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Post by title1parent on Jul 11, 2009 7:04:13 GMT -5
Roosevelt Road resurfacing to begin: DH 7/11/09
Patching, grinding and resurfacing work on Roosevelt Road is scheduled to begin Monday. July 13. Winfield officials announced that the work will happen on about 2.5 miles of Roosevelt, between Route 59 in West Chicago and County Farm Road in Wheaton. The project is expected to be completed by October.
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Post by wvhsparent on Jul 11, 2009 10:24:56 GMT -5
Roosevelt Road resurfacing to begin: DH 7/11/09 Patching, grinding and resurfacing work on Roosevelt Road is scheduled to begin Monday. July 13. Winfield officials announced that the work will happen on about 2.5 miles of Roosevelt, between Route 59 in West Chicago and County Farm Road in Wheaton. The project is expected to be completed by October. It needs it! It's pretty bad
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Post by title1parent on Jul 15, 2009 6:32:13 GMT -5
Work on Rt. 59 could take 5 years to beginJuly 15, 2009 SUN By KATHY CICHON kcichon@scn1.com Although the capital bill was just signed Monday, work has been taking place on the Route 59 expansion project for several years. But there's still a lot more to do before any construction work will begin. "We would expect construction to begin within five years," said Jennifer Louden, project engineer with the city of Naperville. The $125 million project calls for widening the three-mile stretch of Route 59 between Ferry Road and Aurora Avenue to three lanes in each direction. Plans also call for additional through lanes and turn lanes at key intersections, Louden said. "It will allow for more efficient movement through the intersection and that will also reduce the congestion," she said. According to the city of Naperville, more than 50,000 vehicles travel on Route 59 a day, with the road experiencing heavy congestion 14 hours of each day. At worst, delays can approach 30 minutes. Other facets of the project include better coordination of the traffic signals, widening of the Route 59 bridge over Interstate 88, installation of sidewalk along Route 59 where practical, establishment of bike routes along parallel north/south routes and restriction or elimination of access from many of the smaller side streets and driveways. In addition, the roadway would be realigned, with Route 59 widened symmetrically along the center of the right-of-way. The city is currently finalizing what the right-of-way requirements would be for the project. "One thing we do know is from Paxton (Drive) to Diehl (Road), any widening should be just to the east to minimize the impact on residential areas to the west," Louden said. Since 2004 the city and the Illinois Department of Transportation have partnered to work on the plan, which is currently in its first phase: preliminary engineering. "We would expect that to be done by the end of the year," Louden said. Once the preliminary engineering is finalized, the project will move forward with design engineering and preparation of construction documents before the roadwork begins. IDOT, which will serve as the lead agency for these next steps, will be using the funding provided from the $31 billion capital bill signed Monday by Gov. Pat Quinn. IDOT could not be reached for comment Tuesday. The preliminary engineering phase cost $1.25 million, Louden said, with the city paying $330,000 of the cost through grants and IDOT covering the remainder of the bill. While the exact date has not been set, a public hearing will be held sometime in September on the plan. "It will give us the opportunity to present the design plan to the public and receive feedback," Louden said. In the time since the project began five years ago, the city has held three public meetings and conducted an online survey. "It really is kind of the last step in a long public involvement process," Louden said. Louden urged those who are interested in attending to sign up for the Route 59 e-news on the city's Web site. "They're receive direct notification once that date is set," she said. For more information about the project, and to sign up for the city's e-news newsletter, visit www.naperville.il.us/Route59expansion.aspx.
