City of St. Charles - Community Development Department

City of St. Charles > Community Development Department > Planning Division > Comprehensive Plan > Chapter 11

St. Charles COMPREHENSIVE PLAN - CHAPTER 11 TRANSPORTATION

CHAPTER OUTLINE

Chapter Focus

II.

Findings

A. Regional Planning Context

B. Traffic Movement

C. The Impact of Truck Traffic

D. Street Network

E. The Impact of Special Events and Tourism

F. Sidewalks and Bike Paths

G. Mass Transportation

H. The Impact of the DuPage County Airport

III.

Goals and Objectives

IV.

Implementation Statement

Transportation Network (Map 12)

CHAPTER FOCUS

The automobile is and will continue to be the most dominant mode of transportation for St. Charles. This Chapter addresses the efficient movement of the automobile, as well as other modes of transportation integral to the community, i.e., pedestrian movement, bicycles, mass transit and air transportation.

Growth in St. Charles and the region has increased the traffic using the City’s transportation network. This growth, however, is not the only factor that has impacted traffic movement in St. Charles. National and local trends have also significantly added to traffic. These trends include a dramatic increase of women in the work place, major shifts in employment distribution, increased commercial draw to St. Charles, and increased demand for large-lot single family development.

Although transportation and land use are discussed in separate chapters, they are very much interrelated. Improvements to increase highway capacity tend to encourage land use changes that result in increased trips until traffic congestion returns to the level it was prior to the improvements. On the other hand, changes in land use can increase traffic demand on existing roadways, resulting in the need for roadway improvements. The policies, goals and objectives of both the Transportation and Land Use Chapters should underlie decision making regarding either transportation or land use issues.

This Chapter was developed with three basic premises: 1) any solutions or recommendations must address an ever-changing future traffic demand, not just present problems; 2) many traffic issues and solution are regional in scope and cooperation with state and regional transportation planning agencies is essential; and 3) the interaction between transportation systems and land use patterns must be recognized and addressed in both transportation and land use policies.

II.

FINDINGS

Regional Planning Context

Transportation planning is carried out at federal, state, regional and local levels of government. In light of regional environmental problems and recurring traffic congestion, it is important that the City understand how its transportation system fits into the broader context of transportation planning and programming in Illinois.

Two federal acts – the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAA) of 1990 and the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficient Act (ISTEA) funding package passed in 1991 – have had a significant impact on transportation policies, programs and priorities on state, regional and local levels. The Clean Air Act requires that northeastern Illinois, a non-attainment area for ozone, reduce ozone-producing emissions which are primarily generated by motor vehicles. ISTEA requires that the regional planning process be comprehensive and include consideration of all transportation modes, energy conservation, the enhancement of transit service and roadway connectivity.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is responsible for developing a statewide master plan for ground, air, water and all other modes of transportation throughout the state. The State’s Transportation Plan is one of six major elements that formulate the State’s multi-year improvement programs. The other elements are needs assessment, public involvement, executive directive, funding availability and metropolitan planning organizations (MPO’s).

Regional transportation plans and improvements are coordinated through the Chicago Area Transportation Study (CATS). The CATS Policy Committee is the MPO for northeastern Illinois and consists of public and private transportation providers and federal, state and local transportation officials. The CATS final long-range transportation plan must also be approved by NIPC as the region’s land use policy planner.

The 2010 Transportation System Development Plan published by CATS in 1990 and revised in October, 1993 (to incorporate Clean Air Act and ISTEA directives), is currently the region’s official transportation planning document. The 2020 Transportation Plan is being prepared by CATS in cooperation with NIPC.

