Ald. Jeylu Gutierrez, along with community members and stakeholders, reviewed final Chicago Department of Transportation plans for enhanced pedestrian safety and traffic flow management on Pulaski Road between 43rd and 51st streets in the 14th Ward.
“For me, it’s really important for community members as well as business owners to have the space to voice their opinions and be part of the project,” Gutierrez said after the June 18 meeting.
The alderwoman viewed the third and final meeting as an opportunity for transparency and collaboration by allowing residents to view and comment on the final plans for Pulaski Road.
Previously, projects would begin and be completed before anyone knew they would be happening, she said.
The plans community members and stakeholders viewed are final plans but there are still a few details to be worked out, according to the alderwoman. CDOT plans to start work this summer.
The start and completion date has not been communicated yet.
14th Ward residents were assisted by multiple representatives from CDOT answering questions from community members as they viewed the final plans spread out on multiple tables.
“The plans were really colorful and people were able to see the changes,” she said.
The improvements included street bumpouts, pedestrian refuge islands and changes to bus stops, resulting in improved pedestrian safety and better traffic control.
“The idea is South Pulaski will be two lanes going north and two going south,” Gutierrez said. “Right now, people are driving on the shoulder and the lanes in the middle of South Pulaski, made to turn left, were being used to drive forward.”
Speeding and drafting issues are also a problem that the alderwoman said needed to be stopped.
Between April 2 and June 16, there have been 43 crashes on Pulaski Road between 43rd Street on the north and 51st Street, moving south, according to the Chicago Data Portal.
Of the total number of crashes, there were seven injuries, no fatalities and 14 hit and run incidents. Some of the crash causes were failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash, failing to yield right of way, improper overtaking/passing and following too closely.
Workers will be in constant communication with the principal, teachers and parents at Edwards Elementary School at 48th and Karlov about the construction timeline or any need to reroute, she said.
For residents who live one block in from Pulaski, who are worried that traffic will increase on their side streets and in alleys by drivers trying to avoid slow downs the new improvements will cause, Gutierrez said she is already working with CDOT on the issue including other measures that could be taken to solve the problem.
Dixon Galvez-Searle, Transit Advocacy Steward for the Southwest Collective, was also in attendance to review final Pulaski safety plans.
The Southwest Collective, a community organization emphasizing civic engagement, got involved with traffic issues on Pulaski after two neighborhood residents, Jiekun Xu and Charlie Mills, were killed by drivers on the road.
“I was encouraged to see the bump outs,” Galvez-Searle said. “Those bump outs also double as bus boarding stations. This also prevents people who often speed through the median or the parking lane trying to get to the next light.”
The pedestrian islands will give people a safe place to wait because, due to the fast changing stop lights, sometimes it is not possible to cross both north and south lanes in one go, he added.
Changing the timing of traffic lights to give people more time to cross Pulaski is also being studied by CDOT.
Constant communication with IDOT has been happening about all issues because Pulaski is a state road, said the alderwoman.
“I think it’s a good project,” Gutierrez said. “When I was in a position of having all the departments and parties involved to move this project along, I’m now happy we’re seeing the result of getting together, pushing for a project and getting pedestrian and traffic safety. Overall, community members feel good because they were involved, and happy changes are coming.”
