As a part of the City of Naperville’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan, the Naperville Pedestrian Plan (“Plan”) was created to design and implement policies, practices, and programs that promote a safe pedestrian experience and limit pedestrian accidents. The Plan also recognizes that there are many different pedestrian experiences and paths of travel. For instance, the Naperville Riverwalk is located west of Naperville City Hall in Riverwalk Park. The Riverwalk is pedestrian friendly and has very little interference from motorists or other uses. In a different section of Naperville, the Naperville Historic District is located north of North Central College. The Historic District is a highly mixed-use neighborhood with motorists, crosswalks, stop lights, Ellsworth Elementary School, First Congressional Church, Community United Methodist Church, many local business, etc. These areas represent different and unique pedestrian needs and desires.
Policies and Practices
In order to effectively develop and coordinate Naperville’s varying pedestrian needs, Naperville has developed a rubric of policies and practices to be considered when undertaking a pedestrian project.
Some of the Plan’s policies include:
– Requiring the installation of sidewalks, shared-use paths, crosswalks, etc., through the development process.
– Encouraging pedestrian-friendly land use during development, updated, and revision of Naperville’s Comprehensive Land Use Plans.
– Ensuring compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
– Balancing safety concerns with costs, aesthetics, accessibility, intended uses, etc.
Some of the Plan’s best practices include:
– Applying federal, state, and local standards for pedestrian facility design.
– Identifying and updating existing pedestrian facilities.
– Coordinating with other agencies, organizations, and City departments.
– Considering the needs of different pedestrians, including seniors, disabled, and children.
Specific Initiatives
The City of Naperville administers programs to encourage and develop pedestrian friendly environments. The City of Naperville creates and distributes a School Walk Route Plans to every elementary school and middle school in the City of Naperville, which outlines the safest route to and from school. In combination with the School Walk Route Plans, the City of Naperville coordinates the Adult School Crossing Guard Policy, which provides an adult crossing guard at designated crosswalks on the routes.
Naperville’s pedestrian plan recognizes that the environments that need to be the safest, most conducive to walking are the residential areas, business areas, schools, parks, and libraries.
Sidewalks, crosswalks, pedestrian signals are designed to segregate travel for safety and convenience purposes.
DuPage County
DuPage County’s transportation diversity presents many risks for motorists and pedestrians. DuPage County car accidents can be better avoided by knowing and understanding the major highways and interstates that are found within DuPage County
Major DuPage County interstates and highways:
– Interstate 88 (Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway) to the South. Interstate 290 (Dwight D. Eisenhower Expressway) in the northeast.
– Interstate 355 (Veterans Memorial Tollway) running north/south through the center of the county.
– Route 53 running past Lombard and Glen Ellyn and merging into I-290 to the north – Route 59 running through West Chicago.
– U.S. Highway 20 (Lake Street) running through Bloomingdale and Addison.
– Route 64 running through Elmhurst, Glendale Heights, and Carol Stream.
– U.S. Highway 34 running through Naperville, Lisle, and Downers Grove.
– U.S Route 38 running through Wheaton, Winfield, and Oakbrook Terrace.
– U.S. Route 83 (Kingery Highway) running through Willowbrook, Oak Brook, Oakbrook terrace, Elmhurst, and Bensenville.
The plan represents significant steps toward lowing pedestrian related accidents. Careful planning is imperative to reduce injuries from pedestrian accidents, such as broken bones.