The Burr Ridge Village Board approved a plan — likely to change — aimed at curbing traffic density in the Chasemoor subdivision.
The trouble is obvious — too many motorists use Chasemoor Drive as a through street from 79th Street to Lincolnshire Drive when it’s intended to be a residential area — but the solutions less so.
But all sides, the village leaders included, agreed traffic is a problem.
Some residents proposed lower speed limits, others proposed a gate, accessible only to subdivision residents, emergency vehicles and village vehicles — though Village Manager Evan Walter proposed another solution that seemed broadly popular: limiting turn-ins to certain times of the day.
Under the proposal, drivers will not be allowed to go north on Chasemor between 79th and Lincolnshire between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. on weekdays or south on weekdays between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. This would apply to residents, though residents who leave their homes — i.e., drivers already caught in the middle of the street, could go in either direction any time of the day.
This is the biggest issue raised among several others, all of which the village will try to amend.
“We’re looking at concerns regarding vehicle speed and volume including sight lines and other considerations,” Walter said.
Other fixes include lowering the speed limit to 19 miles per hour, an off-putting number, intended to force drivers to consider their speed and adding crosswalks for better pedestrian visibility and then new road striping on Lincolnshire Drive toward the Pace bus lot, as village officials have noted drivers driving the wrong way toward the lot.
None of the projects should cost much, and Walter said downtown business funds will pay for the project. In addition, he pointed out if the proposal — which did pass unanimously — doesn’t work, the village could go another direction without too much difficulty. Besides the no turning signs, Walter proposed adding no heavy trucks signs along the way as well as more general signs noting road curves and pedestrian crossways.
The village has long been doing driving analysis tests and Walter said they expect to do more as the plan unfolds. In the meantime, nothing will happen for the next 30 days as the village will reach out to residents to let them know to expect changes and Walter also asked residents — especially within the homeowners’ association — to continue to hold monthly meetings and keep the board apprised on the plan’s success or lack thereof.
This will require a few more driving analysis tests, though they’ve done that already. “we have a pretty good idea of what those changes will be.”
Mayor Gary Grasso said there are some 500 residents in the Chasemoor area, meaning it’s fairly densely populated and the residential road is also one of the busiest in the village because people use it as a cut through.
Grasso did take into consideration snow plows and garbage trucks, but Police Chief John Madden said that so far as he is aware, the only exceptions he could offer would be for emergency vehicles.
“I’m not aware of any kind of authorization that I can issue, or the board can issue, that would violate those signs,” Madden said.
Grasso pointed out snow plows could simply work earlier in the morning when it’s a two-way street and trash could be collected earlier or later — again, when it’s a two-way street.
Trustee Russ Smith asked the chief if residents could get special dispensation to turn down their street in either direction any time of the day. Madden said that’s not realistic as that would require police presence at either end of the street and stopping every vehicle, and Illinois requires police to document even traffic stops — meaning such an undertaking would cost serious time for the police.
“We can’t stop a resident and say oh, you live here? Go ahead then,” Madden said
As for speed, Walter said they’ve done three traffic studies so far and speed isn’t an issue, most people don’t even hit the 30-mile-per-hour speed limit, it’s just an issue of congestion.
In addition, there is a sign with the suggested speed posted at 25 miles-per-hour.
John Eddy, president of the Chasemoor HOA said overall he was happy with Walter’s proposal and willing to give it a try.
“I agree with everything Evan has said at the meeting this evening,” Eddy said.
Still, some residents said they would prefer a more ironclad barrier, as in a locked gate. Grasso said it’s possible, it’s just not a first approach.
“The baseline is, you don’t want the status quo you want something better,” Grasso said. “But this isn’t etched in stone, it’s etched in ordinance.”
The issue will likely return again and, possibly, with modifications in a few months.
Jesse Wright is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
