Prospect Avenue and Alexander Boulevard – Safety Improvements - Committee Report (03.08.21)

CITY OF ELMHURST 209 NORTH YORK STREET ELMHURST, ILLINOIS 60126-2759 (630) 530-3000 www.elmhurst.org STEVEN M MORLEY MAYOR JACKIE HADDAD-TAMER CITY CLERK ELAINE LIBOVICZ CITY TREASURER JAMES A GRABOWSKI CITY MANAGER March 8, 2021 TO: RE: Mayor Morley and Members of the City Council Prospect Avenue and Alexander Boulevard – Safety Improvements The Public Affairs and Safety Committee met on Monday, March 8, 2021 to review and discuss intersection safety improvements at the Prospect Avenue and Alexander Boulevard intersection The investigation of these safety improvements was initiated by a City Council referral dated December 9, 2019 The referral requested that the intersection be evaluated to determine if new stop signs on Prospect Avenue were warranted and if any other safety improvements (improved street lighting and/or crosswalk signage/striping) were recommended The City’s Public Works Operations staff investigated the lighting and signage concern shortly after the referral Although the signage and striping were found to be adequate, the City added (in January of 2020) reflective strips to the posts of the pedestrian warning signs to increase awareness due to the number of pedestrians that frequent this intersection Additionally, the City found that the intersection lighting was also adequate However, in order to be consistent with the vast majority of intersections throughout the City, the decision was made to install a different fixture (in June of 2020) that would extend over the intersection to provide enhanced lighting An intersection traffic study, focused on the request to evaluate the intersection for stop sign warrants was completed in the winter of 2020/2021 by the City’s Engineering Department The study focused on accident history due to recent concerns An investigation of the accident history going back as far as June of 2017 determined that vehicular accidents (3 of which were car vs pedestrian) have occurred over the last roughly years Of these accidents, were found to be non-correctible as they separately involved a DUI situation and bad weather conditions The remaining accidents were found to be correctible; which means that either driver/pedestrian judgement or traffic control devices could have possibly reduced the likelihood of the accident The City utilizes warrants from the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and the Warrants for Traffic Control Devices at Low-Volume Urban Intersection (i.e the Paul Box Report) as guidance when reviewing intersection safety Both of these warrant sources cite that only correctable accidents should be reviewed for intersection improvement warrants The MUTCD suggests that yield or stop signs should be considered when or more accidents have occurred in years or less, or or more accidents have occurred in years or less The Paul Box Report suggests that yield or stop signs should considered when or more accidents have occurred in years or less, or or more accidents have occurred in year or less The accident history was met for both warrant sources in this scenario DRAFT Prospect Avenue and Alexander Boulevard Safety Improvements Because both the warrant sources suggest that the installation of a yield or stop sign along Prospect Avenue is warranted at this time due to the high number of accidents the City then considered what the most beneficial improvement would be Because the Alexander Boulevard approach to the intersection is already “stop” controlled, City staff recommends new stop signs be installed at both the Prospect Avenue northbound and southbound approaches to the intersection Based upon the accident history and the high number of pedestrians that this intersection experiences due to the proximity to the Elmhurst Library, Elmhurst university, and Wilder Park City staff feels that an “all-way stop” intersection provides the greatest safety for both vehicles and pedestrians It is, therefore, the recommendation of the Public Affairs and Safety Committee that the City of Elmhurst approve the installation of new stop signs on Prospect Avenue, at the Alexander Boulevard intersection, and that the City Attorney be authorized to prepare the necessary City Council documents Respectfully submitted, Public Affairs and Safety Committee _ Dannee Polomsky, Chair Marti Deuter, Vice Chair DRAFT _ Tina Park .. .Prospect Avenue and Alexander Boulevard Safety Improvements Because both the warrant sources suggest that the installation of a yield or stop sign along Prospect Avenue is warranted... Prospect Avenue, at the Alexander Boulevard intersection, and that the City Attorney be authorized to prepare the necessary City Council documents Respectfully submitted, Public Affairs and Safety. .. Because the Alexander Boulevard approach to the intersection is already “stop” controlled, City staff recommends new stop signs be installed at both the Prospect Avenue northbound and southbound