If anyone out there has a question or questions about Peoria Heights, and what's going on (or should be going on) here, please ask away, and I'll do my best to give a full reply.
Thanks.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
IDOT Nightmares
Anyone who has paid any attention to some of my sore points over the past few years will know that the conditions along Galena Road are probably #1. I've lived off of Galena Road since 1983, and my wife has lived the same since 1964. In other words, we know Galena Road.
Representatives from IDOT recently brought the plan for "upgrades" along Galena Road for us to view. Their main plan is to install a center turn lane along Galena Road, through Peoria Heights. On the surface, that sounds like a brilliant plan. A center turn lane makes for a wonderful "rear end" collision deterrent... and Lord knows we've had far too many of those through the years.
That being said, there's more to the "basket case" that is Galena Road, than just the rear end accidents. Additionally, the lay of the land (river, railroad tracks, bluffs) along Galena Road makes it very very difficult to even consider widening it for a center turn lane. Honestly, I thought that the study regarding the center turn lane would show that it really could not be done properly. Then, IDOT might move ahead with lowering the speed limit, and allowing for traffic signal lights to be installed... silly me.
The number one problem along Galena Road, as anyone who is familiar with the situation can easily attest to, is the SPEED of the passing vehicles along the road. But, instead of addressing this number one problem, IDOT has appeared to have come up with a plan that will only make it worse.
This new plan does NOT include the lowering of the speed limit; does NOT include any installation of traffic signal lights; but, with the installation of a center turn lane, almost certainly WILL include the opportunity for the vehicles to go even faster. And, I would wager to say that the rear end accidents we have along the road are directly tied to the excessive SPEED of the vehicles coming up from behind. Lower the speed limit, and I'll virtually guarantee that the rear end accident counts will be significantly lowered... even without a center turn lane.
To those of us who live and work on or near Galena Road, it would seem to be a no-brainer to have the speed limit lowered. Again, the operative word is "seem." Virtually all of the fatalities over the past generation along Galena Road (and there have been more than a few), I believe came as a result of vehicles pulling FROM a side street or business, into the path of a SPEEDING vehicle. Without addressing the speed issues, this plan from IDOT will not do what it should be doing.
Widening Galena Road also will have quite an effect on the houses and businesses on the west side of the road. Some will now have 10-20 ft. retaining walls; others will be losing about half of what is presently in front of their buildings. It's problematic. All for a center turn lane.
We were also asked to pay for the cost of the moving of the water mains. The cost? Likely $2-$3 million dollars! Well, we can't pay that. We don't have it. We do pretty well in revenues, but not well enough to cover that without causing distress in the other areas of the Heights we have to cover... you know, like public safety, street upgrades, silly things like that. In other words, we have to pay towards a project we really didn't ask for, and still have no say in regards to the speed, signal lights, etc. that we desperately NEED for not only safety, but also for any potential commercial upgrades along Galena Road.
The widening also does away with the shoulders on the road. So, without addressing the speeding issues, we now will be expecting those in a broken down vehicle, those delivering mail or packages, to PARK or move very slowly in a through lane, with vehicles approaching from behind at God knows what speed, and... Sounds very dangerous to me. This really might make the potential for rear end collisions even greater.
Before I became mayor, I always wondered why the heck nothing could be done about the problems on Galena Road... why the speed limit couldn't be lowered... why traffic signal lights couldn't be put in... and now I know why. It's a four letter word, and it's IDOT.
I don't like being a "wet blanket." I know that IDOT has put a lot of time, and a lot of tax money into where they are now regarding the plans for Galena Road. But, IDOT also needs to listen to those of us who will be directly impacted by not only their lack of addressing the issues so far, but how their future addressing might be detrimental. Again, however, the operative word is "listen."
IDOT is shooting for a late summer public meeting about this plan. Anyone who has concerns about what I've outlined, please give me a call at 688-6869, and we can discuss it. Maybe this is a plan that the residents will want... but I sort of doubt it. Galena Road, and our inability to get any relief from IDOT regarding its issues, has truly been my biggest headache so far... I hope and pray every day that there is no fatality, or major injury, from a car accident along Galena Road. Because, you see, I really do know about Galena Road. You have to live and/ or work in this area to truly understand it.