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Post by title1parent on Jul 18, 2009 6:19:44 GMT -5
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=307752&src=76Rt. 59 widening to start -- but how soon?By Justin Kmitch | Daily Herald 7/18/09 State Rep. Darlene Senger says the widening of Route 59 on the Aurora/Naperville border could begin as early as November now that the money has been approved. State transportation officials, however, say the project is still years off. Senger, a Naperville Republican. told the Daily Herald on Friday that the $125 million project was part of the $31 billion construction bill signed into law this week. "It's there. It's definitely in there so as soon as they have the funds to do it, they're ready," Senger said. "IDOT actually sat down with Naperville a while ago already so Route 59 is in there and they already have plans to start working and doing that widening as early as November." The long-awaited project includes widening a three-mile stretch of Route 59 from Aurora Avenue to Ferry Road. Other improvements would include additional turn lanes, retiming of traffic signals, restricted access to side streets, improvements to the I-88 interchange and better bicycle and pedestrian facilities. "That is a project that has been long in the works," Senger said. "This project is long overdue." IDOT officials, however, say the project is moving forward at a much slower pace. "This project is scheduled for design approval in late fall," said spokesman Marisa Kollias. "We will be advertising for a design consultant and a consultant to prepare plats for right of way. We figure, at the earliest, (the project would take) two years to let." More than 50,000 vehicles travel on the Route 59 stretch every day. Along it is the Route 59 Metra station, and on the southern border is the Westfield Fox Valley Shopping Center. The stretch sees more than 400 accidents a year. Three Route 59 intersections that fall within the boundaries of the project are consistently on Naperville's list of the top 10 most crash-prone intersections, including where the state road meets I-88, North Aurora Road and Diehl Road. Widening Route 59 has been a priority for the area for years, but it has been a decade since the legislature has approved a funding plan for statewide construction projects.
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Post by title1parent on Jul 20, 2009 5:22:33 GMT -5
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/1673958,6_1_NA20_EOLA_S1-090720.article Forum scheduled on Eola interchangeJuly 20, 2009 SUN From Staff Reports Area residents and commuters are invited to a forum Tuesday on construction of the new Eola Road interchange on Interstate 88 in Aurora. The Illinois Toll Highway Authority will provide information on the project from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Eola Community Center, 555 S. Eola Road in Aurora. Displays and planning documents will be shown, and people can pose questions to tollway representatives. The new interchange will include four ramps providing access for Eola Road traffic to and from the tollway via Bilter Road on the north side of I-88 and Diehl Road on the south side of I-88. Construction is under way and scheduled for completion by the end of 2009. The Eola Road Interchange will have the first I-Pass-only ramps on the tollway system. I-PASS toll rates will be 30 cents for passenger vehicles. Truck rates will range from $1.15 to $3 during daytime hours, with overnight discounts offered. Cash-paying customers will have access to existing interchanges at Farnsworth Avenue to the west or Route 59 to the east.
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Post by title1parent on Jul 22, 2009 5:24:50 GMT -5
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/1678400,Naperville-to-expand-red-light-program_na072209.article Naperville to expand red-light programJuly 22, 2009 By KATHY CICHON kcichon@scn1.com By the fall motorists at two Naperville intersections will likely be seeing more red. In a 6-2 vote, the Naperville City Council approved an expansion of the city's red-light camera program to two more intersections: Route 59 and Diehl Road and Ogden and Aurora avenues."This is a technological tool that is helping us improve the safety of the people in the community," Councilman Jim Boyajian said. "Not to take advantage of that is wrong." Voting in favor of the additional cameras were Mayor A. George Pradel and council members Boyajian, Judy Brodhead, Bob Fieseler, Paul Hinterlong and Kenn Miller. Casting the opposing votes were Councilmen Richard Furstenau and Doug Krause. Councilman Grant Wehrli was absent. "I don't like it either, but at these intersections, it's needed," Hinterlong said. There is a problem in town with people's driving habits, he said. "We have to stop this. People are getting hurt, killed, and I'm in favor of doing this if it's saving lives," Hinterlong said. Debate on the matter lasted for more than an hour with those in favor citing the safety benefits, while the concerns of those opposed included the sentiment that the cameras were being used to generate revenue. "If we're really serious about this being safety and not money, then we should charge this by what our costs are or give them community service," Krause said. Furstenau, who questioned the statistically validity of the data from the first six months of the program, also questioned the $100 fine for the violation. "If you want to reduce the rate to 50 or 25 bucks, then maybe we could talk about it," he said. A motion by Furstenau to reduce the fine in half to $50 failed in a 5-3 vote. Currently there are cameras at one intersection — Route 59 and North Aurora Road. Since the cameras were installed at that location at the beginning of this year, a total of 5,579 citations have been issued, said Marcie Schatz, director of the city's TED business group. Since that time, the total number of crashes at that location has declined 19 percent, she said. Of the citations issued so far, 1,282 were for right turns from northbound Route 59 and 2,125 were for right turns from eastbound North Aurora Road. In response to recent regional news reports on red-light cameras throughout the Chicago suburbs, the city defended