A significant feature of the CATS 2010 Plan is the designation of Strategic Regional Arterials (SRA’s). The SRA system is a network of major arterial roadways currently being studied by IDOT for its ability to carry increased traffic as an alternative to additional expressway construction. SRA’s within the St. Charles planning area are:

Illinois Route 64
Randall Road
Kirk Road
Ill. Route 25 north of Dunham Road
Dunham Road from Ill. Route 25 to Kirk Road
Stearns Road from Dunham Road to U.S. 20

In 1992 the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) adopted the "Strategic Plan for Land Resource Management" which recognizes that better land resource planning and growth management will be needed to achieve the purposes of ISTEA and the Clean Air Act. The plan identifies increasing traffic and poor air quality resulting from rapid decentralization of the region’s population and jobs plus the rapid consumption of land by low density development. This conclusion is supported in part by the following facts:

• While the region’s overall population increased by only 4.1%, residential land consumption increased by an estimated 46%.

• The suburban share of the region’s employment grew from approximately 44% to 61%.

• The region’s commercial/industrial land consumption increased by 75%, predominantly in the suburbs.

• Between 1980 and 1990, average daily vehicle miles traveled increased by 33% while public transportation ridership decreased by 17%.

An objective of NIPC’s Resource Management Plan is to achieve a more balanced regional development pattern. Recommendations for local government transportation policies aimed at achieving this objective include the following:

•	State and local transportation programs should be coordinated with open space and greenway planning in order to encourage joint use and landscape enhancements of rights-of-way, as well as to assure the continuity of greenways, trails and bikeways.

•	All levels of government should seek to protect planned rights-of-way identified in the 2010 plan.

•	IDOT, CATS, counties, municipalities and private developers should expand the practice of jointly preparing sub-regional studies which examine the cumulative transportation impacts of current and alternative municipal and county growth plans.

•	Local governments should adopt land use and site design regulations which will encourage the property functioning of roadways, particularly SRAs. Design and land use guidelines developed by PACE and Metra should be followed. IDOT, in conjunction with local governments, should develop designs for arterial improvements that will make SRAs compatible with the land areas through which they pass.

Traffic Movement

(Note: Most of the traffic study and traffic count information in this Chapter is taken from the 1990 Comprehensive Plan. No new traffic studies were made for the purpose of updating the Plan in 1995.)

To better evaluate east-west traffic movement, the "St. Charles Downtown Traffic Improvement Study" dated June 20, 1988, was completed by the Chicago Area Transportation Study (CATS). The study noted that:

Until the 1970’s, St. Charles and other communities of the Fox River Valley were relatively isolated from the northeastern Illinois metropolitan area. Streets in St. Charles were designed largely to meet the travel needs of community residents and farmers from surrounding rural areas. The downtown businesses of St. Charles provided nearly all the services and goods needed by local residents. Most of St. Charles’ commercial development was located along Main Street and Illinois Street, the principal east-west streets through St. Charles.

Today, though, St. Charles is no longer separated from the urbanized area to the east. According to the U.S. Bureau of Census, DuPage and Kane Counties have already grown in population by more than 10% since 1980. The development experienced by DuPage County has spilled over into eastern Kane County and the Fox River Valley. Development has crossed over the Fox River as new subdivisions and businesses have located west of St. Charles.

Traffic has increased with the development and change in character of eastern Kane County and the Fox River Valley. Additional east-west traffic in eastern Kane County is particularly troublesome because it must be confined to those few roadways that bridge the Fox River. In the case of St. Charles, east-west traffic is funneled onto Main and Illinois Streets, the only river crossings between South Elgin and Geneva.

Since this study was written, the City completed construction of the Prairie Street bridge in 1994, designed as a 3-lane bridge to handle local traffic. In 1993 the Main Street bridge average daily traffic (ADT) was 39,044. 1995 City 24-hour traffic counts show that the Prairie Street bridge relieves traffic on the Main Street and Illinois Street bridges.

