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LaSalle committee tables request for audible countdown pedestrian signals, seeks cost and user input
Summary
The Street & Alley Traffic Committee heard a request from resident John Guido for audible countdown or enhanced crosswalk signals near schools, reviewed equipment and installation estimates, and voted to table the matter for two weeks while staff gathers cost details and contacts the requester.
The LaSalle Street & Alley Traffic Committee on March 31 considered a resident request for audible pedestrian signals and countdown devices at several school-area crossings and voted to table the matter for two weeks so staff can gather final costs and consult the requester.
John Guido, the resident who raised the issue, described two school-area crossing locations the city is already evaluating and a separate request to add an audible countdown at Saint Vincent Avenue and Roosevelt Street, a block north of the proposed O'Connor crossing. "Each signal not installed just for the solar, each location is approximately $15,000 just for the equipment themselves," Guido said, adding that installation typically runs 1.5 to 2 times the equipment cost and that the city would likely face a $30,000 to $40,000 total per location.
Committee members discussed differences between the flashing rapid-beacon beacons the city has been planning — which give a visual warning — and full audible pedestrian signals with countdowns that speak or chirp for visually impaired users. A committee member noted the difference: some systems are ‘‘very rapid flashing yellow lights’’ while others provide an audible countdown that says the remaining seconds.
Staff members said the city has received IDOT (Illinois Department of Transportation) permission to request installations at some locations but that IDOT will not fund the equipment. A staff member said solar-powered beacons could avoid needing an electrical feed and monthly utility costs, but it was unclear whether all devices could operate by solar alone.
Chief Smudzinski and staff described local school safety concerns and an earlier discussion with a potential donor willing to contribute to safety improvements. Guido said the O'Connor location could help when a crossing guard is absent.
The committee directed staff to contact the requester, obtain firm pricing from a signal supplier and to return with cost estimates. A motion to table consideration for two weeks passed by voice vote.
The committee did not decide to purchase or install any specific equipment at the meeting; members said they would first confirm whether the city's planned O'Connor installation would meet the requester's needs or whether an audible countdown at Saint Vincent and Roosevelt remains necessary.
