The 183rd Street traffic diet project is still on the table. But it’s over behind the butter dish and the extra salt shaker, not exactly the main course.
There was a certain amount of excitement (and a dash of dread) in 2022 when Homewood Public Works did a test of traffic-calming lane realignment on 183rd Street.
Residents along the four-lane road, especially, plus local cyclists and pedestrians were thrilled with the prospect of slowing the traffic on the major east-west thoroughfare that is known for its speeders.
These are folks who have anxious moments every time they dare to back out of their driveways or use the sidewalk. They said during public meetings that they worry when they are mowing the lawn that an errant speed demon might take them out. For a time, many of them posted “slow down!” signs along the road.
Most of the signs are gone now.
Other residents criticized the plan to convert the road to two lanes of traffic, two bike lanes and one center turn lane. They thought that would cause stifling traffic congestion and/or divert the speeders to 187th Street and Ridge Road, each of which already has plenty of its own speeders, thank you very much.
Some residents have expressed concern that the opening of Wind Creek Casino at 174th Street and Halsted Street will bring more traffic to 183rd as people from communities to the west come to the casino for entertainment, and that could make congestion worse if the traffic lanes are reduced from four to two.
The village was ready to move forward on the project, though, after the 2022 test showed the lane restructuring helped reduce speed and didn’t significantly increase traffic on either 187th or Ridge. Village officials successfully applied for an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) grant to cover the initial costs of repainting the lines on the road.
The grant, however, came with some expensive strings attached. Illinois Department of Transportation officials said the village would have to do additional studies on traffic impact at intersections and on ADA compliance along the route.
Former Public Works Director John Schaefer said the results of those studies were uncertain but the outcomes could have added significantly to the cost of the project, possibly putting it out of reach for the village’s budget. He inquired with the state about whether the village could decline the grant.
As I understand it, without the grant requirements, the village could contain the costs to a manageable level. The project was included in the latest capital projects plan, which includes $400,000 for 183rd Street lane restriping from the 2024 general obligation bond in fiscal year 2025-26.
Village Manager Napoleon Haney said, however, that village staff is awaiting guidance from the Board of Trustees before pursuing the project further. The village has not taken steps to decline the ITEP grant, he said.
Schaefer, before he retired, indicated he was interested in slowing the project because the Illinois Department of Transportation has approached the village about doing a similar lane reconfiguration on Dixie Highway west of the viaduct. He said it might make sense to see how effective the IDOT project is before trying traffic calming on 183rd Street.
Restriping that section of Dixie Highway will be done as part of the viaduct drainage repair project. At the March 12 Homewood board meeting, Steve Schilke, IDOT bureau chief of programming, said Phase 1 engineering is complete and Phase 2, contract preparation, is under way. Schilke said Phase 3, construction, might begin in about three years.
That means there’s a disconnect between the village’s capital plan and the idea of using Dixie Highway as a test of the traffic calming concept.
Homewood trustees will have to decide whether to defer the project to allow time for IDOT to complete the Dixie Highway lane restriping or proceed with the 183rd Street project based on the 2022 test run.