Village Hall |
255 East Wilson Ave. |
Lombard, IL 60148 |
villageoflombard.org |
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 |
Chairperson Trustee Rick Soderstrom, Vice Chairperson Trustee Steven D. |
Sebby, Ed Bedard, William Pool, John Schwarz, Arthur Kuehl and William |
Lepins |
Jennifer Jendras, 664 N. Charlotte. John Wittert, 383 E. 17th Place. Kelly Mullins, 392 |
E. 17th Place. Anthony Caruso, 396 E. 17th Place. Qureish Esmail, 1201 S. LaLonde. |
Randy Welker, 416 E. Maple St. Ben Regimand, 412 E. Maple St. Julie Regimand, 412 |
E. Maple St. Nancy Albert, 197 S. Grace. Dominick DeFalco, 197 S. Grace. Karen |
Koenig, 321 Collen Drive. Richard Tross, 752 S. Main St. |
Nancy Albert: Has seen cars not stop at this crossing and speeding (Grace & Maple). |
Cuny: I will address the issue with additional patrol. |
Jennifer Jendras: Submitted a petition with 95% of resident signatures for Stop Sign at |
T-intersection at North Charlotte and East LeMoyne. There are 30 children under the |
age of 8 living here. Pattern of cut through traffic of cars coming off of Main and going to |
Goebel. Take the corner quickly, and don't slow down. Would like to see a stop sign |
there. Johnson: This week we will be placing traffic analyzers on LeMoyne and |
Charlotte. Investigate the bank to see if this is increasing any of the traffic flow in this |
area. From there we will look at the options. Soderstrom: Analyzer will tell us how |
many cars, average speeds, etc. Will bring the item back on our agenda on Nov. 5th. |
Pool: There is a criteria that the state gives us that tells when a Stop Sign is warranted. |
Jendras: Maybe even a Yield sign or speed bumps? Johnson: There are some other |
things that we can look at as far as controlling traffic. Want to be sure to get the right |
application for your situation. Soderstrom: You have 3-way traffic, not 4-way. It would |
have to be a 3-way stop intersection. Sebby: I was approached by Ms. Jendras, and |
advised her to talk to residents and she did. |
Qureish Esmail: What I see in the morning at (17th and LaLonde) is a lot of children at |
this corner (busses pick up there). One day, someone will over extend their boundaries, |
and someone will be hurt. I see children coming and going from school and it looks like |
an accident waiting to happen. |
Anthony Caruso: I understand traffic studies have been done and they address the |
amounts of cars traveling in this area. In the last few weeks, I have seen cars go |
through the bus stop sign, cars come out of no where and almost hit the bus or children. |
On 16th Place there18 homes with 34 children 18 months to 18 years of age. On 17th |
Place there is an additional 18 children newborn to 15 years of age. Same situation on |
18th. We are not necessarily asking for a multi-way stop, but for the signs to be turned. |
My fear is that one day there will be an accident. Cut through traffic going to Montini |
High School is the major problem. E/W direction on 17th street is where the stop sign |
should be. |
John Wittert: I am the Homeowners Association president. I know that you have a copy |
of the petition that was signed by everyone that was home when we asked for |
signatures. Big cut through to Montini, several times per day. Stop signs slow traffic |
down somewhat, but not enough. We are asking for a break in the speeds of this traffic. |
People skirt around busses, cut through to 18th, making wide turns. Looking for a little |
attention. We have 78 new homes and need some help. |
Kelly Moss: My concern is that at one time there were 14 homes, there are now 74. If a |
stop sign had to be there, why is it where it is? I would like one stop sign for my 8,000 |
dollars per year. Karen Koenig: I have had a chance to look at the study that John |
Johnson has done. The majority of people are doing the speed limit there, but there are |
some that are really speeding. I do think that there are some enforcement issues in this |
area. I have talked with several officers about this issue, and told them that the problem |
is mainly do to the Montini issue. I do believe that we need some additional |
enforcement in this area. Esmail: I had a teacher from Montini following me one day, |
and he seemed very impatient. I followed him to school and spoke to the assistant |
principal about this issue. |
Ben Regimand: I support request for stop signs on Maple, and lowering of speed limit |
on Maple. Julie Regimand: There are parks, churches, etc. in the area. When the bars |
in town let out, the traffic lets out. We feel like we live on 22nd street. Traffic is so |
excessive that children have to wait at the intersection of Grace and Maple. Would like |
to see the speed limit lowered to 25 mph. |
