Road Diet Remains An 'Active Project' In Arlington Heights: Village

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — Though the first Arlington Heights Village Board meeting of 2025 lasted less than eight minutes Monday night, officials did reference a proposed Windsor Drive "road diet" project. Village Manager Randy Recklaus responded to a citizen's inquiry on what improvements are being made to local roads and overall traffic flow in Arlington Heights.

"In particular, the Village Board did approve plans to do engineering to do a road diet on Windsor Road near Lake Arlington," Recklaus said of the Village's first foray into road diets. "That's very much an active project. We did get grant money funding to assist with that."

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, a road diet, or roadway configuration, can improve safety, calm traffic, provide better mobility and access for all road users, and enhance overall quality of life. The project typically involves converting an existing four-lane undivided roadway to a three-lane roadway consisting of two through lanes and a center two-way left-turn lane.

Recklaus described the Windsor Drive project as being part of some "intense" discussions since it was officially proposed two years ago.

"[That discussion] has been between the Village and some of the adjacent neighbors. Some people like it, some don't for various reasons," Recklaus said. "It is something we're certainly trying to develop as part of our playbook. The Bike and Pedestrian Commission has been encouraging that."

The project was identified in the Village of Arlington Heights Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan in 2017, according to the Village. Officials have been working with Civiltech Engineering, Inc., based out of Itasca, to complete the Phase I Engineering Study for the project.

The project as proposed would include:

• Resurfacing of Windsor Drive from Dryden Avenue/Jane Avenue to south of Hintz Road.
• A new crosswalk with high visibility pavement markings at the west leg of the Windsor Drive and Palatine Road intersection.
• Improved pedestrian pushbuttons and signal heads on all corners of the Palatine Rd Intersection.
• Widening sidewalks north of Palatine Road to 8 feet wide.
• Green pavement markings are proposed in high vehicle-bicycle conflict areas to improve bicycle awareness and safety.
• Between Palatine Road and Crabtree Drive, a Road Diet is proposed to modify the 4-lane cross section to provide one lane in each direction, a center landscaped median/left turn lane, and on-street buffered bike lanes.
• The vehicle lane configuration from Palatine Rd to Rosehill Drive is not changing, only the lane widths will be narrowed. At Rosehill Drive, northbound Windsor Drive will consist of two through lanes and a bike lane. Southbound Windsor Drive will consist of a single left turn lane, single right turn lane, single through lane, and a bike lane. The southbound lanes will continue to have the "Do Not Block" pavement marking and signage.
• On-street parking between Lillian Ave and Dryden Ave will also remain.
• The Crabtree Drive crossing is proposed to include a pedestrian refuge island in the median as well as rapid rectangular flashing beacons.
• Modernizing the Windsor Drive/Valley Lane traffic signal include left turn phasing along Windsor Drive and countdown pedestrian signal heads.
• All existing ADA ramps will be replaced to meet current ADA standards.