North Cook News

The City of Evanston recently approved a report featuring recommendations for improving pedestrian crosswalks in the area.

“The city of Evanston is getting frequent requests for more for more crosswalks,” Evanston Public Works Director Edgar Cano said at the April 24 council meeting. “We're trying to do our best in order to fulfill these requests that we know. We want to go to a more pedestrian, bike friendly Evanston, but we also want to be realistic with the request and make sure that we are resolving concerns rather than creating extra concerns. So when we're reviewing these, we're going over multiple criteria.”

As discussed at the meeting, the report from Cano and city staff on treatments for pedestrian crosswalks on city streets and sidewalks comes following a referral request from council member Thomas Suffredin about a year ago. The city currently has 67 crosswalks that are not at controlled, signalized intersections. The crossings have various different markers on them, from flashing lights to signs to flags and other combinations.

Cano explained that the project has been evaluating possible sites for new crosswalks, grading them in terms of their proximity to pedestrian-generating locations/events, proximity to schools and other crossings, existing traffic in the area and any history of accidents, and the physical characteristics of the road and sidewalk. 

While some of the sites might have be useful for a new crosswalk, the city will not move forward with a crossing due to traffic speed and accident frequency, lack of visibility, or poor grading or slope of the ground, all of which would make it unsafe for pedestrians.

The city has four different versions and levels of marking for crosswalks in the city—general, senior, park, and school—each having different signs or markers to alert pedestrians and drivers.

Cano said that they have been using curb extensions to shorten some of the crossings and improve safety.

“The cars are able to see the pedestrians now and pedestrians aren't blocked by the vehicles in the parking lane, so it's a little bit safer,” Cano said. “Also works as a traffic calming measure since the road narrows vehicle operators just instinctively start to slow down a little bit.”

As mentioned at the meeting, among future improvement efforts the city will take is raising some crosswalks which will serve as a greater visual warning and speed bump to drivers. They will also try stamped asphalt at some intersections and see if either of these make crossings safer and more utilized.

The public works department wants to expand the use of middle-of-the-street crosswalk signs halfway through the crossing. They also want more signs with LED borders, as long as residents are comfortable with the flashing, more curb extensions for crossings where street parking is common, and the ability to use some of the ARPA funds for these projects.