its red-light camera program through a video and PowerPoint presentation outlining how the intersections are selected and under which circumstances the violations are issued. "Our location is driven by crash," Schatz said. "It's not driven by traffic data. It's not driven by near-misses." Last month the City Council tabled a decision on expanding the program in order to gather more data. At that time several council members expressed concerns about the high number of citations issued for no right turn on red violations. "Let's not make the mistake of throwing out a solution that reduces crashes, property damage, injuries and maybe deaths for one's philosophy that it is unfair that the city allow a driver who violates the law by not fully stopping at a red light before turning right to be excused because one doesn't like a camera making the arrest," Miller said. Brodhead said cameras are more accurate than a police officer's eye, and they help with enforcement when there is not enough manpower for officers to issue the citations. She also cited the safety concerns with having an officer follow an offender. "It's unsafe for police officers to follow people who made an illegal right turn on red," Brodhead said. "We don't want to put additional people in danger in order to enforce it. The camera has no physical interaction." Fieseler said he was conflicted on the matter, and that rolling rights on reds should be given some latitude. He then spoke of the death of a friend's son who was killed in a crash with a straight through red light violation. "I'm not going to jeopardize the ability of deploying the system to keep accidents like that from happening," he said
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Post by title1parent on Jul 23, 2009 5:32:50 GMT -5
Naperville eyes Metra access: 7/23/09 Sun Naperville's project to improve access at the Route 59 Metra station will begin by early August, officials said Wednesday. The work includes replacing the existing concrete stairs with concrete sidewalks, ADA upgrades and resurfacing. Access to the train platform will be maintained at all times, but alternate pedestrian routes may be required on a temporary basis. In addition, the Kiss-n-Ride drop-off will be temporarily relocated. The improvements are slated for completion in September. A map detailing the work zone and alternate routes, as well as the project schedule, is available at www.naperville.il.us/route59stationimprovements.aspx.
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Post by title1parent on Jul 28, 2009 5:14:41 GMT -5
Work to close Naperville roads: 7/28/09
The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway plans to replace deteriorated railroad ties along Naperville-area tracks today through Thursday, weather permitting. The work will require intermittent road closures where the railroad crosses both River Road and Loomis Street. The crossing at River Road south of Ogden Avenue will be closed intermittently to traffic today and Wednesday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The crossing at Loomis Street south of Fifth Avenue will be closed intermittently to traffic Wednesday and Thursday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Motorists are advised to seek alternate routes to avoid delays.
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Post by title1parent on Jul 29, 2009 6:49:48 GMT -5
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/1690250,2_1_AU29_REDLIGHT_S1-090729.article Red-light cameras may be ready soon in AuroraJuly 29, 2009 By ANDRE SALLES asalles@scn1.com AURORA -- A year and a half after they were first approved, the city's first red-light cameras could be installed soon. Aldermen approved a contract with Redflex Traffic Systems in February to bring traffic enforcement cameras to as many as 20 city intersections. Since then, the city and Redflex have been stuck on exactly where and how those cameras will be used. At a meeting Tuesday, Police Chief Greg Thomas said those issues are cleared up. The city and Redflex have settled on five cameras at three intersections: New York Street and Farnsworth Avenue, New York Street and Commons Drive, and Farnsworth Avenue and Molitor Road. The City Council will vote on final approval on the new ordinance on Aug. 11. If it goes forward, Thomas said, Redflex is "ready to go," and cameras could be up and running within a month. Thomas said the intersections were chosen through an extensive process. The police department selected 30 high-accident intersections throughout the city, and Redflex then monitored those intersections to determine whether red-light violations contributed to the accidents. Thomas said these initial three would be augmented by several more, once state approval is granted for roads like Route 59. "We're going to put one at Route 59 and New York," Thomas said. "I think that intersection was the worst one of all (we looked at)." On Tuesday, aldermen on the council's Government Operations Committee recommended a new law that would allow Aurora police to use automated traffic enforcement measures. Thomas said the law is not restricted to red-light cameras or to Redflex equipment. Redflex cameras will record red-light violations and, pending approval by Aurora police, the owners of the vehicles will be ticketed. The standard fine is $100, Thomas said, and those receiving tickets have the option of contesting them. Motorists will have a 30-day grace period from the installation of the cameras -- violators will receive notices, but no fines. Since Aurora's contract was approved, Redflex cameras have sprouted up in Naperville, St. Charles and Elgin, among other places. And last year, Kane County established rules for red-light cameras on county roads. The systems have been criticized for causing people to slam on their brakes, thereby increasing accidents, and for being cash cows for the cities that use them. For instance, as of June, Redflex and Naperville have brought in roughly $558,000 just on violations -- not counting fees for contested tickets. But Thomas said from his point of view, the cameras are all about safety. "We have the option to put up 20 of these things," he said. "If it was just a revenue generator, we'd be throwing them up everywhere."
