Downtown Hinsdale Traffic Operates Well: Firm

HINSDALE, IL – A traffic engineer said this week that Hinsdale's downtown traffic operates well, but he had some suggestions.

"You have a posted speed limit of 20 mph in the downtown, which is excellent," engineer Michael Werthmann of Rosemont-based KLOA told the Village Board on Tuesday. "You don't see that a lot."

The village, he said, has extensive pedestrian and school warning signage downtown. And crosswalks are at nearly all intersections.

"The traffic volumes in the downtown are generally low and operating well below the capacity of roadways and intersections," Werthmann said. "Further, all of the intersections are operating at very good levels of service."

Michel Werthmann, a traffic engineer with KLOA, on Tuesday suggested more enforcement of Hinsdale's parking rules. (David Giuliani/Patch)

He also said drivers' speed limits are low downtown because of the limits, the high percentage of all-way stops and the railroad tracks, which act as a speed bump.

The firm made no recommendations for traffic control. But it suggested increasing the enforcement of parking time and e-bicycle violations.

The firm also suggested increasing the visibility of stop and speed limit signs.

Werthmann noted his firm's survey of residents, many of whom complained about drivers failing to stop.

Werthmann also recommended replacing crosswalks with just two stripes with ones with a piano-key style.

"It catches the driver's eye a little more," he said.

He also said the village should consider doing away with eliminating the midblock crosswalk in front of the post office or, at a minimum, replacing it with a piano-key style.

Trustee Alexis Braden did not want to eliminate it.

"We use that constantly," she said, calling the nearby intersection of Garfield and Chicago avenues "tricky."

"Totally understand," Werthmann said. "These are proposed recommendations."

But he said midblock crosswalks are not as safe as those at intersections with stop signs.

As for Chicago and Garfield, Werthmann suggested doing away with a special, "free-flow" right-turn lane going from Garfield to Chicago. That would make it easier to cross there, he said.

Braden appeared to be open to the intersection idea.

"It's a scary intersection," she said.