While the Skokie Village Board looks to lower the village-wide speed limit to 25 mph, the state of Illinois is proposing cutting two lanes from, and adding safety features to, Lincoln Avenue, which is under Illinois Department of Transportation jurisdiction. The proposal would also cut 16 parking spaces near downtown Skokie.
A proposal unveiled by IDOT earlier this week called for reducing and squeezing Lincoln Avenue, between Niles Center Road (near the Skokie Theatre) southeast to Howard Street, from a four-lane road to three lanes, including one driving lane in each direction, a middle turning lane and two bike lanes.
The proposal is the first of three steps, which could take up to five years to implement. There is room for public input in this phase, ending Aug. 8, at idot.click/lincoln (click on Resources).
A video published on IDOT’s website says the agency intends for the Lincoln Avenue “road diet” proposal to improve safety for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. A 2016 to 2020 study reviewed 65 reported crashes on the corridor. Fifteen of those crashes included an injury.
Another 34 crashes reported property damage and 16 crashes involved possible injuries. About two-thirds of those crashes were caused by a vehicle turning or front to rear, per the study.
“A road diet will also provide improved traffic flow due to a more appropriate lane configuration, and provide more consistent speeds to to he more efficient use of the existing roadway space,” according to IDOT.
In its current condition, Lincoln Avenue’s speed limit varies from 30 to 35 mph, but a portion of it also has a 20 mph school speed zone for Lincoln Junior High School. The school is on the north side of the avenue, along with Oakton College and Devar Emet Messianic Synagogue. The south side of the avenue has a largely residential single-family home neighborhood.
Charlie Saxe, the co-founder of the Skokie Bicycle Network, a group of cyclist safety advocates, told Pioneer Press that IDOT’s proposal is a “significant improvement” in terms of safety for all Lincoln Avenue travelers.
As many as 16 parking spots could be eliminated by the new “road diet” near Babb and LeClair avenues, with IDOT recommending nearby surface lots to be used as parking lots.
Mayor Ann Tennes released a statement regarding the proposal.
“Road diet-type roadway improvements seem to be a trend for both county and state projects. I’m generally interested in design/improvement options that calm traffic to enhance safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
“I appreciate the Illinois Department of Transportation holding the public meeting in Skokie last week regarding proposed Lincoln Avenue improvements, and am interested to learn more about public comments received both at the meeting and during the continued public comment period that closes on Aug. 8, 2025.”
If the plan were to be implemented, the first phase of a potential project, consisting of an engineering and environmental study, is estimated to take between 12 and 18 months. The second phase, of land acquisition and contract planning, is also estimated to take between 12 and 18 months. The third phase would be construction, and it is estimated to take between one and two construction seasons, according to IDOT.
In addition to giving comment at the idot.click/lincoln website, individuals can give their input to IDOT via email at [email protected]. or by postal mail at: Illinois Department of Transportation Bureau of Programming, 4th Floor, Attn: Amruta Mate, 201 West Center Court, Schaumburg, IL 60196-1096.