Message Regarding Recent Accidents on Rte. 31

Dear members of the Batavia community,

The City of Batavia is deeply saddened by the tragic accidents that have occurred on IL Rte. 31 over the past two weeks. First and foremost, our hearts go out the families and friends of those injured and who have died.

Following both incidents, the city has received an outpouring of concern from residents, many of whom are angry and frustrated that more had not been done before these accidents occurred to make crossing Rte. 31 safer. As a state route, Rte. 31 is not under the city's control. The Illinois Department of Transportation controls what can and cannot be done on the road. Recently, IDOT has accepted the findings of a report demonstrating that a road diet is feasible on Rte. 31, which would greatly enhance the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists crossing the road.

The U.S. Department of Transportation explains the road diet approach as narrowing travel lanes or shoulders or eliminating some of them to provide more space for pedestrians and bicyclists. A typical road diet consists of converting a four-lane roadway (two in each direction) to a three-lane (one in each direction plus a center turn lane) and adding sidewalks or bicycle lanes.

In light of the recent serious accidents, the city plans to request IDOT to expedite their review for the road diet so that we may get that implemented as soon as possible. In the meantime, we will renew our requests to IDOT for additional safety measures, enlisting the support of our elected officials and residents.

There is a Committee of the Whole meeting on June 13 at 7:00 PM. One of the items on that agenda is an update on the status of the road diet project. It is expected that potential additional safety measures on Rte. 31 will also be discussed. The public is encouraged to join the discussion. For details about the discussion, visit cityofbatavia.net/roaddiet.

Sincerely,

Laura Newman
City Administrator | City of Batavia