By Tim Hadac
Managing Editor
Southwest Chicago Post
Managing Editor
Southwest Chicago Post
If you live in the Ashburn, Wrightwood, Parkview or Scottsdale neighborhood--or if you work there, go to school there or have any other interest in the city (from 75th Street to 87th Street, Western to Cicero), here's something you may want to participate in.
The Greater Ashburn Development Association (GADA) is working with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) to create a safety action plan for the Greater Ashburn community area. The goal of the plan is to eliminate deaths and serious injuries caused by traffic crashes in Greater Ashburn. The plan’s recommendations for achieving this goal will be informed by data analysis, community input and best practices.
The Greater Ashburn Safety Action Plan aims to improve traffic safety for all road users. The project team wants to learn about your experience getting around the area and what traffic safety concerns you have.
Visit the project website to take the survey, add comments to the interactive map, and share your ideas: engage.cmap.illinois.gov/greater-ashburn.
This matters. As a Southwest Side news reporter who started out way back in 1984, I've seen more traffic related crashes, injuries and even fatalities than I can recall--right here in the Ashburn area.
Many of them were due, at least in part, to poorly designed roadways.
• I think of the fender-benders at 83rd and Cicero, right next to ALDI.
• I think of the chronically dangerous intersection where Southwest Highway meets 83rd Place and Lawndale--a hazard to motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians alike.
• I think of how city government made a confusing mess out of 79th Street with their sudden designation of "bus only" lanes.
• I think of the chronically dangerous intersection where Southwest Highway meets Pulaski and 87th Street.
• I think of the summertime hazards posed by drag racers and drifters--enabled in part by road designs that could be changed fairly easily with low-tech solutions like bollards anchored in certain places, as has been done in other parts of the Southwest Side.
That's my two cents. I'm sure you have yours, too. It matters that you share yours at engage.cmap.illinois.gov/greater-ashburn. It's easy to do. Just takes a few minutes.
I hope this study results in constructive changes that make the streets of Ashburn/Wrightwood/Parkview/Scottsdale safer for motorists and everyone else.
I thank the Greater Ashburn Development Association and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, and I encourage everyone to head over to engage.cmap.illinois.gov/greater-ashburn in the next day or so and participate.
Granted, this is hardly the first time that folks in the Ashburn area have tried to make the streets safer. The Scottsdale Neighborhood Watch has done quite a bit of commendable advocacy work in recent years to work with government to improve our streets--and they continue to help lead the way in that regard.
Finally, a tip of my cap to Katherine Nickele, a senior transportation planner with TYLin, a global engineering and advisory firm dedicated to improving the quality of life by planning and designing infrastructure solutions. She made me aware of this study, so that I may share it with you.
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