Elmhurst Neighborhood 'So Much Different' From Rest Of Town

ELMHURST, IL – Park Avenue is one of the key streets in downtown Elmhurst, parallel to the railroad.

But it turns residential east of downtown, then bends south along Interstate 290 and, finally, curves back west, ending at Fair Avenue. (It's also the rare Elmhurst street where Google Maps misses two small sections for its Street View function.)

The street is part of the traffic study that the City Council's public safety committee reviewed Monday.

The study recommends that the city post stop signs for streets ending at Park; now they have no stop or yield signs. The study also calls for 20 mph advisory speed limit signs in advance of Park's curve in the northeastern part of the neighborhood.

At the meeting, Alderman Michael Brennan said the city should keep an eye on Park Avenue. He suggested monitoring.

"To be honest, I've never been on Park that far east," he said.

The city's engineer, Ted Sianis, said it's typically used by just the residents who live there. He said it was not a cut-through street.

Poplar Avenue is Elmhurst's easternmost street that crosses the railroad tracks, while Park Avenue continues for another six blocks east before it turns south.

Police Chief Michael McLean said the neighborhood benefits from a "unique street design," with curvy streets.

"It's so much different from the rest of Elmhurst," he said.

Brennan said while he has not driven on Park that far east, he has been elsewhere in the neighborhood because he has friends there.

"I always get lost in this neighborhood," he said. "It's not a grid."

He said Alderman Mike Baker, who represents the area, has concerns about speeding on Park

Brennan said he was satisfied with the study's recommendations.

The city's latest pair of traffic studies is headed to the full council.