Fox Park and Center, one of Oak Park’s most popular family destinations, is located near two busy intersections: Oak Park Avenue at Jackson Boulevard and Oak Park Avenue at Adams Street. These crossings have become a significant safety hazard for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, especially children, seniors and people with mobility challenges.

There were a total of 29 car crashes at Oak Park/Adams and Oak Park/Jackson in 2018 and 2019, according to readily available published Village statistics. More recently, at least two neighbors, one adult and one child, have been struck by cars at these crossings. The intersections are especially dangerous in the winter, when Fox Park users are more likely to cross Oak Park Avenue after dark.

We, the undersigned, urge the Village of Oak Park to conduct a traffic study at these intersections. Such a study would determine whether implementing traffic calming measures --such as targeted speed enforcement and high visibility crosswalks -- could improve overall safety and make Fox Park and Center more accessible to Oak Park residents.