Kaneville Road in Geneva, Illinois is becoming increasingly dangerous for pedestrians and drivers. My wife, young children, and I live directly on Kaneville, and we constantly witness drivers reaching speeds in excess of 50 miles per hour. We have also witnessed several accidents and countless close calls.

The Issues:

Residential street, not treated as one: Kaneville Road is a residential through street, comparable to Western Avenue or Anderson Boulevard, with over 50 homes and residential driveways. Despite this, drivers treat it more like a cut-through highway than a neighborhood street, especially as the lanes widen and the speed increases.

Speed limit increase in a school zone: Inexplicably, the posted speed limit increases from 30 mph to 35 mph just as the road approaches a school zone. This contradicts the goal of protecting children and families. 5 out of 10 pedestrians will survive being struck by a vehicle at 30mph. Only 1 out of 10 will survive being struck at 40 mph (per the Seattle dept. of transportation). 

Heavy pedestrian use: Each day, hundreds of pedestrians from Pepper Valley, Dover Ridge (Southampton), and surrounding neighborhoods bike, walk, and cross Kaneville Road. Kaneville is also a connection point between the downtown area and the Randall Road corridor. Because sidewalks are not continuous on both sides, unnecessary and dangerous street crossings are unavoidable, increasing the risk of pedestrian accidents, especially in higher-speed areas. 

Unsafe driver behavior: Cars often attempt to drive around stopped and turning vehicles, endangering pedestrians and other motorists. Stronger signage, lane markers, and enforcement of "do not pass" rules are needed to discourage this behavior.

Solutions We Support:

• Reduce the speed limit to better reflect Kaneville Road's residential and school-zone character.
• Add stricter signage and road markings, emphasizing pedestrian safety, bus stops, and school zones.
• Implement traffic-calming measures such as pedestrian refuges at crossings.
• Consider installation of dedicated bike lanes and continuous sidewalks on both sides of the street.
• On-street parking and/or bike lanes to visually narrow the roadway (a proven method of reducing speeds and improving driver attentiveness).

Why It Matters:

Kaneville Road should be a safe street for families, children, and all residents. Without intervention, the current conditions will only increase the risk of serious accidents or injury. Time is of the essence, as development west of Randall Road continues to grow and will only add more traffic to Kaneville.

We urge city officials to take action now to make Kaneville Road safer for all.