The Village of Oswego and the Illinois Department of Transportation have agreed on improvements that can be added this Spring to improve pedestrian safety and traffic flow along Washington Street (Route 34) in downtown Oswego.
The Oswego Village Board Tuesday, Feb. 2 agreed to a plan that includes new signs and pavement markings on Washington Street from Jefferson Street to Illinois Route 31. The upgrades will include new and larger speed signs, reminding drivers of the 20 mile per hour limit, and radar feedback signs that will alert drivers to their current speed. Additional pavement markings will be added at crosswalks.
In addition, traffic signals along Washington Street will be adjusted so that eastbound and westbound traffic get green lights at the same time to improve traffic flow.
These initial improvements will be completed this Spring.
The Village of Oswego has been working with IDOT for more than two decades to improve pedestrian safety along Route 34. The Federal highway cuts passes through the heart of downtown Oswego and has been the site of multiple crashes between vehicles and pedestrians, including a fatal crash in 2018.
“Pedestrian safety in our downtown was one of my first major priorities for Oswego, and I am happy to be able to deliver on that promise this evening,” Village president Troy Parlier said. “And we are continuing to work on more long-term improvements that will have an even bigger impact in creating a safer, more vibrant downtown.”
In addition, engineering is already under way for a second phase of improvements that includes a traffic signal at the intersection of Washington and Harrison Street. The signal will make it safer for pedestrians to cross Washington near the entrance to Hudson Crossing Park and will be interconnected with the adjacent railroad to keep traffic moving safely across the tracks. Construction is pending approval of a petition with the Illinois Commerce Commission to interconnect with the railroad but could begin as early as Summer 2022.
The new signs and traffic markings are estimated to cost about $45,000, however, the Village intends to partially reduce those costs by having Village staff members do work that is not required by contractors.
More information on the Village of Oswego’s efforts to improve pedestrian safety can be found at www.oswegoil.org/pedestrians.
— Village of Oswego