Remove 20 Mph Limits On 3 Elmhurst Streets: Consultant

ELMHURST, IL – An Elmhurst traffic study calls for removing the 20 mph speed limit signs on Fair and Park avenues and Church Street east of Arlington Avenue.

That would mean the street would revert to Elmhurst's residential speed limit of 25 mph. The move would not apply to a school zone for Edison Elementary on Fair Avenue.

The recommendation is among many in the recently completed study of the area bounded by Park Avenue on the north, Interstate 290 on the east, St. Charles Road on the south and York Street on the west.

Last year, the City Council voted 7-6 to do away with the 20 mph limit and go with the normal residential limit on five streets running south from St. Charles Road – Washington Street and Argyle, Mitchell, Prospect and Cottage Hill avenues.

Neighbors protested the move. And the two aldermen representing the area also opposed it.

In both cases, the city's traffic consultant, Rosemont-based KLOA, suggested removing the lower limit in the interests of uniformity.

At a meeting Monday, the city's public safety committee plans to review the traffic study in question. They are also looking at the one for the neighborhood bounded by Interstate 290 on the north and east, First Street on the south and York Street on the west.

Combined, the consultant is recommending stop signs at 29 intersections that are now considered "uncontrolled," meaning they have no signs regulating traffic.

The consultant also advised removing the yield signs at Grantley Avenue and Willow Road. A couple of years ago, aldermen approved a policy calling for generally taking such action around town.

As for the suggested 20 mph sign removals, the aldermen representing the area in question are Ward 4's Noel Talluto and Mike Baker.

Talluto opposed doing away with the 20 mph limits in the other neighborhood. Baker is new to the council.

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.