I'm pretty sure that no one from IDOT does.
Representatives from IDOT recently brought the plan for "upgrades" along Galena Road for us to view. Their main plan is to install a center turn lane along Galena Road, through Peoria Heights. On the surface, that sounds like a brilliant plan. A center turn lane makes for a wonderful "rear end" collision deterrent... and Lord knows we've had far too many of those through the years.
That being said, there's more to the "basket case" that is Galena Road, than just the rear end accidents. Additionally, the lay of the land (river, railroad tracks, bluffs) along Galena Road makes it very very difficult to even consider widening it for a center turn lane. Honestly, I thought that the study regarding the center turn lane would show that it really could not be done properly. Then, IDOT might move ahead with lowering the speed limit, and allowing for traffic signal lights to be installed... silly me.
The number one problem along Galena Road, as anyone who is familiar with the situation can easily attest to, is the SPEED of the passing vehicles along the road. But, instead of addressing this number one problem, IDOT has appeared to have come up with a plan that will only make it worse.
This new plan does NOT include the lowering of the speed limit; does NOT include any installation of traffic signal lights; but, with the installation of a center turn lane, almost certainly WILL include the opportunity for the vehicles to go even faster. And, I would wager to say that the rear end accidents we have along the road are directly tied to the excessive SPEED of the vehicles coming up from behind. Lower the speed limit, and I'll virtually guarantee that the rear end accident counts will be significantly lowered... even without a center turn lane.
To those of us who live and work on or near Galena Road, it would seem to be a no-brainer to have the speed limit lowered. Again, the operative word is "seem." Virtually all of the fatalities over the past generation along Galena Road (and there have been more than a few), I believe came as a result of vehicles pulling FROM a side street or business, into the path of a SPEEDING vehicle. Without addressing the speed issues, this plan from IDOT will not do what it should be doing.
Widening Galena Road also will have quite an effect on the houses and businesses on the west side of the road. Some will now have 10-20 ft. retaining walls; others will be losing about half of what is presently in front of their buildings. It's problematic. All for a center turn lane.
We were also asked to pay for the cost of the moving of the water mains. The cost? Likely $2-$3 million dollars! Well, we can't pay that. We don't have it. We do pretty well in revenues, but not well enough to cover that without causing distress in the other areas of the Heights we have to cover... you know, like public safety, street upgrades, silly things like that. In other words, we have to pay towards a project we really didn't ask for, and still have no say in regards to the speed, signal lights, etc. that we desperately NEED for not only safety, but also for any potential commercial upgrades along Galena Road.
The widening also does away with the shoulders on the road. So, without addressing the speeding issues, we now will be expecting those in a broken down vehicle, those delivering mail or packages, to PARK or move very slowly in a through lane, with vehicles approaching from behind at God knows what speed, and... Sounds very dangerous to me. This really might make the potential for rear end collisions even greater.
Before I became mayor, I always wondered why the heck nothing could be done about the problems on Galena Road... why the speed limit couldn't be lowered... why traffic signal lights couldn't be put in... and now I know why. It's a four letter word, and it's IDOT.
I don't like being a "wet blanket." I know that IDOT has put a lot of time, and a lot of tax money into where they are now regarding the plans for Galena Road. But, IDOT also needs to listen to those of us who will be directly impacted by not only their lack of addressing the issues so far, but how their future addressing might be detrimental. Again, however, the operative word is "listen."
IDOT is shooting for a late summer public meeting about this plan. Anyone who has concerns about what I've outlined, please give me a call at 688-6869, and we can discuss it. Maybe this is a plan that the residents will want... but I sort of doubt it. Galena Road, and our inability to get any relief from IDOT regarding its issues, has truly been my biggest headache so far... I hope and pray every day that there is no fatality, or major injury, from a car accident along Galena Road. Because, you see, I really do know about Galena Road. You have to live and/ or work in this area to truly understand it.
I'm pretty sure that no one from IDOT does.
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