Trustee Tross: Would like to see the Item for Harrison and Edson to multi-way stop |
tabled until the November meeting. Would like to have staff do study on additional |
intersections in areas. Alternating blocks for stop signs. Harrison is under construction |
at Rte. 53, and do not know how much this will effect the traffic in this area. Hickory and |
Edson is more in need of this than any other intersection. Look at neighborhood traffic |
and accident reports in this area. Soderstrom: Finley and Main stop. Tross: Also need |
to address detour and traffic at Finley and Charles Lane. Conversation of putting in a |
temporary stop sign at this intersection. Hope you will remember that purpose was to |
detour the flow of cut through traffic. Johnson: Our Engineering staff, the state, and the |
township have all been working on this. |
Soderstrom: Public Participation has now ended and we will go ahead with committee |
discussion. |
It was moved by Bedard, seconded by Kuehl, to approve. The motion carried by |
the following vote: |
Johnson: I reviewed this request and do agree that marked cross walks are necessary |
due to proximity of parks, schools, etc. With the recent lowering of speed limits on |
Madison (similar circumstances), I observed many similarities. Do not see any warrant |
for Stop Signs; both intersections are located close to controlled intersections. |
Bedard: I would tend to agree with staff on this. I do not see where Stop Signs will help |
the problem. |
Schwarz: It has always been the procedure in the past to look at specific traffic studies, |
accident reports, etc. and to complete these before we make any recommendations to |
make any changes. Have these procedures changed? |
Johnson: I made recommendation based on board decisions to lower other speed limits |
in the town. |
Schwarz: Have you done any of these studies? |
Johnson: No, they have not been done. |
Schwarz: I can see the necessity for the pedestrian crossing markings. I have heard |
people make comments about speeding on Maple, but lowering the speed limits will not |
necessarily eliminate the speeders. |
Pool: They are essentially asking us to make good drivers out of bad drivers. Speed |
limit will not effect their driving abilities. |
Soderstrom: As chairman of this committee, I would like to comment that I would like to |
see more studies done before we make a decision. |
Motion by Bedard withdrawn along with second by Pool. |
Sebby to Ben Regimand: How do you feel about this? Traffic analyzers have already |
been put out there. Johnson: We need fresh counts out there. Julie Regimand: I |
agree that we can't make good drivers out of bad. But with a combination of Police |
enforcement and lowered speed limits, possibly it can be made a little safer. |
Recommend the Pedestrian Crossings and no installation of Stop Signs. |
It was moved by Kuehl, seconded by Schwarz, that this matter be recommended |
to the Board of Trustees for approval. The motion carried by the following vote: |
Enactment No: Maple St. between Gr |
Tabled reduction in speed limit from 30 MPH to 25 MPH until further traffic studies are |
completed. |
It was moved by Kuehl, seconded by Schwarz, to table. The motion carried by |
the following vote: |
Johnson: Reviewed his findings with the committee. I look at traffic volumes and |
speed. There are times that you can stop heavier flow of traffic for pedestrian safety |
(such as at Grace & Central). This is not one of those situations. There has not been |
one accident at this intersection in the last 2 years. Addressed residents and asked |
them to take literature home with them about unwarranted Stop Signs. Could be |
causing more problems than were there before the unwarranted Stop Signs were |
installed. My fear is people will not stop. This happens at intersections where Stop |
Signs are not war rented. It creates a false sense of security. Statistics have proven |
this to be true. Kelly Mullins: What about reversing it? We don't care about making it a |
multi-way stop. Johnson: There is not enough traffic flow to warrant this. If there was a |
park there, and flow was very heavy, then it would be warranted. |
Pool: Would a painted cross walk help? Johnson: We have put in marked cross walks, |
but it doesn't necessarily slow down traffic. Kuehl: Where is Montini in this picture? |
Soderstrom: East of Fairfield. Kuehl: Is there any other egress to Montini besides this? |
Soderstrom: Yes. Kuehl: When is there the most amount of traffic in the area? |
Johnson: 3-4 pm for W/B with 75 / 7-8AM with 64. Kelly Mullins: I do not believe there |
is a speed limit sign posted in this area. Soderstrom: If not posted, the speed limit is 30 |
mph. Kuehl: Is there any way to keep Montini traffic out of this area? Johnson: This is |
