Changes to dangerous curve aim to make Lincoln Square safer for pedestrians

Forty years ago, traffic engineers scored a major win with the mall-ification of Lincoln Square. But their design had a flaw, one that’s about to be corrected, or at least made more manageable.

In his most recent newsletter to constituents, Ald. Ameya Pawar (47th) shared the plans for proposed changes to the unwieldy curve that reroutes Lincoln Avenue via Leland onto Western.

“My office has received regular calls and emails from residents and visitors expressing concern about pedestrian safety at Lincoln and Leland with the high volume of cars, bikes and pedestrians moving through the area,” Pawar said.

The curve dates back to 1978, when Lincoln Avenue between Leland and Lawrence was closed to northbound cars. While the shift to one-way traffic paved the way for the creation of Lincoln Square’s charming retail and restaurant hub, the curve at the strip’s southern gateway has been both a hazard to pedestrians and an aesthetic needle scratch.

“This has been on our radar, but it’s a tough spot. We’ve been trying to figure out what to do,” said Jim Poole, Pawar’s chief of staff.

A “stop for pedestrians” sign placed in the curve’s crosswalk proved ineffective, and a proposal to create a “pedestrian island” in the center of the curve was dropped over concerns that trucks would have difficulty negotiating the obstacle, Poole said.

Ultimately the alderman’s office partnered with the Chicago Department of Transportation to develop a holistic approach to the entire Lincoln-Leland-Western route.

Among the significant changes:

• the addition of a second crosswalk between the square and the Western Brown Line parking lot, and realignment of the existing crosswalk

• bump-outs at key crossing points to shorten the distance for pedestrians

• a stop sign for southbound motorists at Lincoln and Leland

• a wider sidewalk on the north side of the curve, with trees and stamped pavement tying the stretch into the rest of the square’s streetscape

“It will be much safer for folks crossing the street,” Poole said.

The cost of the project is pegged at $300,000, the majority of which will be paid for out of Pawar’s discretionary aldermanic “menu” fund. Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer also came up with $75,000 through the “Invest in Cook” program, according to Poole.

The project is likely to kick off in spring or summer 2018, pending completion of ongoing sewer work in the area, he said.