TABLE 11-1 TRAFFIC COUNTS ON BRIDGES
		Lane/Direction
	Date	Eastbound	Westbound	Total ADT
Main Street Bridge	3/29-3/30/95* 5/4-5/5/95	15,558 18,199	15,594 18,854	31,152 37,053

Illinois Street Bridge	3/29-3/30/95* 5/3-5/4/95	1,580 4,920	4,699 5,734	6,279 10,654

Prairie Street Bridge	3/29-3/30/95* 5/2-5/3/95	4,069 4,805	3,047 3,584	7,116 8,389

* Count taken during school spring break

A number of studies and traffic counts were taken to examine traffic movement in St. Charles. All traffic counts were actual manual counts or mechanical counts. The numbers represent daily averages. Key findings of these studies and counts were included in the 1990 Comprehensive Plan as follows:

	a.	During the evening peak travel period (3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.), 3,450 vehicles per hour crossed the Fox River, using either Main Street or Illinois Street bridges. Source: St. Charles Downtown Traffic Improvement Study, CATS, 1988.

	b.	The Main Street bridge is operating at or near a level of saturation traffic flow, which is a total of 2,000 vehicles per p.m. peak hour. Source: St. Charles Downtown Traffic Improvement Study, CATS, 1988; City traffic counts 1988 and 1989.

	c.	Representative 24-hour counts for Main Street are 32,285 just west of Kirk Road; 32,800 at Main Street bridge; and 18,500 west of Randall Road. Source: City traffic counts 1987, 1988 and 1990.

	d.	Studies show that 25% to 30% of the total traffic in St. Charles is through traffic. Through traffic is defined as traffic that enters and exits St. Charles without stopping.

	e.	A license plate survey showed that approximately 17% of the total traffic on Main Street during peak traffic times was exclusively east-west through traffic.

	f.	See Figures 11-1, 11-2 and Table 1-2 for origin and destination study results.

	g.	54% of the traffic entering St. Charles on Route 64 west of Randall Road during the a.m. and p.m. peak hours on an average week-day is directly attributable to St. Charles. 70% of these trips cross the Fox River.

Additional 24-hour traffic counts for a number of township, county and state roads and highways are shown in Table 11-3.

Between 1988 and 2015, the greatest growth potential is in the west-northwestern area of the region. Traffic generated from this area will have a significant impact on St. Charles. The 1990 Comprehensive Plan projected that this impact represents 12,000 new vehicle trips on Route 64, 11,000 new vehicle trips on Randall Road, and 12,000 new vehicle trips on Route 31 for a total of 35,000 new vehicle trips.

A Traffic Impact Study completed for the Fairgrounds/West Gateway Area concluded that "a 20-year design for Randall Road will almost certainly require 6 through lanes between Illinois Routes 64 and 38" (by Hampton, Lenzini & Renwick, Inc., April, 1995). The study recommends needed roadway and intersection improvements for Randall Road, Route 38, and Route 64 to accommodate increased regional traffic as well as site-generated traffic from the proposed Fairgrounds/West Gateway development.

The increased traffic from the east side of St. Charles cannot be as easily tied to specific routes. The total amount of new vehicle trips generated from the east side is 18,500. It is anticipated that by the year 2010 the volume of traffic using the Main Street and Illinois Street bridges will increase by 50%.

The immediate area of concern (where there is the most traffic congestion) is on Main Street between Tyler Road and 7th Street. In 1989, 70% to 75% of the traffic within this area was local traffic generated by school, shopping or employment. This area of traffic concentration is the center of the "I-Beam of Activity" described in Chapter 9.

Downtown St. Charles, centered on the City’s only arterial bridge crossing, is seriously affected by traffic congestion. The construction of the Prairie Street bridge has diverted some local traffic. Also, the State’s plans to reconstruct the Main Street bridge include minor widening, additional left-turn lanes and a more sophisticated interconnected traffic signal system to improve through traffic capacity.

Various regional analyses of traffic in Kane County indicate that future traffic demand will overwhelm the existing traffic capacity of the Fox River bridges. Additional bridges, including the construction of a regional bridge north of St. Charles, will provide some relief to future traffic congestion. The County is currently studying alternative Fox River bridge locations. Prior to development of any alternatives, various traffic, safety and land use issues and environmental impacts must be addressed.

