Why Elmhurst Shouldn't Spend Money On Sidewalk

The following is a letter to the editor from former Elmhurst resident Richard Willis, who now lives in Oak Park. He still has family in Elmhurst and regularly visits.

Reasons the proposed $250,000 sidewalk on the west side of York Road (between Crestview Avenue and Lake Street) should not proceed:

Local residents know that it is safer to cross and travel at the Crestview Avenue and Lake Street intersections on the east side of York Road. On the west side, the Crestview Avenue intersection is affected by the Eisenhower (I-290) York Road exit ramp, and the Lake Street intersection carries heavy traffic accessing eastbound I-290 and westbound Lake Street. The volume and traffic patterns at both locations make pedestrian travel on the west side significantly less safe.

Currently, pedestrians using the east-side sidewalk on York Road do cross the Eisenhower’s York Road exit ramp at Lake Street, but traffic conditions there have not proven hazardous.

Additionally, the existing sidewalk on the east side of York Road is lightly used. Given this low level of pedestrian traffic, constructing a second sidewalk on the west side is unlikely to provide meaningful benefit or justify the $250,000 cost.

In full disclosure, as a former Elmhurst resident who walked this route for 20 years, I would not choose to use the west side. Navigating the Crestview Avenue and Lake Street intersections there would likely feel more like a “whac-a-mole” exercise in avoiding traffic than a safe, practical walking route.