Pedestrian Safety is one of my top priorities. With help from the Chicago Department of Transportation, we have taken great strides towards implementing pedestrian safety treatments at busy intersections and streets.
Over the past few years, we have retrofitted several existing traffic lights with pedestrian countdown timers, replaced many traditional crosswalk bars with international crosswalks, installed bump-out planters to squeeze traffic and promote cautious driving at intersections, and implemented left turn signals to activate at the end of a traffic cycle as opposed to the beginning and are currently planning our wards first neighborhood greenway on W. School/W. Aldine and W. Roscoe from N. Ashland to the lake front.
The 44th Ward is home to some of the most active streets and sidewalks in the City of Chicago. With the high volume of bikes and pedestrian traffic, I have dedicated a great deal of time and resources to improving safety for pedestrians and bike riders that live and visit the 44th Ward. It is important to me that the 44th Ward continues to be a welcoming and safe environment for pedestrians and bike riders. As your Alderman, I am committed to continuing my hard work with City agencies to find and create new safety devices. Whether you are trekking down our vibrant retail districts or taking a stroll to one of our many beautiful parks, I want you to feel safe getting there.
School/Aldine & Roscoe Greenway
The 44th Ward Greenway includes two residential streets prioritized for people walking, biking, and living on the street. The streets chosen, School/Aldine and Roscoe, offer low-stress connections to neighborhood destinations. The Greenway will include pavement markings, signs, and traffic calming to reduce motor vehicle speeds and cut-through traffic.
Pedestrian Countdown Timers
Pedestrian countdown timers provide information on the amount of time remaining to cross the street at signalized intersections. The pedestrian countdown timer begins in conjunction with the flashing “DON’T WALK” interval. All countdown timers should be programmed to allow pedestrians to cross the street at a maximum walking speed of 3.5 feet per second.
Bump-out Planters
Residential Bump-outs (also known as curb extensions or bulb-outs) extend the sidewalk into a parking or non-moving lane. Bump-outs can reduce the turning speed for vehicles, reduce the distance that pedestrians must cross, improve visibility between motorists and pedestrians, create more space for riders waiting for the bus, and eliminate illegal parking in the corner clearance zone. They also reduce turning radii which reduces vehicle turning speeds.