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Post by title1parent on Jul 30, 2009 5:22:50 GMT -5
Police to monitor Ogden: DH 7/30/09
Area police will conduct a traffic safety campaign Aug. 4 along 35 miles of Ogden Avenue, authorities announced Wednesday. The crackdown will include portions of DuPage, Kane and Kendall counties and is aimed at increasing safety through education and traffic enforcement. Their efforts will concentrate on speed and seat-belt violations.
Lane reduction planned: DH 7/30/09
Traffic on 75th Street in Naperville will be reduced to one lane from Washington Street to Clyde Drive from Aug. 4 through Aug. 6, weather permitting. The lane reduction will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Motorists should expect delays. The lane reduction is required to conduct utility work related to the 75th and Washington intersection improvement project that is slated for completion in late 2010
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Post by title1parent on Aug 1, 2009 7:57:17 GMT -5
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/1695716,2_1_AU01_ROUTE34_S1-090801.article Police will be cracking down on Ogden driversAugust 1, 2009 From Staff Reports Ogden Avenue drivers should be on the lookout, as police from Yorkville to Westmont prepare for a massive enforcement operation on Tuesday. Each police department -- Aurora, Oswego, Naperville and Yorkville locally -- along a 35-mile stretch of Route 34 will do particular enforcement actions based on the needs of their communities, police said. Yorkville and Naperville police will focus, in particular, on speeding, as well as safety and seat belt violations. The enforcement campaign coincides with National Night Out, a nationwide community crime-prevention event.
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Post by title1parent on Aug 2, 2009 6:04:58 GMT -5
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=310952&src=76Stimulus cash expanding DuPage's construction seasonBy Robert Sanchez | Daily Herald 8/2/09 An infusion of federal stimulus money is a significant reason why motorists are seeing so much orange on DuPage County's roads this construction season. While towns throughout the county had to scale back on capital projects this year because of budget cuts, the Illinois Department of Transportation received a $936 million boost from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. As a result, the state is able to do nearly 40 projects in DuPage, including the resurfacing of Route 53 in Lombard and the resurfacing of Ogden Avenue in Downers Grove. "If they didn't have the stimulus bill, they wouldn't have as many projects going on as they do," said Chuck Tokarski, DuPage County's engineer. Because the federal stimulus money was for projects that could be started quickly, Tokarski said much of it is being used locally for paving work. One of the IDOT projects is the patching, grinding and resurfacing of Roosevelt Road. Work on the 2.5-mile stretch of Roosevelt, between Route 59 in West Chicago and County Farm Road in Wheaton, started last month and is expected to be finished by November. Another project slated to be finished by November is the resurfacing of Diehl Road, between Winfield Road in Warrenville and Raymond Drive in Naperville. The county's transportation division is expected to get $3.6 million in federal cash through the DuPage County Mayors and Managers Conference. But the projects that money will pay for won't begin until next year. In the meantime, the county only has a handful of projects under way. They include reconstructing the Maple Avenue bridge over the East Branch of the DuPage River in Lisle and rebuilding the Thorndale Avenue bridge spanning Salt Creek in Wood Dale. The county also is in the process of adding a fifth lane for left turns along Bloomingdale Road from Dunteman Drive to Schick Road. "This is not a real busy summer for us," Tokarski said. Like various governmental entities, DuPage has experienced a decline in revenues due to the recession. It also has millions of dollars committed to several major projects. The county is among the entities helping Naperville pay for the $24.3 million road widening project at 75th and Washington streets. That intersection improvement project is slated for completion in late 2010. DuPage County also is contributing up to $19 million for the construction of the Eola Road interchange at I-88 in Aurora. Once completed, the interchange will be accessible only to I-PASS users. Customers paying with cash will have to use the interchanges at Farnsworth Avenue two miles to the west or Route 59 two miles to the east. The roughly $50 million project, which is part of Illinois State Toll Highway Authority's $6.3 billion congestion relief program, is expected to be finished by the end of the year. In addition, tollway officials said all the rebuilding and widening work happening along I-88 between Oak Brook and North Aurora is scheduled to be completed by year's end. Work also is progressing on the resurfacing and widening of I-355 from 75th Street and I-88. "By the end of year," tollway spokeswoman Jan Kemp said, "everybody is going to be on new pavement."
