The village board approved new two-way stop signs in the neighborhood north of Recreation Park that is bordered by Arlington Heights Road, Haddow Avenue, Euclid Avenue and Miner Street. Under the new plan, all intersections will have some type of two-way stop arrangement — north-south or east-west.
Counting the entire neighborhood, including the bordering intersections, 20 intersections will be regulated by either stop signs or traffic signals (Euclid Avenue and Arlington Heights Road; and Miner Street and Arlington Heights Road). One of the existing intersections with two-way stop signs — Euclid Avenue and Haddow Street — does not allow traffic to cross Euclid Avenue during rush hour traffic.
The new installations will involve …
ten entirely new two-way stop signs at five intersections,
two new two-way stop signs at an intersection that has two-way yield signs, and
two new two-way stop signs that will be re-configured north-south instead of east-west.
According to Village of Arlington Heights officials, the streets in this neighborhood are laid out in a grid pattern with very short blocks and very few regulated intersections.
Because of busy traffic on Arlington Heights Road and Euclid Avenue, there has been an increase in thru-traffic in the neighborhood and several accidents have occurred.
Many motorists pass through any of the uncontrolled intersections disregarding the risk that cross traffic could also be passing through the intersection.
The village plans to install two-way stop signs at alternating intersections as part of a one-year trial period at seven newly-configured intersections. Village Manager Randy Recklaus said the village will evaluate if the new arrangement works for the neighborhood using speed studies, traffic volume counts and accident data.
“This is a really good example of collaboration between a neighborhood and engineering about how to resolve existing traffic issues,” Village Manager Randy Recklaus said.
Recklaus said the blocks in the neighborhood are generally shorter than other blocks in Arlington Heights. Officials were concerned with bottlenecks that might be created or areas of increased flow in a particular street that could be created if the design were not optimal.
Two-way stop signs will be placed at the following intersections:
EAST-WEST STOPS
Fremont Street stopped at Pine Avenue (replacing yield signs)
Eastman Street stopped at Pine Avenue
Eastman Street stopped at Haddow Avenue
Fremont Street stopped at Haddow Avenue
NORTH-SOUTH STOPS
Pine Avenue stopped at St. James Street
Haddow Avenue stopped at St. James Street
Belmont Avenue stopped at Eastman Street (this is a 90° change; Eastman currently stops at Belmont Ave).
Recklaus said the village isn’t looking to impede traffic, but also wants to consider safety.
“It keeps the flow of traffic moving smoothly and doesn’t create bottlenecks,” Recklaus said.
Two residents spoke at the meeting. One resident mentioned a crash a few years back that involved a fire engine and a passenger car at an intersection in the neighborhood, along with several other accidents. The resident was complimentary of the plan, but believed the existing plan should include Hickory Avenue and St James Street.
Another resident mentioned increased traffic from Mariano’s shoppers and the possibility of future developments near Mariano’s that could make traffic volume even worse in the neighborhood in the future.
Trustee Thomas Glasgow mentioned a similar pattern that he believes is successful in the Westgate neighborhood.
Village President Tom Hayes, Trustee Carol Blackwood, Trustee John Scaletta, and Trustee Thomas Glasgow, and Village Manager Randy Recklaus complimented the cooperative work of the village government and residents.
All present voting yes …
Trustee Scaleta
Trustee Glasgow
Trustee Rosenberg
Trustee LaBedz
Trustee Sidor
Trustee Blackwood
President Hayes
Rollover Crash Thursday March 21, 2013 at Pine Avenue and Fremont Street …
Jeep Grand Cherokee and red Toyota Camry after crash at Pine Avenue and Fremont Street.
Arlington Heights police received a report about 3:23 PM Thursday of a rollover crash at Pine Avenue and Fremont Street Arlington Heights, IL. Police and firefighter/paramedics received a report that burgundy Toyota and a green Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The driver of the Jeep Cherokee was slightly injured, but no crash victims were transported to the hospital.
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