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A Motion to Concur with the Transportation Commission’s Recommendations for Traffic Calming at the 1200 Block of Forest Avenue
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Introduction
overview
At the April 13, 2026 and August 10, 2026 Transportation Commission (TC) meetings, the TC reviewed the traffic calming petition for the 1200 block of Forest Avenue to address residents’ concerns regarding wrong-way traffic along 1200 Forest Avenue between Le Moyne Pkwy and North Avenue. The TC voted to concur with the staff recommendations to install the recommended traffic calming items, including additional signage and targeted police enforcement.
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Recommended Action
Adopt the Motion.
Prior Board Action
There is no prior Board action associated with this item.
Background
On November 12, 2025, the Village of Oak Park received a petition to implement traffic calming measures on the 1200 block of Forest Avenue. The residents expressed concerns regarding wrong-way traffic along 1200 Forest Avenue between Le Moyne Pkwy and North Avenue.
See Attachment A for a copy of the letter of explanation. Public testimony was received. See Attachment B for public testimony received for both Transportation Commission Meetings. See Attachment C for the aerial imagery of the area.
The petition was first reviewed by the Transportation Commission at its April 13th, 2026 meeting. Staff gave a presentation on the issues, including background on the petition, history of the area, analysis of the collected traffic data, and recommendations. Residents provided public testimony on the items. After hearing the staff’s presentation and public testimony, the Transportation Commission deliberated on the items. The Commission recommended further data collection and studies to assess traffic conditions during the summer. Traffic data and analysis were conducted during the summer, and the petition was reviewed again by the Transportation Commission at its August 10th, 2026 meeting. Relevant pages from the Transportation Commission meeting minutes for both Transportation Commission Meetings are included as Attachment H.
At the August 10th, 2026 meeting, the Transportation Commission voted six to zero to:
• Install “Dead End sign with Arrow” on the southeast corner of Forest Avenue at North Avenue, facing eastbound.
• Replace the “Do Not Enter” and “Except Local Traffic” sign located at North Avenue with “Dead End Sign (W14-1)
• Hours with the most Wrong-Way Traffic Violations will be shared with the police department for targeted enforcement
The signs will be installed by the Village Public Works crews.
Analysis Section
Traffic Study - Volume and Speed (Attachment D)
Forty-eight-hour traffic data was collected along the 1200 block of Forest Avenue using radar. The data was collected on Thursday and Saturday, June 11 and June 13, 2026. Daily volumes along Forest Avenue were around 130 vehicles per day during the June count. For comparison, 150 vehicles per day were counted during the February 2026 count. Volumes along Forest Avenue are much lower than the typical Oak Park residential street volume, which ranges from 800 to 1,200 vehicles per day. There were 14 vehicles and 10 vehicles traveling the wrong-way southbound during each of the two count days. For comparison, there were 10 vehicles and 14 vehicles traveling the wrong-way southbound during the two count days in February 2026.
The volumes along the 1200 block of Forest Avenue are consistent throughout the day between 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Outside these hours, volumes drop off.
Wrong-way traffic is present during the morning, afternoon, and evening hours. Video recorded on Thursday and Saturday, June 11 and 13, 2026 was reviewed manually to observe wrong-way traffic. Across both datasets, wrong-way traffic volumes remained consistent at a rate of approximately 12 vehicles per day.
Speed data was another component of the mid-block data collection effort. A review of the 1200 block of Forest Avenue speed data shows a 98% compliance rate with the 25-mph speed limit. The 85th percentile speeds are less than 20 mph and tend to be consistently below the speed limit throughout the day. For comparison, the 85th percentile speed was 20 mph, and the speed limit compliance rate was 96% during the February 2026 count.
The speeds along this block are low and do not require mitigation measures. The speed data also shows that wrong-way traffic is traveling significantly below the posted speed limit. See Attachment D for a summary of the results.
Traffic Study - Turning Movement Counts (Attachment E)
In order to quantify vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle volumes at the intersection of Forest Avenue and Le Moyne Pkwy, 6-hour counts were collected and processed on Thursday, June 11, 2026 using a video camera system. The traffic data was collected on a weekday during the summer. Conditions were sunny with a high of 80 degrees and a low of 60 degrees. This weather was conducive to pedestrian and bicycle activity. The traffic count data show that the morning peak hour occurs between 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., and the evening traffic volume is highest between 4:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. See Attachment E for a summary of the results.
Crash History - Collision Diagram (Attachment F)
In order to evaluate safety trends on the 1200 block of Forest Avenue, reported crash data was obtained from the IDOT Safety Portal and the Village of Oak Park from January 2021 through December 2025, a five-year period. This data shows that there were no mid-block collisions during the five-year period. Attachment F includes the collision diagram.
Timing Considerations
There are no specific timing considerations associated with this item.
Financial Impact
There is no budget impact associated with this item.
Operations Impact
This is a core service responsibility of the Engineering Division of the Public Works Department. Implementation of this item has minimal staffing impact. Preparing the materials for the Transportation Commission for this traffic calming petition took around 100 hours, including obtaining and analyzing traffic data, preparing exhibits, and presenting at the commission meeting.
DEI Impact
The Vision Zero plan highlights that traffic accidents disproportionately affect minority communities within the Village. Traffic calming improvements will enhance safety for all users, with particular benefits for these vulnerable groups.
Community Input
On November 12, 2025, the Village of Oak Park received a petition to implement traffic calming measures on the 1200 block of Forest Avenue. The petition organizers were notified of the April 13th and August 10th TC meetings, and public comments from residents were heard at the TC meetings. TC meeting minutes are attached for reference.
At the August 10th, 2026 meeting, the Transportation Commission voted six to zero to:
- Install “Dead End sign with Arrow” on the southeast corner of Forest Avenue at North Avenue, facing eastbound.
- Replace the “Do Not Enter” and “Except Local Traffic” sign located at North Avenue with “Dead End Sign (W14-1)”
- Hours with the most Wrong-Way Traffic Violations will be shared with the police department for targeted enforcement
Staff Recommendation
Staff concurs with the Transportation Commission’s recommendations for traffic calming at the 1200 block of Forest Avenue. Staff recommends adopting the motion.
Advantages:
• Traffic calming improvements will be installed per the Transportation Commission’s recommendation, which should improve safety
Disadvantages:
• There are no disadvantages to this recommendation.
Alternatives
Alternative 1:
The Board can delay to gain additional information.
Advantages:
• The Board can be presented with the requested information.
Disadvantages:
• There are no disadvantages with this alternative.
Alternative 2:
The Board can vote down the Motion.
Advantages:
• There are no advantages to this alternative.
Disadvantages:
• Potential misalignment with the Transportation Commission and Staff’s recommendation to address resident concerns.
• Potentially unsafe traffic conditions would persist
• Resident concerns would not be addressed
Anticipated Future Actions
There are no anticipated future actions in relation to this item.
Prepared By: Jenna Holzberg, Transportation Commission Chairperson; Bill McKenna, Village Engineer/Assistant Public Works Director
Reviewed By: Rob Sproule, Public Works Director
Approved By: Kevin J. Jackson, Village Manager
Attachment(s):
1. Attachments A -H 1200 Forest