Elmhurst Neighborhood's Traffic To Be Studied

ELMHURST, IL – A northeast Elmhurst neighborhood is set to become the next area for a traffic study.

The neighborhood in question is bounded by York Street to the west, Interstate 294 to the east, Interstate 290 to the south and Wrightwood Avenue to the north.

This is the Elmhurst area with the fewest sidewalks.

A few years ago, the city decided to examine traffic issues on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis. Officials say this is better than approving each request for stop signs and other features independently without considering larger traffic patterns.

Rosemont-based engineering firm KLOA has been conducting the studies.

At times, the studies have sparked debates. Last year, for instance, the firm recommended the city do away with the 20 mph speed limit on five streets running south from St. Charles Road – Washington Street and Argyle, Mitchell, Prospect and Cottage Hill avenues.

The engineer suggested increasing the limit to 25 mph, making it consistent with Elmhurst's overall residential limit.

In a 7-6 vote last fall, the City Council approved the recommendation.

On Monday, the council's public safety committee plans to discuss hiring KLOA for the traffic study of northeast Elmhurst. The study's price tag would be $33,000.