The Gray-Division Street connection, in joint cooperation with the City of Geneva, is a long-range possibility for a future local bridge crossing.

The long term area of concern is residential growth in the west-northwest areas. With employment and commercial centers lying to the east, this growth will continue to generate east-west traffic movement.

FIGURE 11-1
TRAFFIC CROSSING FOX RIVER BRIDGES
(EVENING PEAK)|

Eastbound Traffic
	Origins	Destinations


Westbound Traffic
	Origins	Destinations

Source: 1990 St. Charles Comprehensive Plan

FIGURE 11-2
MAIN STREET TRAFFIC MOVEMENT
EVENING PEAK

Westbound Traffic

Eastbound Traffic

Source: 1990 St. Charles Comprehensive Plan

TABLE 11-2
TRAFFIC VOLUMES ON BRIDGES AND ENTERING St. Charles
(EVENING PEAK PERIOD)

VEHICLES PER HOUR

LOCATION

WESTBOUND/NORTHBOUND

EASTBOUND/SOUTHBOUND

Main Street Bridge

Illinois Street Bridge

1,050

750

930

720

East Main Street

West Main Street

1,250

880

920

830

South Illinois 25

North Illinois 25

290

530

380

500

South Illinois 31

North Illinois 31

320

420

280

330

Seventh Avenue

170

180

Prairie Street

Dean Street

440

100

360

Source: 1990 St. Charles Comprehensive Plan

TABLE 11-3 AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC (ADT) COUNTS
		1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995
City Bridge Counts
Main Street		32,269			39,044
Illinois Street				20,075	18,397	11,143
Prairie Street						8,135
Township and County (Counts by Kane Co. Div. Of Transportation)

Army Trail Road	a) west of Dunham					3,550

Crane Road	a) south of Bolcum					450
	b) south of Red Gate					458
	c) east of Randall					2,155
	d) west of Randall				2,162

Dean Street	a) east of Rt. 64			1,187	1,287
	b) west of Randall					5,794

Dunham Road	a) south of Kirk		7,767		6,042
	b) south of Army Trail		14,609	14,992		16,700
	c) south of Stearns		10,520		12,650
	d) south of Rt. 25				12,703	13,913
	e) north of Army Trail					10,836
	a) north of Rt. 64		9,692	10,818	11,767
	b) south of Rt. 64		17,992	22,721	28,412

Peck Road	a) north of Rt. 38		1,696	2,478		3,448
	b) south of Rt. 38		1,516		1,945
	c) north of Rt. 64				569
	d) south of Rt. 64				561	642

Randall Road	a) south of Rt. 38	21,621		21,617	28,045
	b) north of Rt. 38		39,221	32,709	31,256	37,361
	c) south of Rt. 64		34,362		33,871
	d) north of Rt. 64		18,812	22,072		26,200
	e) north of Crane			15,333	19,431
	f) south of Silver Glen			16,325		22,050

Red Gate Road	a) west of Randall					210
	b) east of Randall				893

Silver Glen Road	a) west of Randall		2,612	3,111		3,456
	b) west of Rt. 31		2,463		1,990

Stearns Road	a) east of Dunham		5,176		4,810	5,870
State Routes (from 1992 Traffic Map)

IL Route 64	a) east of Peck			14,900
	b) east of Randall			19,000
	c) west of Route 31			24,800
	d) east of Route 31			27,900
	e) east of Route 25			27,600
	f) east of Kirk			27,300

IL Route 31	a) north of Route 64			15,100
	b) south of Route 64			10,500

IL Route 25	a) south of Army Trail			9,800
	b) north of Rt. 64			11,800
	c) south of Rt. 64			9,600

Lincoln Highway (City Counts)	a) east of Randall b) east of Peck						17,033 12,559

The Impact of Truck Traffic

As an economic hub for the region, St. Charles has experienced increasing truck traffic. There is little through truck traffic traveling east to west. The majority of through truck movement is north/south, particularly on Route 31.

