Crawford Avenue: Oakton Street to Golf Road Phase I Engineering Study
Welcome!
This website has been created to provide project information and solicit public comments for the reconstruction of Crawford Avenue from Oakton Street to Golf Road. We invite you to explore the webpage and provide your feedback.
We invite you to attend a Public Information Meeting for the Crawford Avenue Phase I Engineering Study from Oakton Street to Golf Road. The purpose of this meeting is to present the proposed improvement plan and seek public feedback.
The meeting will be conducted in an open house format where attendees will have the opportunity to review exhibits and submit a comment form.
The in-person open house will provide attendees the opportunity to talk directly to project engineers and ask questions. The in-person open house will be held:
Date: Thursday, March 23, 2023
Time: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Location: Oliver McCracken Middle School Multipurpose Room
8000 East Prairie Road Skokie, IL 60076
Questions and comments submitted by April 24, 2023 will be specifically added to the Public Information Meeting #2 record.
Project Overview
Crawford Avenue from Oakton Street to Golf Road is located within the Village of Skokie and is under the jurisdiction of the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways (CCDOTH) within the project limits. Therefore, this project is a joint effort between the two agencies. Click on the image below to open the full-size file in a new window.
Project Location Map
The Phase I Engineering Study is the first step in the overall project development process and examined transportation needs and solutions along Crawford Avenue from Oakton Street to Golf Road.
Once complete, the project will move into Phase II, which involves contract plan preparation and land acquisition and typically takes 24 months. Phase III is construction and is the final phase of the project development process. Phase I Engineering is being funded by CCDOTH and administered by the Village through an intergovernmental agreement, and subsequent phases of project development are anticipated to be federally funded. On this basis, all applicable federal project development procedures will be followed with coordination through IDOT Bureau of Local Roads and Streets.
Overall Project Development Process
The objective of the Phase I Study was to evaluate various alternatives to meet the needs of all modes of roadway users and to identify a preferred solution. This included evaluation of the technical factors associated with the alternative(s) and their impacts on the community, motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians and the environment. Some examples of technical factors that were evaluated are traffic and crash analyses, impacts to the existing landscaped median, on-street parking, bicycle facilities and overall corridor travel times. At the end of this process, a preferred alternative was identified for implementation. The preliminary preferred alternative was concurred upon between the Village, CCDOTH, and IDOT. After Public Information Meeting #2 , the design will be refined and engineering reports finalized for Design Approval.
Phase I Study Process and Timeline
Project Information
The Crawford Avenue existing lane use is poorly defined. The lane and median widths vary through the corridor, but the pavement width is about 20 to 21 feet wide in each direction with a 16- to 18-foot-wide landscaped median. Parking is allowed within the corridor which contributes to driver confusion when drivers using the outside pavement come upon a parked vehicle and make quick merging decisions. Therefore, the existing roadway functions like a one lane road in each direction with parked vehicles. This was reflected in the public information meeting #1 responses and prevalence of parked vehicle crashes in the crash analysis. A key goal of the project was to clearly define the lane use.
The alternatives analysis was completed in 2021 with two finalist alternatives determined to meet the project purpose and need. Both finalist alternatives had similar property impacts, improved traffic and safety performance, met complete streets policies, and had similar support from agencies and stakeholders. Therefore, the final determination focused on non-motorized accommodations and minimizing impacts.
Preferred Alternative Determination
Traffic Volumes
Crash Location
Crash Data
The preferred alternative includes an exclusive left turn lane, thru lane, combined thru/right turn lane and bike lane in each direction on Crawford Avenue approaching the three larger signalized intersections of Oakton and Dempster Streets and Golf Road for capacity. Between these signalized intersections, Crawford Avenue will drop to one thru lane, bike lane and a parking lane in each direction. While cross streets are not proposed to be changed, radius returns and sidewalk ramps will be reconstructed for ADA compliance at all intersections.
Roll plots of the proposed improvement plan and roadway sections are provided below. Click on the pictures to open the full-size files in a new window, where you can more easily zoom into the exhibits.
South Area Project Roll Plot
North Project Area Roll Plot
Summary of Roadway and Utility Improvements
Existing and Proposed Lane Configuration
Contact Us
Any comments received now through the end of the Public Information Meeting (PIM) #2 comment period (April 24, 2023) will be specifically added to the PIM #2 Meeting record. Comments can be submitted using the online form below.
@cbbel.com