Speed Bumps: La Grange, Burr Ridge Differ In Approaches

LA GRANGE, IL – La Grange and Burr Ridge officials discussed speed bumps and humps during public meetings in recent days.

Officials from the two towns have different philosophies about them.

On Monday, a La Grange resident requested the Village Board put speed bumps on Brainard Avenue, where she and others have complained about speeding.

In response, Village President Mark Kuchler said the village staff considered speed bumps a bad practice.

In an email to Patch on Wednesday, Village Manager Jack Knight said both speed bumps and humps, which are smaller, can impede snow removal efforts and are generally not preferred methods of traffic regulation.

Also on Monday, residents in Burr Ridge's Chasemoor subdivision asked the Village Board for more speed humps in their neighborhood to deal with high traffic volumes. Chasemoor Drive already has two.

Village officials said they wanted to try other measures first, but did not reject the idea.

Opponents of speed bumps cite a number of reasons. They say they are costly to maintain and interfere with emergency response times.

Bumps also increase noise and wear and tear on vehicles, opponents contend.