Another La Grange Traffic Light Recommended

LA GRANGE, IL – South La Grange Road continues for more than three-fourths of a mile without a traffic light – from 47th Street to Plainfield Road.

Consultants are suggesting a change.

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In a draft report, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, which recently conducted a study, recommended a light at La Grange Road and 51st Street.

Because La Grange Road is a state highway, the village must work with the state to make a signal a reality.

According to the report, the main reason is pedestrian safety. The light would slow and stop traffic, allowing pedestrians to cross La Grange Road, it said.

The organization surveyed nearly 600 people about South La Grange Road.

"Residents explained that they like to walk, but they do not attempt to cross La Grange Road for safety reasons," the consultants said. "If they cross, they feel it is highly dangerous."

More than two-thirds of those surveyed preferred 51st Street over 49th Street for a new traffic light.

On Tuesday, the South La Grange Road Corridor Study Steering Committee plans to review the consultants' recommendations. The meeting is set for 5 p.m. in the Village Hall's auditorium.

The Agency for Planning also looked at what type of development to encourage along South La Grange Road.

"One of the common sentiments among community members was that the South La Grange Road Corridor didn't feel like it was part of La Grange, even when they knew they were within the Village," the consultants said in their report. "The corridor just had a different feel to it relative to the rest of La Grange."

The consultants recommended that the village carry out design guidelines to maintain South La Grange Road's character as a corridor with small neighborhood businesses and a diverse housing stock.

They also suggested public art and streetscape improvements with more wayfinding signs.