60646 Blog reader and North Edgebrook resident, Dennis Paterka, has asked me to publish on 60646 Blog a few pieces of correspondence that he has submitted regarding the decision that was made a while back to remove the “right-turn only” sign in Niles, where Melvina Ave. intersects Touhy Ave. I am giving Mr. Paterka a discussion platform on 60646 Blog, because (a) his – and his immediate neighbors’ – issue is an Edgebrook quality of life concern from their point of view, and (b) it’s a subject that may have ramifications for neighborhood real estate values, and 60646 Blog is mainly a real estate blog. Please understand though that just because Mr. Paterka is receiving a platform here, does NOT necessarily mean that I agree with everything he writes, says, or opines. It’s merely meant to encourage others to join into a discussion, and exchange viewpoints. While doing so, please remember to keep the debate civilized. Younger audiences might be reading here, as well.

Intersection of Touhy Ave and Melvina Ave in Edgebrook Chicago

Melvina Ave. at Touhy Ave. facing south

Melvina Ave. at Touhy Ave. facing south

Deputy Chief Counsel Lance Jones, IDOT – Room 324, 2300 South Dirksen Parkway, Springfield, IL 62764
September 28, 2009
Address: redacted
Telephone number: redacted
email address: redacted

Dear Mr Jones,

You have been referred to me in the attached letter from Ms. Barbara Brush for further questions concerning the IDOT traffic signals at the location of Melvina and Touhy. This letter states that the traffic signals were installed as a result of a permit issued to Niles. If Niles has the right to request that the traffic signals be installed, conversely I have the right to request that Niles€™ permit be revoked and the traffic signals be removed as they have now become a hazard to the residents of the 7100 block of north Melvina in Chicago and the Chicago neighborhood of North Edgebrook for the following reasons:
In July of 2007 Niles eliminated a right turn only lane on Melvina in Niles (picture attached). The result has been an enormous increase in traffic using the residential street of the 7100 block of north Melvina in Chicago and the Chicago residential neighborhood of North Edgebrook as a thoroughfare and arterial route for entering and exiting the Niles commercial/industrial area. The specific hazards created by the traffic signals are as follows:
1) They create an inter-residential neighborhood arterial route the goes past three child populated areas, Wildwood Park, Wildwood grammar school and Saint Mary of the Woods grammar school. It is not safe for the children of North Edgebrook for all this traffic to be allowed to run through the neighborhood and it is just a question of time until some kid gets hit.
2) The significant increase in volume of non residential traffic and the recklessness with which this non residential traffic uses the North Edgebrook neighborhood degrades the safety of residents and property such as parked cars.
3) The degradation of safety because of the number of industrial trucks entering Melvina into Chicago from Niles ignoring the posting of no trucks over 5 tons.
4) The degradation of quality of life for Melvina residents because of noise and auto pollution, litter and vandalism from the above mentioned traffic.
5) The negative effect the above has on property values.
6) The stress from the above combined affects health.
7) The destructive effects the increase traffic load is having on the subterranean infrastructure of North Edgebrook streets. Since Niles eliminated the right turn only lane in 2007 the 7000 block of Tahoma which doglegs from Melvina has suffered two water main breaks and a collapsed manhole cover. This leads me to worry if the same traffic stress could be affecting the gas main crossovers that are underneath the streets of North Edgebrook. These are Chicago residential streets that were built in 1952 to 1952 residential standards at a time when the Niles commercial/industrial area that the traffic signals at Melvina and Touhy now service was still native prairie and the dilapidated ILG park. They were never designed to carry the traffic load of being an arterial route for a Niles commercial/industrial area. From the attached correspondence with Peoples Gas their response is that they don’t do traffic studies to determine this issue. Also attached is correspondence from the Chicago Department of Transportation’s Freedom of Information Officer that states Chicago also has done no traffic studies.
And for whatever its worth, from the quantity of information which I received from both Ms. Brush and Niles under the Freedom of Information Act concerning the installation of the traffic signals at Melvina and Touhy it is dumbfounding that on one hand IDOT had to put an incredible amount of effort into the installation of these traffic signals but on the other hand made no effort whatsoever to inform the residents of the 7100 bock of Melvina that these traffic signals were going to be installed. As well, neither IDOT or Niles was able to present the original permit to install the traffic signals at Melvina and Touhy, as such it is my contention that there is no permit and the traffic signals at Melvina and Touhy are therefore illegal.
Five copies of the letter attached to Niles Mayor Callero have been sent to the Niles Village Hall, two via certified mail, trying to resolve this issue but all have been ignored, as such I would like to have whatever applications are necessary sent to me to have the traffics signals at Melvina and Touhy removed in order to eliminate the hazards listed above. Attached you will find a petition from Melvina residents to have the 7100 block of north Melvina be made a one way street to show that there is community support for my request.