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Post by title1parent on Aug 4, 2009 5:06:14 GMT -5
Seat-belt crackdown set DH 8/04/09
Aurora police will conduct special patrols Thursday at an undisclosed location to make sure motorists are wearing seat belts. Anyone caught in the front seat of a vehicle without their seat belt on may receive a $55 ticket. Police say the crackdown is aimed at reducing injuries from traffic accidents.
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Post by title1parent on Aug 5, 2009 3:31:43 GMT -5
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/1701104,2_1_AU05_REDLIGHT_S1-090805.article Final vote next week on Aurora red light camerasAugust 5, 2009 By ANDRE SALLES asalles@scn1.com AURORA -- A long-awaited proposal to install red light cameras at intersections throughout the city will get its final vote next Tuesday. Aldermen approved a contract with Redflex Traffic Systems in February to bring traffic enforcement cameras to as many as 20 city intersections. Since then, the contract has been mired in negotiations over just where and how those cameras will be used. Now the company and the Aurora Police Department have settled on five cameras at three intersections, as a pilot program. If approved, those cameras would go up at New York Street and Farnsworth Avenue, New York Street and Commons Drive, and Farnsworth Avenue and Molitor Road. Aldermen asked for more information on accident rates due to right turns on red, but moved forward a new ordinance that will allow the cameras to be used. The City Council has final approval, and if the law passes, Police Chief Greg Thomas said Redflex is "ready to go," and cameras could be up and running within a month. Additionally, leaders are discussing installing signs at city entrances, informing motorists that Aurora is a "red light camera community." Carie Anne Ergo, assistant chief of staff to Mayor Tom Weisner, said those signs have been effective in other communities at encouraging drivers to slow down and stop appropriately. Red light cameras are in use in several other Fox Valley municipalities, including Naperville, St. Charles and Elgin. The systems have been criticized for causing people to slam on their brakes, thereby increasing accidents, and for primarily being revenue generators for the cities that use them. City leaders have repeatedly said the cameras are about safety, not making money. The City Council will vote on the camera ordinance at its regular meeting next Tuesday at 6 p.m. comment at beaconnewsonline.com
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Post by title1parent on Aug 6, 2009 6:45:20 GMT -5
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=311947&src=10Red-light cameras likely a month away in Aurora By Justin Kmitch | Daily Herald 8/06/09 Aurora's red-light runners likely have about four more weeks before they're caught by cameras at some city traffic signals. The city council approved a three-year contract with Arizona-based Redflex Traffic Systems in February that would allow up to 20 intersections to be filmed. Police Chief Greg Thomas said Wednesday that police have decided to have five cameras at three intersections as part of a test program. If approved Aug. 11 by the council, those cameras will be installed within a month at New York Street and Farnsworth Avenue, New York Street and Commons Drive, and Farnsworth Avenue and Molitor Road. If officers determine their filmed actions warrant it, first-time offenders will be hit with a $100 fine. "One of our Wildly Important Goals (WIGS) is to reduce traffic accidents. So far this year we're down 567 accidents or 16.8 percent fewer accidents through July," Thomas said. "So we're hoping this technology will help improve on those figures even more." At next week's council meeting, Thomas said he'll present aldermen with data about the number of accidents caused by drivers turning right on red. But, he said, he's less likely to issue tickets to those drivers because they are often protected by the left arrow from the oncoming direction. "We'll be focusing on those drivers blatantly ignoring the light and those flying through at the last minute," Thomas said. "Those are the drivers that put more people in danger." Thomas said he also supports installing signs at city entrances proclaiming Aurora a "red-light camera community." "I haven't seen any hard data to show those signs are a deterrent, but I'm willing to try anything that may reduce our accident rates even further," he said. Aldermen are expected to approve the placement of the five cameras at 6 p.m. Aug. 11 at city hall.
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