La Grange Leader Against Stoplight At 47th And East

LA GRANGE, IL — La Grange's village president is opposed to a traffic light at 47th Street and East Avenue, which many consider a dangerous intersection.

At Monday's Village Board meeting, Village President Mark Kuchler noted some residents are for a traffic signal, rather than the existing stop signs. Even the village's former interim police chief favored a traffic light. But Kuchler said this week he believed such a move would result in unintended consequences.

For years, the state Department of Transportation has planned upgrades for the intersection. It's unclear if traffic lights are in the works.

La Grange borders the west side of the intersection, while Brookfield and McCook take up corners on the east side.

Kuchler said he feared the speed of westbound traffic on 47th would increase with a traffic light. For years after the tragic death of a young mother, he said, officials tried to reduce speeds on 47th.

But Kuchler said traffic signals would counter that effort. It would cause motorists to find the fastest route, bringing them into residential neighborhoods in La Grange, he said.

He noted an online petition that is calling for changes to the intersection. But he said he wasn't sure it would be effective because it is not addressed to the state Department of Transportation. He said many of the signers do not live in La Grange.

"They're free to do a petition, but I did want to make my points again on my feelings of the signalization of 47th and East," Kuchler said.

Last year, then-interim Police Chief Jason Cates said he was "shocked" the intersection was controlled by stop signs, not a traffic signal. He considered the intersection "very dangerous."

Three months ago, a petition related to 47th and East was posted on Change.org. It labels the intersection as dangerous.

It recommends a number of changes, including:

• Flashing stop signs
• Repaving the road and repainting lanes around the intersection and further down 47th.
• No left turn for northbound East traffic directly to westbound 47th and the addition of a left turn lane on the section of Bluff Avenue running diagonally from East to 47th.
• No right turn from eastbound 47th directly to southbound East and the addition of a right turn lane on the same diagonal section of Bluff.
• Reduction of the speed limit on 47th east of the intersection to 30 mph, from 40 mph.

The petition has collected nearly 1,500 signatures.