Town assesses ups, downs of speed bumps year later
The effectiveness of the speed bumps on See-Gwun Avenue will be among the topics discussed by Mount Prospect trustees at a special workshop at 6 p.m. tonight at village hall.
In addition, the board will discuss the first "post-study" of one of the 18 neighborhoods in its Neighborhood Traffic Study.
Mount Prospect Project Engineer Matt Lawrie said the meeting is informational only.
"It's not about making decisions (with regard to speed humps or sign changes)," he said. "Those decisions need to be made with input from residents."
The village installed speed bumps on See-Gwun Avenue between Lincoln Street and Golf Road in April 2006 to limit the amount of traffic cutting through the neighborhood.
Lawrie said the bumps have had both positive and negative results. On the positive side, average speeds on See-Gwun were lowered and traffic volume was reduced.
On the other hand, Lawrie said, an increase in traffic on adjacent streets was seen.
Lawrie said surveys conducted a year after the humps were installed show 56 percent of the neighbors want to keep them.
In presenting the post-study of Zone 8, Lawrie said staff will look for feedback from the board on how it should conduct future post-studies.
Zone 8 is bounded by Kensington Road to the north, Route 83 to the east, Northwest Highway and Central Road to the south, and the western village limits to the west. It includes not only Prospect High School, but also Fairview Elementary School and the Meadows Park Aquatic Center.
The purpose of the Neighborhood Traffic Study is to look at the 18 zones with the aim of implementing more uniform speed and traffic controls. Lawrie said the village is also looking at a third element: traffic calming.
Beginning last year, speed limits in Zone 8 were standardized at 25 mph, except for school zones, which is only 20.
In addition, yield signs were removed, while all-way stops went from 13 to 8 and intersections without traffic controls were reduced from six to only one.