Why Batavia wants to reduce lanes on Route 31 through downtown

Batavia authorities want to reduce traffic lanes on Batavia Avenue (Route 31) through the city’s downtown and believe state officials are inclined to go along with it.

There could also be changes for traffic and parking on Wilson Street near the state highway to improve safety for pedestrians.

Several options for additional “road diet” and crossing work were presented to aldermen last week.

One version involves adding a right-turn-only lane on westbound Wilson at Route 31 and a right-turn-only lane on northbound Batavia Avenue.

Depending on the design favored by the Illinois Department of Transportation, it could mean removing parking spaces on the south side of Wilson east of Batavia Avenue, near the backside of the Batavia Public Library. People park there and cross Wilson to get to restaurants and other businesses on the north side of Wilson, oftentimes jaywalking, one alderman said.

The state might allow spaces to be added to Batavia Avenue north of Wilson as a replacement, a consultant told the council.

State OK needed

Batavia Avenue, which is a state-controlled highway, had four through lanes until the fall of 2024. It was then put on a “road diet.” Instead of the four lanes, which were narrower than current standards, parts of the road were restriped to two through lanes and a center turn or median lane.

The idea was to slow traffic and reduce crashes.

The road diet was done from just south of Fabyan Parkway to McKee Street, and from Main Street south to Mooseheart Road.

The middle section was considered more problematic, given there are businesses and street parking along it, and the busy intersection at Wilson, the main east-west road through town.

Crossing beacons

The city will also will seek permission to add rapid rectangular flashing beacons at Millview Drive and at McKee Street. It will ask for those to be overhead beacons, which are more visible to drivers, a consultant told the council. It will also ask for an overhead beacon at Union Street, which currently has a roadside beacon.

The beacons don’t stop traffic. Instead, when a pedestrian pushes a button, lights flash to warn drivers that someone wants to cross the street.

The city used to have a beacon at McKee, but it was damaged in a crash. The state initially refused to give permission for a replacement, then the city held off because it preferred an overhead one, which the state did not favor at the time.

Also, police were worried the beacon may have decreased safety at that spot. In the five years before it was installed, no pedestrians were hit. In the three years after its installation, there were three incidents. There were concerns that drivers in the inside lanes would not see the lights if the lights were blocked by cars stopped in the curb lanes.