a public road, and all we could do is ask Montini High School to ask their people to use |
an alternate route. Schwarz: Who else besides the Montini group would use this? |
Johnson: Not really any advantage for any one else. Kuehl: What about no left turn, |
etc.? Johnson: I am not really sure at this point if it is just the Montini traffic that is the |
problem. Soderstrom: At previous meeting we did discuss Fairfield area by Rosebud. |
Pool: We have a lot of people here that have a problem; do we have any way to help |
them? Johnson: There are people that are speeding in this area, along with every other |
area of town. 15% of population will not obey speed limits. Police enforcement will |
bring the speeds down. This has been proven. Narrowing streets, etc. also could help. |
Schwarz: Is there any room for some type of traffic calming at this intersection and what |
would you recommend? Johnson: Narrow the roadway or put in an island at the |
intersection. Could bring back slides to the committee on this. Kuehl: Could we do |
more studies on this intersection as far as traffic calming is concerned? Johnson: The |
residents can park cars on street which naturally lowers speed limit. Anthony Caruso: |
Mr. Johnson is giving wrong demographic to this area. Kuehl: I have been on this street |
and do not see any warrant for a multi-way stop. Sebby: Looking at the study, this |
definitely is a Montini problem. Stop Signs will not correct the problem. Bedard: I've |
heard comments that lead me to believe that we should give it to them. |
It was moved by Pool, seconded by Bedard, that this matter be recommended to |
the Board of Trustees for approval. The motion failed by the following vote: |
Enactment No: Multi-Way Stop at 17 |
Schwarz: There is a problem with Montini HS, so let's try to solicit their cooperation, but |
agree with staff recommendation. Ask police to step up enforcement of speed and Stop |
Signs. Sebby: Stop Sign at this position may be useful. Schwarz: High school students |
may not stop all the way, creating a false sense of security for children. |
Tross: Could you have staff & PD look at possible restrictions to turns at certain times if |
this is Montini traffic? Koenig: There will still be problem there. Most of my effort may |
be with police enforcement. I will work with Home Owners Association to try to resolve |
these issues. Possibly the bus stop could be moved. Wittert: No way, that is not an |
option. |
It was moved by Schwarz, seconded by Kuehl, to recommended to the Board of |
Trustees for denial. The motion failed by the following vote: |
Johnson: reviewed staff findings with the committee. |
Lepins: I drove quite a bit around this area. No signage in this area to state that cross |
traffic does not stop, 2-way stop, etc. Johnson: That could help. We have done that in |
other areas. Lepins: Maybe we could make them more aware. Johnson: We could try |
that for 6 months to a year and see what happens. Schwarz: I agree, maybe we need |
to have some supplemental signs in the area. Would like to try something a little less |
drastic and see if it could help. Asked staff to see if a sign for "Cross Traffic Does Not |
Stop" is still a valid signage. Soderstrom: Edson has some site distance problems, but |
there are no other site problems. Unless there is snow. Schwarz: Asked staff to look |
into additional signage, renew stop bars, stop ahead signs, etc. Sebby: Normally do |
you stop the lower volume of traffic? Johnson: Yes. |
It was moved by Schwarz, seconded by Kuehl, that this matter be recommended |
to the Board of Trustees for denial. The motion carried by the following vote: |
Enactment No: Multi-way stop at Ha |
Pool: Traveling S/B on Main St trying to get in to White Castle; would like to get that left |
turn taken out of there. Soderstrom: I believe it is a safety issue. |
Pool: Water purification being protected? Cuny: We developed a list of critical |
functions and something as precious as water would be on this list. |
Kuehl: Need to address safety issue at Finley and Charles Lane. Traffic backed up |
going east on Finley. Could there be a temporary Stop Sign at this location? North and |
South Finley stopping at Charles Lane. Schwarz: When will construction on Harrison |
be complete? Rickard: In approximately 6 weeks. Tross: The Pork chop will be in. |
While I agree with the backup of traffic on Finley, we are stopping some of the cut |
through traffic. |
Soderstrom: Two Items for next meeting. Look in to making stop signage on Greenfield |
at Park a 4-way stop. Also, Providence Glen Stop Signs. |
It was moved by Pool, seconded by Bedard, to adjourn the meeting at 9:20 pm. |
The motion carried by a voice vote |