Residents on two sides of Elmhurst will feel the effects of decisions headed to City Council committees Monday evening, Aug. 10: a $1.3 million bike path through the northwest industrial corridor and a proposed speed limit increase on southeast neighborhood streets.
Church Road bike path: $1.3M, mostly state-funded
The Public Works and Buildings Committee, chaired by Emily Bastedo, is reviewing a resolution to apply for state funding that would cover up to 80 percent of a new 10-foot-wide paved path along Church Road, from Fisher Farm Road to Grand Avenue.
The nearly three-quarter-mile route runs through Elmhurst's northwest industrial area, a stretch many residents rarely visit, Patch reported. According to a city committee memo, the path would connect gaps in bicycle and pedestrian access, link to Berens Park and provide connectivity into the Village of Bensenville.
The total project cost is estimated at $1.3 million. If the state accepts the application through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program, Elmhurst would be responsible for a 20 percent local match. The application deadline with the Illinois Department of Transportation is Oct. 5.
Phase I engineering would begin in 2027, with Phase II following in 2028. Construction scope includes ADA-compliant ramps, driveway and curb replacement, tree removal and replacement, drainage improvements and new signage.
Southeast speed limit: 20 mph to 25 mph?
At 7 p.m. at City Hall, the Public Safety Committee plans to review a traffic study recommending the speed limit rise from 20 to 25 mph on Webster Avenue and sections of May, South and Vallette streets.
The study, conducted by Rosemont-based consultant KLOA, covers the neighborhood bounded by St. Charles Road to the north, Interstate 290 to the east, the Canadian National railroad tracks to the south and York Street to the west, Patch reported.
The rationale: 25 mph is already the default residential speed limit citywide, and KLOA has recommended consistency across neighborhoods. Two years ago, the same consultant recommended an identical increase for a neighborhood to the west. Residents there objected, citing cut-through traffic. The City Council ultimately voted 7-6 to raise that limit anyway.
That history matters. Southeast residents may raise similar concerns Monday night.
What's next
Both items require full City Council votes to take effect. For the bike path, the state application deadline of Oct. 5 sets the clock. For the speed limit, no full-council vote date has been scheduled.
