Naperville mulls ways to ease traffic

Naperville is looking at ways to ease traffic and safety concerns in the neighborhoods near 75th and Washington streets while the intersection undergoes a major construction project.

In what became a heated exchange with councilmen Tuesday, residents pleaded for more measures to protect children in their neighborhoods.

City Manager Doug Krieger assured them it is a priority.

Roughly 65,000 vehicles travel through 75th and Washington daily. In December, the city and county broke ground on a $24.3 million widening project scheduled to be completed in 2011.

Residents Tuesday said the additional traffic going through neighborhoods such as Maplebrook I and II and Winding Creek is causing safety issues for their children and those attending nearby Maplebrook Elementary and Lincoln Junior High.

In January, a Lincoln Junior High student walking in a crosswalk at 75th and Olympus Drive was injured when he was struck by a truck.

Diana Jung said she constantly sees drivers speeding and not stopping for students trying to cross the road.

Several residents including Dave Sinker said the city is not doing enough and should have had a plan to address these concerns when discussions about the project started more than four years ago.

Melissa Agema said residents "will stay here in your face until we have something done to make our children safe in town."

Several councilmen took issue with the implication that city staff has been ignoring the problem and pointed to the discussions about the feasibility of a pedestrian underpass or overpass as well as increased police presence. In one day, police issued more than 100 tickets in the area.

Marcie Schatz, director of transportation, engineering and development, said city and county staff have been working on timing of traffic signals and the city purposely completed construction projects on other nearby roads last year to make sure they would be completely open to handle additional traffic.

Among the suggestions from residents and councilmen alike Tuesday were additional stop signs, detour signs placed more strategically, radar speed signs, red light cameras, crossing guards and speed bumps.

Councilmen stressed the need to implement what measures they could as soon as possible. City staff said they would review each option and continue to meet with residents.