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Warrenville council delays speed-limit decisions after wide public debate and study questions
Summary
After extensive public comment and council discussion of a Kimley Horn traffic study, the Warrenville City Council agreed to postpone final policy direction on proposed speed-limit changes and to gather more public input; staff will publish survey results and return with options in July.
The Warrenville City Council on Monday extended its review of a citywide traffic study and a proposed traffic-calming toolkit after residents and aldermen pressed for more outreach and clarification.
Public commenters and several council members pressed staff to reconsider study methodology and data used to recommend speed-limit changes on local streets and collectors. Jeremy Venken, a Warrenville resident and small-business owner, urged the council to reduce Batavia Road’s posted speed from 35 to 30 miles per hour, saying, “A lower speed limit would help reinforce the message that Batavia Road is a community corridor where safety must come first.”
A separate commenter and local resident, Charles Carras, criticized the Kimley Horn field work for relying on counts taken Oct. 25 and argued the data undercounted cyclists and pedestrians; he cited recent federal guidance that reduces reliance on the 85th/80th-percentile method for setting speeds and recommended forming a DuPage Mayors and Managers task force before making changes. “These aren’t my opinions. These are factual items that I extracted,” Carras said.
Public Works Director Kuchler told the council staff is not asking for a decision tonight but is presenting options: maintain current limits, standardize many local roads to 25 mph, or adopt 20 mph on residential streets after a phase‑2 study and potential roadway changes. Kuchler also said staff will include a summary of an online survey (150 responses as of the packet deadline) in the June 1 agenda packet.
Council members debated enforcement and cost. Chief Bonilla warned that heavy, sustained enforcement across many neighborhoods could overburden the police department, saying, “We could go out there and we could hit it really hard and hit everybody that’s doing that. But the minute we turn our backs, it’s gonna start up again.” Several aldermen said targeted enforcement combined with education and the toolkit could produce measurable behavior change without immediate large capital projects.
Alderman Lockett said he favors extending the review period to gather more resident feedback and to consult with other municipalities that have lowered residential limits, while Alderman Weidner argued for lower speeds in business corridors and near crosswalks, calling 35 mph “a killing speed” in certain contexts. The council asked staff to continue outreach and to return with refined recommendations; the mayor said the final policy discussion will be deferred to a July meeting.
Next steps: staff will publish the survey summary in the June 1 packet and return with refined options and any recommended roadway changes for the council’s July meeting.
