Dupage Policy Journal

The Elmhurst City Council discussed the city's long-term issues with sidewalks during the board's meeting on March 20.

Currently, the city's policy regarding sidewalk replacement requires majority support from the residents of any affected area, as well as the sharing of cost between the city and the affected residents. Area residents have been surveyed on the issue, which has also been discussed in council since late 2021, and the consensus has been that most residents support sidewalk replacement, but not when they have to share the cost. The council also also noted a lack of sidewalks in certain areas in the northeast and northwest sections of the city, as well as several elementary schools, which lack a connecting sidewalk, which Alderman Christopher Jensen said the city must correct.

"With the new sidewalks, children will be able to walk or ride to school safely as children in most other parts of Elmhurst," he said. "By providing these safe routes to school, more children will be able to safely enjoy the significant health benefits of walking around a school by reducing traffic congestion around their schools."

Since residents were unwilling to support the cost of new sidewalks but the city has deemed them as a high priority, as a compromise the council decided to place the sidewalks on only one side of the street, Alderman Mike Brennan said. The priority locations were determined to be one side of Crestview Avenue from York to Van Auken, one side of Indiana Street from Crestview to Wrightwood, and one side of Van Auken Street from Crestview to Wrightwood. 

Those areas will provide major connections between neighborhoods and two schools. The city plans to pay for the project using Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds, as well as state or federal grants from the Safe Routes to School program through the Department of Transportation. The city will begin the application process as soon as possible, as the timeline for grant approval could be several years, Brennan said.

Brennan and other council members said that the board was appreciative of the sidewalk survey and review, especially the depth of information brought forward by the committee. Though the process has gone against the city's policy regarding sidewalks, it was noted that the high priority and nature of the work makes it a different from typical sidewalk projects. The council voted to move forward.

"The result is that for the first time since the Crestview neighborhood became part of Elmhurst proper 58 years ago, the city will fund 100% of the cost of installation of some sidewalks, those that act as safe routes to school," Jensen said. "While this project is focused on one neighborhood in particular, it benefits Elmhurst as a whole."