Improvements coming to Lombard Prairie Path crossing

Pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists should notice some changes in the next few weeks near the Illinois Prairie Path crossing at Main Street in Lombard, according to village officials.

Public Works Director Carl Goldsmith said the transportation and safety committee recently discussed safety at the crossing after reviewing a study by the Active Transporation Alliance in conjunction with the DuPage County Division of Transportation.

“The perception is that this is not a safe crossing,” Goldsmith said.

The study sought input from more than 350 Prairie Path users — most were residents of Lombard, Glen Ellyn, Naperville and Wheaton — to determine how they view the accessibility and safety of the trail.

The Main Street crossing received the lowest crossing approval rating, with only 24 percent of 234 respondents saying they approved of its current state.

According to the Alliance, that crossing also had the highest number of bike and pedestrian crashes between 2010 and 2012.

The Alliance said there were five crashes during that time; Lombard police said there were four.

Two other crossings in Lombard — at Grace Street and Westmore-Meyers Road — also were ranked in the bottom five for crossing approval.

Transportation and safety committee chairman and village Trustee Reid Foltyniewicz said the village meets state and national standards for the intersection, but the committee has agreed to go “above just the minimum” in an effort to improve the safety perceptions.

Some users suggested that signage and markings should be increased at the Main Street intersection. Others said they would like to have more lighting at night.

Goldsmith said several improvements will be completed by the end of November, starting with the restriping of road markings along the path.

Other changes to come include:

• New, yellow signs that will show pedestrian symbols in addition to a bicycle symbol, in hopes of getting motorists to slow down for slower path users.

• Additional signs installed on a concrete island between the northbound and southbound lanes of traffic to provide better visibility of the signs for drivers in the inside lanes.

• Installation of additional stop signs on the path to encourage users to stop before crossing Main Street.

• New diamond-shaped road signs with flashing lights that can be activated by a pedestrian push button.

The transportation and safety committee is also exploring the option of adding a swing gate for path entry and exit to decrease the speed of path users, but Goldsmith said that would require county approval.

He said one of the primary ways the village plans to address the Prairie Path users' dissatisfaction is to continue education and enforcement efforts. Motorists and path users, he said, need to know “who has what responsibility” when they go through the intersection.