter and cantilever it out a bit. Gron asked how far the sign would be from the |
path. Gembala responded that the required distance is 20'-50', this is at about 50'. |
Gron asked what the opinion is of installing washboard? Dratnol responded that |
depending on usage, they can create a noise problem, so in a residential area it's not a |
good idea. Kuehl asked if any striping would be put in at the Prairie Path. Dratnol |
responded that Public Works would clean up the existing striping in the area. Kuehl |
asked if infromation signs could be put in closer to the path that says Illinois Prairie Path. |
Gembala explained that if the signage is installed closer, motorists will not see the sign |
until they're at the crossing. The committee briefly discussed the color of the signage. |
Gembala explained that with the 2-way left turn available at this location it would be |
acceptable to install an in-roadway sign. There will be striping to the north and south of |
the signs. The third sketch portrays if a median were installed on Main Street. There |
was discussion regarding specifications of the proposed median. Lepins asked if the |
median would impact snow removal. Dratnol responded that snow removal would be |
handled the same as it has been. |
Lepins asked what the estimated costs for striping and the median are. Dratnol |
estimated $2,000 for striping and $3,000-$4,000 for the median. |
It was moved by Murphy, seconded by Kuehl, that this matter be recommend to |
the Board of Trustees for Approval. The motion carried by the following vote: |
Aye:
Gron, Schwarz, Murphy, Kuehl and Lepins
5 -
Absent:
Gibbons
1 -
040110
*F. Transportation & Safety Committee - Traffic Signals |
Recommendation from the Transportation & Safety Committee to install traffic signals at |
the intersection of Eastgate and Highland. (DISTRICT #3) |
Soderstrom reviewed the previous direction taken by the committee. Dratnol reviewed |
the information provided in his memo. The intersection probably does meet the warrant |
for the two hours that it didn't previously. At this particular intersection, one factor that is |
most concerning is the acutal use of the facility. It's a medical facility and by nature of |
it's purpose, those conditions lead to distracted drivers. He explained that he's not |
typically in favor of putting in signals without clear cut warrants being met, however, this |
is one instance where he is comfortable taking this step as a safety measure. |
Community Development has also received a petition from residents in the area. Staff is |
recommending a traffic signal be installed at this location. |
Murphy asked if the medical facility will still pay for the signal. Dratnol answered that |
they would. Murphy said that John Johnson was going to check to see if it would tie in. |
Dratnol explained that would be done as an interconnect project. Kuehl asked if loop |
detectors would be installed. Dratnol responded that it would be run by video detection. |
The cameras are more reliable than loops, loops fail. Schwarz asked about the |
geometry of that intersection. Dratnol responded that there's enough separation that we |
could have back to back left turn lanes. The committee briefly discussed flaws in the |
original traffic study. |
It was moved by Kuehl, seconded by Lepins, that this matter be recommend to |
the Board of Trustees for Approval to install a traffic signal to be paid for and |
maintained by DuPage Medical Group. The motion carried by the following vote: |
Aye:
Gron, Schwarz, Murphy, Kuehl and Lepins
5 -
Absent:
Gibbons
1 -
5.0
New Business
6.0
Other Business
Soderstrom announced to the committee that Justine Gembala has and will be |
assuming duties as staff liaison. |
7.0
Information Only
040106
2002 Illinois Crash Facts & Statistics Booklet |
8.0
Adjournment
It was moved by Gron, seconded by Kuehl, to adjourn the meeting at 8:20 p.m. |
The motion carried by a voice vote |