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Residents press O'Fallon council for crosswalk at Community Park, no‑parking on Southview Drive
Summary
Residents at the July 6 meeting urged the council to add a crosswalk across East Highway 50 near Community Park and to adopt a no‑parking on school days restriction for Southview Drive, citing safety concerns; city staff said Route 50 is a state route and additional approvals (IDOT) would be required.
At the July 6 O'Fallon City Council meeting, residents raised pedestrian safety and school‑time parking concerns that city staff said they are studying but that may require outside approvals.
Drake O'Leary, who lives at 204 Weber Road, told the council there is no convenient crosswalk across East Highway 50 near Community Park and asked for a new crosswalk or walk sign closer to destinations such as Dairy Queen, Starbucks and the library. "So my thought process is why don't we have a crosswalk over there to essentially make traveling across East Highway 50 a little bit safer?" he said, urging the council to "get the ball rolling."
Mike Cook, who lives on Southview Drive in Ward 4, described repeated parking on the east side of Southview Drive during school days — "about 10 a day, and sometimes as many as 13 cars" — and asked the council to prepare an ordinance restricting parking from Susan Court to U.S. Highway 50 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on school days like other streets in the city. "Please know that the best interest of the residents of Southview Gardens are no different," he said, asking the council to act before high school resumes in late August.
City administrator Grant Litekin responded that the April master plan studied the Highway 50 corridor and identified additional pedestrian crossings, including a pedestrian refuge option that would allow pedestrians to reach a safe midpoint while crossing. He noted that Route 50 is a state route and any changes there "would have to go through" the Illinois Department of Transportation, and said staff are currently studying connections and parking options and that additional parking at Community Park has been added.
Council did not vote on a specific crosswalk or parking ordinance at the meeting but staff were asked to continue study and to prepare proposals. Public commenters also requested itemized explanations of warrant expenditures; the administrator said many purchases were budgeted or tied to planned projects and offered to provide additional detail.
What happens next: Staff will continue studying pedestrian crossing options and parking restrictions; any changes to Route 50 would require IDOT approval and proposed parking restrictions would be brought to council for ordinance action prior to school resuming.
