Residents and trustees focused on pedestrian safety on Route 45 during public comment and in the Village Board’s Aug. 25 meeting, leading to an award of a TIF-funded contract for Route 45 pedestrian improvements and approval of a separate Cortland Commons pedestrian bridge project.
Why it matters: Public safety advocates said dozens of pedestrian accidents and several fatalities occurred along Route 45 between 2014 and 2023 and asked the village to expand the planned traffic study and install a traffic signal near the Jewel-Osco shopping center.
Public comment: Gail Becky, a Mundelein resident, presented a map showing pedestrian accidents and fatalities on Route 45 and asked the board to “Vote yes for the signal near Jewel Osco” and to “expand the traffic study…to include Route 45 from Route 60 to Cortland Street.” Becky also asked the village to increase public awareness of aggressive driving and to enforce laws to reduce dangerous driving.
TIF-funded award: Trustees later approved a fiscal-year 2026 budget amendment and accepted bids to award a contract to Alliance Contractors, Inc., for the Route 45 at Town Line Square Pedestrian Improvements project. The board authorized Purchase Order 206527 in the amount of $151,906.60, and trustees noted the work will be paid from TIF funds.
Cortland Commons pedestrian bridge: The board also authorized a design-build agreement with Christopher B. Burke Engineering (Burke LLC) for the Cortland Commons Pedestrian Bridge project. The motion (moved by Trustee Krinsky, seconded by Trustee Juarez) authorized a purchase order in the amount of $547,950 and a budget amendment of $31,343.73. The measure passed after trustees debated whether the project was a “want versus a need” amid downward sales-tax revenue projections; Trustee Lambert and Trustee Agusti voted no, but the mayor voted to approve the project.
Discussion versus decision: The meeting combined resident concerns about driver behavior and pedestrian safety with formal capital spending decisions. The Route 45 improvements and Cortland Commons bridge received formal approvals and purchase orders; the board did not expand the Route 45 traffic study on the spot beyond the TIF-funded scope, and staff reminded the public that the TIF funding limited which segments could be studied under that grant.
Context: Trustees and staff said state or county ownership of some lanes on Route 45 complicates village actions, and several trustees noted that traffic projects on non-village roads take longer and require coordination. Staff and trustees also discussed possible paint-and-striping optical changes to slow traffic while longer-term solutions are pursued.
What’s next: Contracts will proceed under the approved purchase orders once required bonds and assurances are received; staff said they will pursue the Route 45 project within the TIF-funded scope and continue to evaluate additional measures and coordination with county or state agencies.