Yorkville Police determined to reduce out of control speeding in downtown area

After a series of complaints from residents and businesses about excessive speeding in downtown Yorkville, heading into the new year the Yorkville Police Department is making it a chief priority to improve safety in the area.

The department briefed city officials on their December traffic study of the downtown area and their suggestions on how to improve safety at a public safety committee meeting.

The study, which monitored Dec. 10 – Dec. 31, recorded 86% of vehicles traveling at least 37 mph in the downtown 30 mph zone. Excessive speeding over that time period resulted in 111 police stops, 103 written warnings issued and eight citations issues from the downtown area of River Road to Fox Road. The study also measured one unidentified individual flying over 95 mph through the downtown district.

The study measured around 9,900 vehicles traveling 11-15 mph over the speed limit in the downtown district, and an additional 1,773 vehicles cruising 16 mph or more over the limit.

During the meeting, Chief of Police James Jensen said his department is increasing their presence in the area to abate the downtown speeding safety issue.

“If people are afraid to drive in this town because if they’re speeding they’re going to get a ticket, then that’s the reputation I want to have driving through downtown Yorkville,” Jensen said during the meeting.

Over the years, the downtown area has widened its streets to accommodate more travelers both passing through and stopping at the increasing number of downtown restaurants and businesses.

The study measured around 9,000 daily vehicles traveling through the area.

The committee discussed strategies to abate the safety issue, from increasing the police presence in the area to modifying speed limit changes.

In order to get vehicles to slow down before they enter the downtown area, the police department has already increased its patrol area and presence across the downtown district.

The department reached out to both the Kendall County Sheriff’s office and Illinois State Police to help with manpower in the area. Both offices agreed to assist Yorkville Police, contingent on their available resources.

During the meeting, Jensen said the department has taken heat for implementing a minimum monthly quota of traffic citation write-ups each patrolman must submit. He said such a strategy is crucial for countering problem areas such as the downtown district.

“We are not an insurance policy as a police department, if something bad happens, we are there, but our job is to be proactive,” Jensen said during the meeting. “That’s what our residents expect, that’s what the board members expect. So, we bit the bullet last year… We average it out now per shift… Our goal is to be focusing on areas where we know we have problems.”

Beyond increasing a police presence, Yorkville Police Sergeant Sam Stroup suggested during the meeting that the 30 mph sign be moved further north along Route 47 to encourage drivers to slow down earlier before they hit the more congested public downtown area.

The road currently only has 500 feet of driving space to reduce speeds from 35 mph to 30 mph before entering the downtown district.

Official changes to the speed limits on the downtown road would require approval from the Illinois Department of Transportation because it is a state road. The Yorkville Police said they will provide the city updates when they hear back from the Illinois Department of Transportation to see if they favor any possible changes.

Stroup said during the meeting that officials could also improve safety by updating a pedestrian crosswalk at Route 47 and Hydraulic Avenue. Officials have previously discussed removing the pedestrian crossing because it does not receive a lot of foot traffic, but Stroup said it could be vital to encouraging drivers to slow down and proceed through the public area with caution.

The committee discussed the raised roadway medians implemented in Plainfield that helped diminish speed as well as the narrowed downtown roadways in Batavia that had a positive impact on reducing speeding.