River Forest residents living on LeMoyne Street, Division Street and parts of Clinton Place and Greenfield Street are expected to see a reduction in heavy vehicle traffic in their neighborhoods following actions taken by officials at the Aug. 12 town council meeting.
Officials voted unanimously to add these streets to the village’s list of “capacity-limited streets.” The affected section of Clinton stretches from North Avenue to Lake Street, and the affected section of Greenfield stretches from Park Avenue to Harlem Avenue.
Officials also voted unanimously to change the existing weight limits from 5,000 to 10,000 pounds.
Public Works and Engineering Director Jack Bielak recommended increasing the weight limit, explaining that the lower weight limit would affect vehicles other than the heavy-duty trucks that are the target. He pointed out that a stock Tesla Model X weighs 5,307 pounds, which would violate the existing regulation.
Township Administrator Matt Walsh said the streets were placed on the restricted-use road list to deter heavy traffic coming through the township from the north and Harlem.
Police Chief Jim O’Shea said warnings would be issued for 30 days after the changes take effect, but Walsh estimated that would not be until public service employees have put up new signs.
O’Shea said the changes would not apply to trucks making deliveries and pickups in the village. He also noted that police use their own portable scales to weigh trucks suspected of exceeding the maximum weight limit.
In a memo to Walsh, Bielak said village staff had been reviewing traffic flow throughout the village for “several months.”
“Based on these analyses, discussions and feedback,” he recommended adding the streets to the list of “limited access roads” to prevent “unnecessary truck traffic” in the village.
“By building these roads, the village would address concerns about through traffic,” he added.
Bielak said authorities first adopted a weight limit regulation in 1981, but updated it only once, in 1992.
He recommended a change to the weight limit, saying that changes in the technology and features of modern cars “significantly limit” the number of vehicles allowed on certain village roads.
Bielak said the 10,000-pound weight limit will continue to apply to most commercial vehicles.
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