Elmhurst Intersection's Crashes Spark City Action

ELMHURST, IL — The number of crashes at Prospect Avenue and Alexander Boulevard in Elmhurst has prompted a recommendation to make it an all-way stop.

The intersection is next to Elmhurst University, Elmhurst Public Library and Wilder Park.

Since the summer of 2017, the intersection has been the site of seven crashes — three of which involved pedestrians, according to a city memo.

Two of the accidents were deemed "non-correctable" because one involved a drunken driver and the other was during bad weather, the memo said.

The five others were considered "correctable," meaning the number could have been reduced, according to the city.

Uniform traffic standards call for stop or yield signs when at least five correctable accidents occur in three years or less, the city said.

In December 2019, the City Council asked city staff to look into the intersection's issues. A month later, crews put reflective strips to the posts of pedestrian warning signs. Although the lighting was considered adequate, the city later put up a streetlight that extended over the intersection, the memo said.

At a meeting Monday, the city's Public Affairs and Safety Committee recommended an all-way stop at the intersection. The issue now goes to the City Council for consideration.