Respectfully,
Dennis Paterka

Mayor Robert Callero, 1000 Civic Center Drive, Niles, IL 60714
May 18, 2009
Address: redacted
Telephone number: redacted
email address: redacted

Dear Mayor Callero,

It has become necessary to bring to your attention the intersection of Melvina and Touhy on the Niles – Chicago border. As you can see from the enclosed picture Niles eliminated a right turn only lane in July 2007 that had been in place on Melvina in Niles for ten years. The removal of this right turn only lane has caused this intersection to become a hazard to residents of Melvina in Chicago and the neighborhood of North Edgebrook for the following reasons:
1) The significant increase in volume of non residential traffic that is now entering Melvina in Chicago from Niles and the recklessness of this non residential traffic degrades the safety of residents and in particular children.
2) The degradation of safety because of the number of industrial trucks entering Melvina in Chicago from Niles which is posted for no trucks over 5 tons.
3) The degradation of quality of life because of noise and auto pollution and litter from the above mentioned traffic.
4) The negative effect the above has on property values.
It is just a question of time until some child gets hit by this traffic! How is it humanly possible for Niles, Where People Count, to ignore the lives and safety of children?
Please save yourself the trouble of forwarding this letter to Scott Jochim and George Van Geem for a response. I have already heard them espouse ordinances, viability and the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices. The stop light at this intersection was installed at the request of Niles and required a variance because of its proximity the stop light at Mobile and Touhy and as such Niles should take responsibility for any hazard that this stop light incurs. The rules were bent to have it installed and this intersection created and as such should continue to require variances to prevent this intersection from becoming more of a hazard than it has already become with the removal of the right turn only lane.
Of course it would be unreasonable to remove the stop light at Melvina and Touhy but considering the amount of money Niles makes in sales and property taxes from Target/CostCo/YMCA and the adjacent industrial area it would not be unreasonable for Niles to take responsibility for the safety of this intersection and all those which it negatively effects because the existence of this intersection was made at Niles’ request.
As such I would like to ask Niles to put back the right turn only with a safety island as enclosed example pictures show so that this intersection will stop being a hazard to Melvina in Chicago and North Edgebrook residents and children.
Your experience I this issue will be greatly appreciated.

Respectfully,
Dennis Paterka

Governor Quinn, 100 W. Randolph Street, Suite 16-100, Chicago, IL 60601
October 10, 2009
Address: redacted
Telephone number: redacted
email address: redacted

Dear Governor Quinn,
While an IDOT traffic signal may seem a trivial thing to have to bring to a governor’s attention, from the attached letter from IDOT’s Freedom of Information Officer Ms Barbara Brush it is stated that IDOT has the authority to install a traffic signal without ordinance. As such the only elected authority to which IDOT answers to is the governors office and therefore my only recourse against the hazard of the IDOT traffic signal at Melvina and Touhy on the Chicago Niles border is to bring my complaint to the governors office.
The extent of the IDOT traffic signal hazard is fully described in the attached letters to IDOT Deputy Chief Counsel Lance Jones and Niles Mayor Robert Callero. Without a watchdog neither IDOT or Niles has any incentive or concern to reverse/improve the hazard of the Melvina and Touhy traffic signal. Can the governors office help me improve this hazard?

Respectfully,
Dennis Paterka

To: Alderman Doherty

THIS IS THE ISSUE: MELVINA HAS BECOME A TOILET FOR NILES’ TRAFFIC

1) TRUCKS – Melvina has become established as a truck route for the Niles industrial area. Industrial trucks of all shapes and sizes up to semis routinely use Melvina for a shortcut. Melvina is posted for no trucks over 5 tons.

2) Safety – the less traffic on Melvina = more safety for Melvina residents.

3) Property Values – the value of a house on a thoroughfare for a Niles’ Retail/YMCA/Industrial Complex vs. the value of a house on a Chicago one way street.

4) Quality of Life – less traffic NOISE POLLUTION, less auto pollution, less worry about parking resident’s cars on the street, less danger about pulling out of driveways because of speeding vehicles, less litter thrown from vehicles and better safety for children.

5) Traffic has increased OVER TEN TIMES on the residential street of 7100 north Melvina since being repaved and the elimination of the right turn only lane by on Melvina in Niles. Quit hiding in Oriole Park and hold a community meeting and find out for yourself!

6) The stop signs that were petitioned for by Melvina & Tahoma residents and suggested by CDOT were never installed at Melvina, Estes and Tahoma making them even more critical.

7) Damage to subterranean infrastructure, gas, water and sewer mains.

8`) Since the 7100 block of Nagle and the 6400 block of Algonquin which are both in the Edgebrook triangle have been made one-way, under what standard have these streets been made one-way and why isn’t that same standard being used for Melvina which has a worse traffic problem than either of these streets because of the stoplight at Melvina and Touhy, or is a double standard being used?

9) Streams of traffic use Melvina in Chicago between 4-7 pm weekdays and all afternoon on weekends.

And when you do nothing and in the process of doing nothing allow a Chicago residential street to become a thoroughfare and truck route for a Niles’ Industrial/Retail/YMCA complex thereby jeopardizing the safety of Chicagoans, whom are you representing, Niles or Chicago?

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