Collisions Along Galena Road

The District 4 division of IDOT has been the culprit in not allowing the speed limit to be lowered along Galena Road, and the refusal to install traffic signal lights. The head of District 4, Mr. Joe Crowe, in his many refusal letters to me and to our elected officials, stated that the "majority of accidents along Galena Road are rear end accidents; so the center turn lane is the best way to lower the number" (in so many words).

Oh, really?

Here is the breakdown of the collision accidents along Galena Road, from 2007-2009 (3 years):




SUMMATION- Collision Causes Along Galena Road in Peoria Heights


Rear End Collisions (Total) 26

Rear End Collisions Partially Caused by
Stopped Traffic Trying to Make Left Turn 9 (35%)

Rear End Collisions While Attempting
To Make a RIGHT Hand Turn 5 (19%)


Total Collisions Along Galena Road 35
Percentage of Total Collisions along Galena Road, partially caused from Vehicles stopped to make a left hand turn: 26%


Findings:

The majority of the automobile collisions along Galena Road are rear enders.
However, the vast majority of the rear end accidents are not related, at all, to someone trying to make a left hand turn off of Galena Road. Moreover, the high speeds of the vehicles along Galena Road likely have as much to do, if not MORE to do, with the rear end collisions of those turning left.

Rear end hits while a vehicle is attempting to make a right hand turn off of Galena Road is only four below the number making a left hand turn!

The cost to put in a center turn lane along Galena Road will probably exceed $30 million dollars, or more, by the time it could be done. And, by doing so, it will only affect a mere 26% of the accidents along Galena Road, if years 2007-2009 are reflective of the accident rates (and they almost certainly are).

That 26% of the accidents could be affected in the positive sense by lowering the speed limit to 35 MPH, and by installing 1-3 traffic signal lights along Galena Road, at a fraction of the cost. And, by having the speed limit lowered, and having traffic signal lights installed, we increase our chances of commercial growth along Galena Road, as well. Most importantly, this could be done in mere months, as opposed to waiting YEARS for what IDOT mistakenly thinks will make Galena Road so much safer.

There are also a large amount of deer hits along Galena Road. While this can certainly be directly tied to deer going to the river to drink, it also is definitely affected by the high speed of the vehicles, thus lowering the driver’s reaction time to the deer substantially.


In other words, here's the deal. By spending millions upon millions on putting in a fifth lane along Galena Road, without lowering the speed limit, and not installing traffic signal lights, it will only have a potential effect on 26% of the accidents! 26%! So, 74% of the accidents will just keep on happening! Great planning, huh? Great thought process, right?

It always helps to have the facts in front of you before making blanket statements like Mr. Crowe made. Those rear end accidents, ALL OF THEM, are mostly caused by SPEED & INATTENTION, not by the lack of a center turn lane. Lower the speed limit, put in a couple traffic signal lights, and I'm betting you'll see those 9 rear end accidents involving someone trying to turn left off of Galena Road cut in HALF. If you don't lower the speed limit, if you don't put in traffic signal lights, those rear enders will STILL happen, probably at a greater rate, because those drivers will be going FASTER.

This is like trying to convince a person that the sky is blue, when they're firmly believing it's lime green. I can pile fact after fact after FACT onto IDOT, and it will still be like talking to a wall with a hearing problem.