Truck traffic, particularly turning movements, within the downtown area can seriously interrupt traffic flow and is a major concern. There is a trend toward larger trucks which impacts existing intersection design. Also the size of trucks and the noise and fumes they generate negatively impact the pedestrian environment.

The City has little control over the routing of truck traffic; the State designates Class II truck routes. Trucks can travel on local roads within up to five miles of a designated Class II route. Along with being a major traffic interrupter, truck traffic is a major contributor to the need for road repair.

Street Network

With the development pattern of the area, the creation of any new arterial or collector roads to address future traffic demands will be difficult. Solutions must build upon and enhance the existing transportation network. A functional classification of streets establishes a basis for design and construction standards in order to facilitate the flow of people and goods in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Typically, each classification builds upon the previous classification based on the level and type of traffic served, leading to an arterial network that is tied to the larger region.

Service Roads
	Service roads parallel arterial streets, serving adjacent commercial or high traffic generating areas, safely feeding traffic onto arterial streets.

Estate Streets
	Estate streets are local streets adjoining lots that are typically 1-1/4 acres in size or larger.

Local Streets
	Local streets are streets primarily for access to residences, businesses, or other abutting property.

Collector Streets
	Collector streets serve the internal traffic movement within and between neighborhoods of the City, and connect local streets with the arterial system.

Arterial Streets
	Arterial streets are streets primarily for through traffic, usually on a continuous route moving large volumes of traffic. Arterials should remain free flowing with limited access.

Private streets within the City are difficult to manage in the long term. Homeowners' associations may not perform timely maintenance due to inexperience or budget problems. Private streets usually do not meet City standards and can be more difficult and costly to maintain. The development of private streets within the City of St. Charles should not be encouraged.

To assure an efficient street network, the continuation of a grid system or a modified grid system (allowing for curvilinear streets) is recommended. This system should allow for future street connections to avoid the creation of isolated neighborhoods. Single exit/entrance developments can create serious safety problems for the community. Typically residential cul-de-sacs should be approved with caution and the development of one-way streets should be discouraged. However, the consideration of topography and the protection of natural site features might warrant deviation from the grid system.

Decisions that permanently affect future traffic patterns and street function are most often made during the subdivision and planned unit development site review process. Unfortunately adjacent residents frequently object to the continuation of existing streets to connect with a new development. Developers and residents need to be made aware of the City's policy to encourage a grid system or modified grid system and the benefits of this policy in terns of improved traffic circulation, better distribution of traffic, and public safety.

The proposed interior collector street network for the Fairgrounds/West Gateway area is planned to reduce the impact of the proposed development on Randall Road and Routes 64 and 38. The general location, design standards and phasing of the street and intersection improvements in this area are planned to provide adequate levels of service as development occurs.

The transportation system and land use patterns are interactive. The City should consider the effects of land use changes and development design on the existing and planned street network, including the need to reserve future rights-of-way, the increased need for traffic capacity, opportunities for alternative transportation modes such as walking, biking or bus travel and other transportation related impacts. The City should also investigate the possibility of assessing transportation impact fees for new development.

The proliferation of curb cuts along arterial streets can interrupt traffic flow and decrease traffic safety. All of the arterial streets in St. Charles are state or county roads and the City has limited input to the granting or denial of curb cuts. The City should consider land use and site design regulations to encourage the proper functioning of roadways, particularly SRA's, as recommended by the NIPC Resource Management Plan. Limits on traffic interruptions on arterial roads, by means of access restrictions, service or frontage roads and cross-access easements, should be encouraged wherever possible.

An important element of the City's street network is its ongoing annual maintenance program. Regular maintenance protects the City's investment in its infrastructure and is critical to the safe and efficient movement of traffic. The City annually assesses the condition of its streets and identifies the streets in most need of repair in order to correct or prevent problems. The City performs the maintenance as allowed by budget and evaluates the performance of maintenance activities to determine their effectiveness.

