The La Grange Village Board at its July 13 meeting formally adopted a comprehensive corridor plan for South La Grange Road, a document developed with extensive community input and designed to guide development and safety improvements along the commercial stretch.
The plan, created with a grant from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), addresses four core issues: accessibility and safety, corridor vitality, infrastructure and stormwater management and corridor character.
Community engagement included a survey that drew nearly 600 responses, stakeholder interviews, a community open house in November that attracted over 50 participants, and five steering committee meetings.
Residents consistently identified pedestrian safety and stormwater management as top priorities.
The recommendations include installing traffic signals at 51st Street, building curb extensions at 48th and 49th Streets, and lowering the speed limit to 25 mph—a tactic that worked in neighboring La Grange Park. The plan also calls for a Safe Routes to School program, facade improvements for vacant properties, green infrastructure like bioswales and a potential green alley program, and design guidelines to preserve the corridor’s character as a neighborhood business district.
Todd Vanadilok, a community planning consultant with CMAP, presented the plan and emphasized the importance of “quick wins”—near-term projects that can be completed within five years to build community momentum.
Trustees raised concerns about the lack of safe pedestrian crossings along the nearly mile-long stretch between 47th Street and Plainfield Road, particularly given the proximity of schools on both sides of the road. The plan identifies this as a priority for coordination with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).
The village will now work to codify design guidelines into its zoning code as part of a comprehensive zoning update, expected to begin soon.