Naperville Transportation Advisory Board Meeting - September 4, 2025
Naperville Transportation Advisory Board Meeting - September 4, 2025
The Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) met on Thursday, September 4, 2025, at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers at 400 S. Eagle Street. Chairman Brian Laird called the meeting to order, noting the absence of Councilwoman Longenbaugh as liaison and thanking her for her service. Roll call was taken with 7 members present (Hurley, Krzywinski, Neibel, Webb, Nair, Laird, Ulger) and 1 absent (Rose). The meeting adjourned at 8:33 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (August 7, 2025): Approved unanimously (7-0).
- Police Department Report: Sergeant Muska reported on recent Labor Day STEP grant enforcement (85 stops, 99 citations, 2 DUIs, 2 arrests), three serious motorcycle crashes (two fatal), increased school zone presence, and initial drafting of an e-bike ordinance with TED and City Legal. The report was received.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Marilyn Schweitzer (Public Forum): Expressed disappointment that City Council eliminated the 2025 sidewalk cost share program in April, stating that staff was to bring a revised plan to TAB but has not. She urged elimination of cost share for repair/replacement, calling it a public safety issue, and requested TAB ask staff to bring the matter forward.
- Marilyn Schweitzer (on Road Improvement Plan): Expressed disappointment that the 2008 road impact fee was discontinued, leading to traffic studies not being considered for developments. She asked if the fee could be reconsidered or better planning adopted to prevent poor levels of service and safety hazards.
- Pat and Donna Malone (on Franklin Avenue sidewalk): Opposed the proposed sidewalk on the south side of Franklin east of Julian, citing significant landscaping and retaining wall impacts, and noted they never received the survey. They emphasized the historic character of the neighborhood and the existence of a continuous sidewalk on the north side.
- Paul Hinterlong (on Laird Street sidewalk): Opposed the proposed sidewalk due to potential damage to trees he planted (including river birches) and landscaping. He noted that the city had already removed the location from the program.
- Andrew Bodewes (on Wright Street sidewalk): Supported the sidewalk program, citing safety concerns for children walking to school and ADA accessibility for a family member in a wheelchair. He thanked the board and staff.
- Dane Zieman (on Laird Street sidewalk): Supported the petition to install sidewalk on Laird between Wilson and Douglas, stating he would remove landscaping in the way. He noted safety hazards for pedestrians at the intersection.
- Jay Valentine (on Franklin Avenue sidewalk): Expressed concerns about sidewalk proximity to his home, requesting it be pushed as close to the street as possible, even at the cost of losing two trees. He asked for assurance that his concerns would be considered during design.
- Marilyn Schweitzer (on Sidewalk Program): Voiced support for several specific gaps, including Franklin Avenue, Wright Street, Prairie Avenue, Willow Road, Porter Avenue, and others, stating that sidewalks are important for public safety beyond just residents on the block.
Discussion Items
- 2050 City of Naperville Road Improvement Plan (Item 3): Rory Francler from Kimley-Horn presented the final plan, addressing earlier feedback. Key points: corrected a map error on 87th Street; for Ogden & Iroquois, a sensitivity analysis showed excess capacity even with the new coffee shop, no modification needed. The plan includes 15 intersection improvements, 2 roadway widenings, Book Road extension, and 2 potential road diets. Implementation considerations (funding, coordination, safety, school walk routes, etc.) were provided without strict prioritization. The plan is capacity-driven and will be implemented over 20 years via CIP. The board approved the recommendation to approve the plan (7-0).
- 2026-2027 Annual New Sidewalk Program (Item 4): Civil Engineer Christine Rhoades presented the program. Staff recommended a two-year program with a contingency list, removing three locations: Prairie Ave (Brainard to Victoria Ct), Victoria Ct (Prairie to cul-de-sac), and Laird St (Benton to Wilson) due to late opposition or survey errors. The program includes 12 gaps. After public comment, board members discussed survey processes, outreach to non-respondents, and design flexibility. The board approved the recommendation as amended (7-0).
