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Council keeps northbound stop at Euclid and McKinley, agrees to visibility improvements
Summary
After neighborhood meetings and a traffic consultant review, the council voted 9–3 to leave the northbound stop sign at McKinley rather than move it south of Cayuga; members asked staff to pursue pavement markings, trimming, and other visibility measures.
The Elmhurst City Council voted 9–3, with two absences, on Oct. 6 to accept the Public Affairs and Safety Committee's recommendation to retain the current northbound stop sign at Euclid and McKinley and to pursue improvements to make the stop more visible.
Alderman Matthew Brennan outlined the committee's review of multiple alternatives and said consultants advised that the stop sign remained best positioned at McKinley. "We bring in consultants and experts to look at these things, so we don't have to have residents going head to head with one another to try to figure out what's the right thing to do," Brennan said.
Alderman Virgil, who sponsored the referral and organized neighborhood meetings, pressed to move the northbound stop sign south of Cayuga because he said the current placement sits between driveways and is farther from the intersection than is customary. "My main concern was safety here," Virgil said, describing observed motorists failing to slow or stop.
The committee and staff explained moving the sign would create non-intuitive movements and potential unprotected left turns for eastbound McKinley traffic and cited right-of-way constraints near the driveway and underground utilities that precluded placing the sign slightly farther north.
Alderman Nudiera urged consistency across intersections and proposed additional signage such as plaques stating "oncoming traffic does not stop" and pavement stop bars or crosswalk markings to improve predictability for drivers and safety for pedestrians. The council directed staff to identify pavement markings, stop bars, reflective devices, tree trimming and other low-cost treatments to increase visibility.
Roll call on Item 6.9 recorded: Nardini (Aye), Besedo (Aye), Urbie (No), Brennan (Aye), Bellinger (Aye), Jenko (Aye), Hill (Aye), Graham (Aye), Jensen (Aye), Baker (Aye), Newjira (No), Virgil (No). Two members were absent. The motion passing indicates staff will proceed with visibility treatments but not move the stop sign at this time.
No construction schedule was set during the vote; staff will return with implementation details and cost estimates for markings and other visibility improvements.
