North Aurora takes steps to slow Sycamore Lane traffic

North Aurora village trustees want motorists on Sycamore Lane to slow down.

Tuesday they approved a plan to install four-way stop signs at the residential street's intersection with Birchwood Drive, and next week will consider a proposal to install medians on two stretches of the roadway.

Traffic approaching Sycamore Lane on Birchwood already must stop at the intersection, but motorists on Sycamore tend to exceed the 25 mph speed limit on the 35-foot-wide street.

"It's built as if it's a major collector street," village engineer Jim Bibby said. "It's that wide open feeling that creates the speeding problem."

Sycamore Lane is a north-south street on the community's west side, extending from Moose Lake Drive on the north to Princeton Drive on the south. In between, it passes through Highland Park and intersects with Oak Street, a major east-west collector street.

Bibby told village board members that traffic on the street could be slowed down by installing grassy "boulevard medians" in the center of the roadway in the block between Oak and Birchwood, and the block between Pinewood Drive and Pleasant Hill Drive.

"That will constrict the lane width" and cause motorists to drive slower, Bibby said later.

The cost of doing the work would be about $35,000 Bibby said, and could be accomplished yet this autumn if trustees take action at the board meeting next week.

Board members are expected to discuss the issue Monday.

Meanwhile, Bibby said the four-way stop signs at Sycamore and Birchwood likely will be installed in the next few days.