Residents say cut-through traffic is a hazard. Can Arlington Heights fix it?
The silver Toyota Camry sped toward the white Ford Explorer parked on South Cleveland Avenue as a red sedan approached from the opposite direction. When it passed the sedan, the Camry hit the parked Explorer, tilted sideways, then flipped over and skidded to a halt on its roof.
Arlington Heights police say the Camry's driver was traveling 32 mph in the 25 mph zone when the crash occurred about 2:10 p.m. Dec. 10. An hour later and the car could have hit children on their way home from school.
Cleveland Avenue residents say it's the type of hazard presented by cut-through traffic that has long plagued their neighborhood. A police radar speed sign has done little to deter drivers who use the street to bypass Arlington Heights Road between Central Road and Northwest Highway, they say.
On Wednesday, village officials held a community meeting to hear from residents who say town leaders to date have ignored their concerns.
About 40 residents showed up to air grievances and hash out solutions. The meeting stretched for three hours, with village officials ultimately pledging to do more research and schedule a follow-up meeting.
"It was the start," said Cleveland Avenue resident Ross Trotcky. "If this ends soon, I don't think this accomplished much. It's what action comes out of this that's really important."
Village Manager Randy Recklaus said the idea for Wednesday's meeting grew out of a village board session in January, when about 30 residents asked the village to address what they say is a safety problem on Cleveland, a residential street lined with 93 single-family homes.
According to Recklaus, a 2019 traffic study found the average speed on Cleveland was 25 mph, and speeding at 15 mph or more over the limit happened less than 1% of the time.
There have been 49 traffic accidents on Cleveland, Central Road or Davis Street since 2010, and 21% them were speed-related, officials said.
Residents suggested a range of potential fixes to the problem, including a decoy squad car, speed cameras, a Citizen Assisted Radar program, concrete bump-outs, turn restrictions from 4 to 6 p.m., more visible speed limit signs, parking regulations, traffic circles, yellow or white lines down the road or an additional stop sign.
Civil engineer Michael Hepner said the village relies on federal guidelines when deciding whether to add a stop sign. If village officials think a two-way stop sign is warranted, they examine crash data and do a traffic study of the area. For a four-way stop sign, they look at traffic volumes, crash data and a traffic study.
Since 2015, the village has received about 125 requests for stop signs. It has installed 24 new stop signs.
Some residents complained that drivers blow through the one stop sign the street has. Others questioned the village's data and how officials analyzed it.
"I think it's getting the conversation started," George Kraniotis said of Wednesday's meeting. "I don't know if we got anything resolved. I have two young girls and just (worry about) the safety of them and the other kids in the neighborhood."
Multiple neighbors said they're afraid to let their kids play in front yards or cross the street.
"It's a step in the right direction," said John Toliopoulos. "There weren't any real solutions put out there for us to have a discussion on. In my opinion, there needs to be a follow-up meeting as opposed to emails back and forth."