By Dee Longfellow
Following a request from several residents and a subsequent meeting with area aldermen, the City’s Public Affairs and Safety (PAS) Committee placed a recommendation before the City Council at its Monday, June 3 meeting recommending traffic control signage at the intersection of Van Auken St. and Armitage Ave.
Research into the matter led to a report of accident data for the last five years. According to City staff, data shows that there have been four “correctable” crashes at the intersection in the past three and one-half years, including three in the last 11 months. All of the accidents involved a vehicle which police said did not observe the existing westbound and eastbound Yield signs.
The PAS Committee report noted that in early 2023, another Committee report that had been approved by the full Council recommended as a policy that all Yield signage in general be replaced with Stop signs throughout the City.
“That policy was not meant to create change immediately, but rather provide guidance as the City rolled out the Neighborhood Traffic Study program throughout the entire City,” the report read. “After that [earlier] report was approved by Council, the City decided it would only change Yield signs to Stop signs as part of the Neighborhood Traffic Study or if the [intersection was otherwise deemed unsafe].”
More RRFBs coming
The Public Affairs & Safety (PAS) Committee also proposed the installation of more Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacons or RRFBs, as traffic control devices. These devices use flashing yellow lights to warn motorists of pedestrians or a crosswalk. There are already four in the City at 1) So. York and the Prairie Path; 2) Butterfield and Cedar Ave; 3) Butterfield and Euclid; 4) North York St. and Wrightwood.
The Committee considers the following Priority #1 locations for the additional RRFBs: 1) York St. and Van Buren; 2) Spring Rd and Harrison St.; 3) York and Church Sts.; 4) St. Charles Rd. and Arlington Ave. Others will be added as the budget allows. There is $50,000 in the 2024 budget for pedestrian safety improvements and future years also include $50,000 annually.
