Would Stop 'Agitate' Drivers On Elmhurst Street?

ELMHURST, IL – An Elmhurst alderman pushed for a three-way stop at a local T-intersection. But one of his colleagues argued it would "agitate" drivers.

At Monday's City Council meeting, Alderman Michael Bram proposed the stop signs on Lake Street at Van Auken Street. Now, a sign is only at Van Auken.

He said national guidelines suggest that stop signs are warranted at the angled intersection, particularly given the line-of-sight issues.

Bram was speaking during a discussion about a traffic study's recommendations for a northeast neighborhood, which is in Bram's Ward 3.

The intersection of Lake and Van Auken streets only has a stop sign at Van Auken. An alderman argued for making it a three-way stop. (Google Maps)

The area is bounded by Wrightwood Avenue on the north, York Street on the west, Lake Street on the south, and Parker Street, Adele Street and Emroy Avenue on the east.

Prepared by a traffic engineer, the study recommended redesigning Van Auken and Lake to make the intersection safer.

But Bram said such a project is years away. He said a stop sign could be installed much sooner.

"You take a look in one direction, you take a look in the other direction. By the time you go, there's a car coming around the corner, and you have to stop in the intersection halfway to avoid a collision," the alderman said.

Alderman Mike Brennan, who heads the council committee that signed off on the engineer's recommendations, opposed a three-way stop.

"If we put up a three-way stop sign at Van Auken, this is going to do nothing more than agitate the drivers that are on Lake Street. They are going to accelerate from Van Auken and potentially go even faster down Lake," Brennan said. "Unfortunately, the challenge truly isn't going to be fixed until the next time we resurface."

In the meantime, he said, the city's staff would look to bring the stop sign on Van Auken closer to Lake as a small improvement.

Bram said he would not propose to amend the recommendations because it was clear he did not have the support.

The City Council voted unanimously in favor of the proposal. Alderwoman Jennifer Veremis was absent.

Over the last few years, the city has been conducting neighborhood-by-neighborhood traffic studies. Historically, aldermen have taken action in response to complaints at specific intersections, without considering the broader implications.