Intersection Improvement Study
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Introduction
Background Facts
Resulting Problems
Proposed Solution
City/County Strategy
Public Involvement
Status Update
Introduction
The 75th and Washington Street Intersection Plan supports the long-term transportation needs of the Naperville community, DuPage County and the region. The plan will have a positive impact on vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic, as well as reduce cut through neighborhood traffic in the vicinity of the intersection.
Background Facts
Whether you have lived in Naperville two years or two decades, traveling through the intersection of 75th and Washington can be a frustrating necessity. Washington Street is a major north-south arterial and 75th Street is an east-west county highway designated to carry heavy volumes of traffic. As a resident, you may need to pass through this intersection on the way to school, the doctor's office, the hospital, downtown Naperville, Fox Valley Mall, church, or as you make your way to I-88 to get to the City of Chicago or the airport.
Through the 1990s, the amount of traffic using the intersection has grown by more than 72%. There are currently about 65,000 vehicles that travel through this intersection on a typical day. By 2025, the city expects that more than 77,000 vehicles will pass through this intersection. During the 1990s, vehicle delays tripled! The intersection has been pushed beyond capacity. Over the next 20 years, even the modest projected growth in traffic will result in delays that are at least twice as long as what they are today. The delays will not only be longer, but the rush hour periods will begin earlier and end later in the day.
Over the last few years, Washington and 75th Street has repeatedly ranked in the top ten for intersections experiencing the most accidents - approximately 28 each year.
Resulting Problems
Some people may respond to the previous section and say, “So what's the big deal?” The bottom line is that years of growth has taken the situation described above and created the following serious problems:
Cut through traffic - The heavily congested intersection causes motorists to avoid the delay by taking neighborhood streets. This diverting tactic increases speeding and noise on otherwise quiet roads. Increase in accidents - The congested intersection causes drivers to stop unexpectedly, to take more risks and to speed down adjacent residential streets, all of which increase the possibility of traffic accidents. Pollution - Cars sitting and idling through two or three cycles of traffic signals at the intersection pump out excessive pollutants into the area. Loss of Time - Naperville residents and businesses value their time. According to estimates, the average Chicago area driver wastes more than 60 hours a year sitting in traffic. Businesses can attribute real dollar losses to these types of delays, and being late to school, a doctor's appointment, a job interview or a recreational event can be a very important matter.
Proposed Solution
With the problems outlined on the previous page, the city has proposed improvements to the intersection at 75th and Washington Street that will reduce cut through traffic, reduce accidents, reduce pollution and save people and businesses precious time in today’s busy lifestyles.
By adding one additional through lane of traffic, dual left turn lanes and a dedicated right turn lane in each direction of this intersection, traffic flow is improved, pollution is reduced and the congestion that can cause accidents is reduced. The reduced congestion will also encourage vehicles to stay on the main roads and out of the neighborhoods. Right-turn lanes and "left turn on arrow only" movements reduces traffic crashes. Extending the DuPage River Trail along the river from Hobson Road to Bunting Lane via an underpass at 75th Street will allow pedestrians and bicyclists to stay off the roadway.
A detailed map of the plan, including turn lanes north and south of the intersection is shown on the insert page included in this notice.
City/County Strategy
In general, to accommodate the additional lanes of traffic through the intersection, the city and county have employed two strategies:
- Along Washington Street, all widening of the roadway will occur to the east away from the homes. The existing curb on the west side of the road, adjacent to the residential areas, will remain in the same location so no additional right-of-way will be needed from the residents. The two gas station properties and portions of the Forest Preserve District property will accommodate the roadway widening. The city has already acquired both gas station properties. We are currently working with the Forest Preserve to secure the right to use this land.
- Along 75th Street, the roadway will be widened evenly to the north and south. The proposed roadway will fall well within the existing 200' wide right-of-way. No additional property will be needed for the construction along 75th Street. (see map insert)
Public Involvement
The City of Naperville has hosted three public meetings to discuss the proposed improvements at the intersection of Washington Street and 75th Street.
April 29, 2003 - This Open House was held to provide the public another opportunity to discuss the intersection plan in more detail with our team of transportation and traffic professionals. Information about the project and how it fits into the city's overall transportation plan were presented. Computerized traffic simulations showing the benefits of the proposed improvements were also on display.
July 23, 2003 - The public was invited to a Public Hearing/Open House to review the results of the study and examine a preliminary improvement plan for the intersection. Click the link below to read the comments from the meeting. Please note, the comments have been revised as of December 03, 2003 to include questions and concerns expressed after the public meeting took place.
December, 2001 - A public coordination forum was held to announce to the general public and residents of nearby neighborhoods that a study was being undertaken for the subject intersection. General information about the study was presented, questions were addressed, and comments were collected. The public comments provided valuable insight to many of the smaller issues that could be addressed in this study.
Status Update
On June 1, 2004, the Naperville City Council reviewed the preliminary engineering proposal and voted to direct the City Engineer to forward the Project Development Report to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for final approval. Design approval was granted by IDOT on September 14, 2006.
In addition to the approval of the preliminary design, the City Council directed staff to consider other related issues that could possibly be coordinated with the intersection improvements. City staff is proceeding with the following improvements:
1. Sound Barrier Wall
A noise study conducted for the project area revealed that the current noise levels in the area of the project currently exceed state and federal noise abatement criteria. As such, the city is working in cooperation with the Maplebrook neighborhoods to install a sound barrier along the perimeter of their subdivisions. The wall is expected to extend from Olympus Drive to Washington Street along the north side of 75th Street and from Clyde Drive to Washington Street along the south side of 75th Street. On the west side of Washington Street, the wall is expected to extend from about 900' north of Tamarack Avenue to Bailey Road. The church property on the southwest corner of the intersection is excluded. The wall will be 12 feet in height and have the appearance of natural stone to help it blend with the surrounding structures.
Additional information about the sound walls is available here.
2. Pedestrian Safety Enhancements
Staff is planning to incorporate two enhancements to the project that will improve pedestrian and bicycle safety. The first enhancement is the inclusion of a pedestrian underpass beneath 75th Street. The existing highway bridge will be reconstructed to allow the DuPage River Trail to pass beneath the highway.
The second enhancement is the construction of a tunnel beneath Washington Street to connect the DuPage River Trail with the county's Southern Region Trail along 75th Street. This tunnel will allow bicycles and pedestrians to move freely from east to west without the need to cross Washington Street. The city is currently working on preliminary design plans for this pedestrian tunnel and expects it to be constructed along with the intersection improvements.
If a pedestrian chooses not to use the underpasses, they may still cross the intersection at the surface. Countdown pedestrian signals will be added to all legs of the intersection to allow pedestrians adequate time to cross.
3. Landscape Enhancements
Landscaping will be provided in coordination with the intersection improvements. The green space along the DuPage River Trail will be heavily landscaped for the benefit of the trail users. It will be designed in a similar fashion to the rest of the trial areas to maintain the park-like setting. Landscaping will also be placed along the full perimeter of the proposed sound wall to soften its look and enhance the character of the neighborhoods. Additionally, some form of landscaping will also be added to the medians on Washington Street. This landscaping will help break-up the expanse of pavement and allow this major roadway to better blend with the adjacent park and residential neighborhoods.
The next step for this project will be the preparation of the final design plans and specifications for the intersection. It is anticipated that it will take about 12 to 18 months for the plans to be prepared, reviewed and approved. Work on the design plans should begin by the start of 2007 so that construction can follow by mid 2008. This schedule will allow the improvements to be coordinated with other projects in the area.
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