Schaumburg ends fight against IDOT plan to close Higgins median
Schaumburg trustees — some grudgingly — have unanimously recommended a cost-sharing agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation for safety improvements along Higgins Road near the Streets of Woodfield shopping center.
But final approval next Tuesday, March 22, is expected to include a resolution opposing IDOT's plan to close the Higgins median at Lexington Drive — thus barring left turns to and from the village's oldest subdivision, Lexington Fields Estates.
For some trustees, like George Dunham and Tom Dailly who both live nearby, that had been the sticking point that delayed the village board's vote to contribute $80,241 toward the improvements from Lexington Drive to the Route 53 frontage roads.
In doing so, they risked the village's share going up. But while IDOT officials are standing firm on closing the median, the village's cost will remain the same.
Dunham expressed frustration with what he saw as IDOT's inflexibility but said he recommended approval because it is time to move on.
“We're spending the people's money,” Dunham said. “These are improvements that will have to take place. At some point, you have to put politics aside and do what's right for the community.”
In a written statement last month, IDOT spokeswoman Gianna Urgo said that based on its accident history, the intersection of Higgins Road and Lexington Drive requires stronger safety measures, including closure of the median. There were 40 crashes there from 2003 to 2013, which included 12 injuries and one fatality.
Some aspects of the upcoming project were specifically requested by Schaumburg. These include opticoms allowing emergency vehicles to pre-empt traffic signals at six intersections and the installation of 375 feet of new sidewalk from Lexington Drive to Mall Drive on the south side of Higgins Road.
Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program funds are paying for 90 percent of the project, The village and state are covering the remaining 10 percent, though Schaumburg itself will pay the full cost of the opticoms.