Elmhurst Unmoved By Path Plan Protesters Who Fear Crashes

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst appears unmoved by residents in a local neighborhood who oppose an 8-foot-wide path replacing a sidewalk in front of their houses.

A few months ago, the City Council voted to hire an engineer to design the path on Fay Avenue and an accompanying pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Route 83.

The path would go on the south side of the street. In part of that area, new houses are set to be built where a forest has been removed.

Neighbors fear bicyclists will crash into cars entering and leaving driveways.

"Our primary concern is we don't want to funnel e-bikes going 30 mph over driveways," Tony DeBlasio said in an interview Tuesday.

A forest has been removed from a part of the south side of Fay Avenue. Houses are set to be built. (David Giuliani/Patch)

In a recent email, DeBlasio asked City Manager Jim Grabowski whether the city could direct bike traffic to the streets.

Grabowski replied that the city was unable to direct bike traffic to the street without restricting parking on both sides of Fay Avenue.

But he said road markings known as "sharrows" could be used to offer the opportunity for cyclists to use the street.

A "secondary outlet," Grabowski said, would allow path users the option to ride on Fay or head north to use any of the streets connecting to Garden Avenue.

Construction of the bridge and path is estimated to cost $3.2 million; the state is covering most of it. The project, Grabowski said, must follow state guidelines.

DeBlasio asked about making Fay a one-way street.

Grabowski said the city recommends against such an idea.

"One-way streets in residential areas aim to manage traffic by filtering out through-traffic; however, they can also lead to faster driving, potential confusion for unfamiliar drivers, and make it harder for emergency services to access properties," Grabowski said. "One-way streets increase turning movements, which increases the potential for vehicle and pedestrian conflicts."

DeBlasio told Patch that residents support directing bicyclists to the streets.

"Why do you need the path to go over driveways?" he said. "It would save the city a lot of money to not put an 8-foot path over driveways."

At City Council meetings, Fay residents have spoken out against the plan. In September, they held a neighborhood meeting in a driveway.

More than 70 attended, including Grabowski, six of the city's 14 aldermen, Mayor Scott Levin and Assistant City Manager Kent Johnson.

Last month, DeBlasio put out a video about directing bicyclists to the streets. He listed what he sees as such a plan's advantages:

• Cost savings
• No safety conflicts with 15 driveways
• No sight line issues
• No dangerous outlet onto busy West Avenue, near Mary Queen of Heaven Catholic Church and Emerson Elementary School. Garden Avenue traffic, by contrast, is almost non-existent.
• Bike traffic dispersed over several streets rather than one path over driveways
• No harm to existing landscaping and trees in front of Fay homes

Officials have long said the city needs a pedestrian bridge over Route 83 on the north side. One of the aims is to connect people to nearby Berens Park.

South Elmhurst enjoys the Illinois Prairie Path bridge.