- Removal of Cab/Taxi Stands on Chicago Avenue (Item 5): Staff recommended removal due to lack of use. 100% of survey respondents supported. The Downtown Naperville Alliance also supported. Approved (7-0).
- Removal of Cab/Taxi Stands on Jefferson Avenue (Item 6): Similar to Chicago Avenue. 100% support. Approved (7-0).
- Removal of 15-Minute Parking on Webster Street (Item 7): Staff recommended removing the 15-minute parking and modifying the no-parking zone to create a mid-block refuge. Survey results: 85% support (including non-responses counted as support). Board expressed concerns about street width and safety, especially with Eagle Street now one-way. Staff noted a future traffic study will be conducted after Washington Street construction. The board voted to table the item (7-0) pending further study.
- Modify Parking Restrictions on Webster Street (Item 8): This item was combined with Item 7 discussion and was also tabled.
- No Parking, Stopping, or Standing Zone on Brooksedge Avenue (Item 9): Staff recommended establishing a zone 85 feet from Brightweiser Lane to improve sight distance and mail delivery. Approved (7-0).
Key Outcomes
- Approved (7-0): August 2025 minutes, 2050 Road Improvement Plan, 2026-2027 Sidewalk Program (as amended), removal of taxi stands on Chicago and Jefferson Avenues, and no parking zone on Brooksedge Avenue.
- Tabled (7-0): Webster Street parking modifications (Items 7 and 8) pending a traffic study after Washington Street construction.
- Old Business: Staff reported the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan update is underway with consultant Epstein; public outreach begins soon. Hurley inquired about the sidewalk cost share program; Hynes stated it will be discussed during upcoming budget discussions.
- New Business: Ulger asked about enforcement of fast e-bikes; Muska confirmed an ordinance is being drafted with TED and Legal. Hurley asked about rideshare volume downtown; Prousa said staff will look into data collection and potential pickup areas.
- Adjourned: 8:33 PM.
Meeting Transcript
September 4th, 2025 to order. Staff, please conduct the roll call. Mr. Hurley? Here. Mr. Kriswinski. Here. Mr. Laird. Here. Miss Nyer. Here. Mr. Nybel? Here. Mr. Olger? Here. Miss Rose. Not here. Mr. Webb. Here. So we have a quorum and the meeting is officially called to order. I would like to thank all the volunteers on the board giving their time to make Naperville a great place to live. I would also like to thank Councilwoman Longenbach for the service she's provided to the Transportation Advisory Board. Um, and we look forward to a new council liaison in the future. So we have uh another full agenda tonight, so let's get to it. Um the first order of business tonight is the public forum. During the public forum, members of the public have the opportunity to address the transportation advisory board on issues that are not part of tonight's agenda. Uh, in accordance with City of Naperville policies, comments should be limited to three minutes. Staff, do we have anyone signed up to speak as part of the public forum? We have one speaker, Marilyn Schweitzer. Longtime resident. Um, in April, City Council eliminated the 2025 cost share for sidewalk repair. This is a gift for 2025 select residents with no relief guaranteed in the future. My understanding was that staff was to bring a plan to potentially revise the existing program to TAB and coordinate it with the 2026 budget. I've heard nothing since April. This is not a discussion to pop up during budget discussions, nor once the 2026 program is ready for approval. A revised policy and ordinance needs to go before this board and on to city council where both can get adequate review. A sidewalk that is a hazard as defined by the city's criteria is simply a public safety hazard. We don't cost share curb work or street repair, so why sidewalk repair? Eliminating cost share may cost residents, may cost more residents to request hazardous sidewalks be repaired. This would be good. Hazards need to get fixed, and any backlog would be eliminated over time. The cost share for new sidewalks could be kept, but the elimination of cost share for sidewalk maintenance may reduce reluctance to close gaps. The revised program could cap the expense per year by setting a priority based on pedestrian volume and severity of the defect if this is indeed a budget concern. Sidewalk to pair, it depends much on the age of the sidewalk, the quality of the installation, tree roots and soil. Who pays for the cost share is simply the current owner?
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