La Grange residents pressed the Village Board to address safety hazards on East Avenue and Lincoln Street, citing speeding traffic, streetlight outages, and overgrown landscaping that blocks sight lines at a dangerous intersection.
The concerns centered on East Avenue, where new two-way traffic has increased cut-through driving since the street reopened, and the corner of Lincoln and Washington, where tall trees obscure drivers’ views of pedestrians.
Residents said they have witnessed near-accidents and expressed fear for children playing in nearby parks.
John Pluto, an East Avenue resident, reported that six streetlights on the village side of East Avenue have been out for three weeks. He said he contacted Public Works and the police department but received no replies.
“There doesn’t seem to be a communication of where these things get fixed,” Pluto said.
He also raised concerns about speeding and cut-through traffic since East Avenue reopened to two-way traffic.
“When there’s a train at East Avenue and 47th, the traffic backs all the way up to Plainfield Road,” he said. “Now we get the influx of people that want to cut through the village.”
Pluto noted that Sedgwick Park, at the corner of 47th and East Avenue, is heavily used by children playing baseball in the evenings.
“We got people zipping down that street,” he said. “Those little kids ain’t watching when they’re going out to get their mitts and bags.”
He called for increased traffic enforcement, saying one traffic enforcement officer is insufficient.
“I think we need to get two traffic enforcement cars in this town,” Pluto said.
The intersection of Lincoln and Washington also raised concerns.
Resident Kim Mosley and Trustee Beth Augustine both raised concerns about tall trees at the corner of Lincoln and Washington, near the community center. The vegetation blocks sight lines for drivers attempting to exit the intersection, creating a dangerous blind spot.
“I almost got hit like three times already because it’s like a blind spot,” Mosley said.
She said she had previously called the village to ask if the trees were permitted and was told they were allowed.
Augustine said she had witnessed “three accidents” at the intersection involving children crossing the street.
“The kids are running across Lincoln, leaving the park, and if the cars don’t stop, you don’t see them from that corner,” she said.
Village President Mark Kuchler said the village is working with the Illinois Department of Transportation on the streetlight issue.
Attorney Ben Schuster said he would review village code regarding sight triangles and landscaping requirements to determine whether the trees at Lincoln and Washington violate any ordinances.
“Whether it’s on private property or public property, obviously we have codes that have to be complied with,” Schuster said.
Augustine called for the village to install a four-way stop at the intersection and to revisit its landscaping policy on corners.
“I think we should pursue policy on two things,” she said. “One, a four-way stop at that intersection is just long overdue. And I do think we should revisit our policy on landscaping.”
Kuchler said the police department has a formal process for evaluating stop sign requests and will review the intersection.