To further enhance and develop St. Charles' street network, a number of improvements need to be considered based on the following:

	1.	St. Charles will continue to serve as a center of commercial and economic activity, particularly serving the area to the west and to the north.

	2.	The most effective means to move traffic is a grid system or modified grid system, based on functional street classification design standards.

	3.	Although there will be yearly fluctuations due to market conditions, there will be consistent growth in the region to the year 2015 with a corresponding increase in traffic demand.

The Impact of Special Events and Tourism

Special events such as the Scarecrow Festival and the Kane County Flea Market and general tourism are an important part of the St. Charles community. With the demonstrated demand for such events and the revenues they generate, their impacts will increase. These impacts will include tour bus and automobile traffic.

It is not cost effective to design the street system and parking areas based on the demand created by occasional special events. The infrequent traffic congestion needs to be weighed against the economic benefit to the community, and against the resources that would be needed to alleviate that congestion. The use of out-lots with shuttle buses can provide needed additional parking for cars and tour buses. The City must work with the other organizations involved in special events, such as the Chamber of Commerce, St. Charles Visitor's Bureau and Kane County Fair, to provide proper planning and temporary solutions to handle traffic needs. Pace, the suburban bus system, should be contacted for possible assistance.

Sidewalks and Bike Paths

Sidewalks and bicycle paths provide connections between places of residence, places of work, commercial services and recreational facilities. NIPC's Resource Management Plan recommends that local transportation programs be coordinated with open space and greenway planning in order to encourage joint use and landscape enhancements of rights-of-way, as well as to assure the continuity of greenways, trails and bikeways. This plan supports this recommendation. The Open Space and Recreation Chapter describes such linkage routes.

Sidewalks and bicycle paths also promote the small town character of the community. Such routes should be established as a priority element in the improvement of streets and the development and enhancement of open spaces, and should be planned as part of all future developments. Areas where there is an evident need for connecting routes include the following:

	1.	The near northwest side (including Timbers, Red Gate and Thornley on the Fox) has limited pedestrian connections with other parts of town, particularly to the downtown area.

	2.	Bike route links need to be developed and strengthened through the downtown area, particularly for continuity of the east and west Fox River bike trails. This is addressed more fully in Chapter 9, "Commerce."

	3.	Bike routes need to be established on the northeast side to tie into the Prairie Path.

Mass Transportation

Statistics show a decline in mass transit ridership between 1980 and 1990. The continuing decentralization of people and jobs throughout the region has resulted in increased automobile usage. This trend will be difficult to reverse. However, increasing traffic congestion and mandates to improve air quality suggest that actions will be taken to promote public transportation. The City is the lead agency for the operation of Pace bus service for elderly and disabled persons in the cities and townships of St. Charles and Geneva. The City should cooperate with Metra, Pace, and other agencies to consider opportunities to connect St. Charles with regional mass transit facilities.

The I-88 and I-90 corridors to the north and south of St. Charles and the Oak Brook and Schaumburg areas to the east are growing employment centers. Mass transit facilities to connect with these centers, possibly some type of light rail, may become a reality in the future.

Metra plans to extend its west line commuter service on the Union Pacific Railroad by locating new stations in LaFox and Elburn. Metra has proposed using the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern (E.J.& E.) Railroad as a commuter rail line with a possible station site located between St. Charles and West Chicago. The former Moline Malleable site has also been suggested as a potential site for a commuter station.

Mass transit service within St. Charles is very limited due to the low demand for such service. There is marginal demand for mass transit between major facilities such as the Norris Center, mall areas, downtown, commuter trains, etc. Pace has established development guidelines including roadway design, bus stop zones and land use considerations to better accommodate bus travel. The City should consider these guidelines for new developments; better accommodations for bus travel may encourage its use in the future. It is recommended that City take advantage of Pace's offer to provide free technical review of proposed development site plans.

The Impact of the DuPage County Airport

The DuPage Airport situated on the eastern edge of the planning area provides a significant transportation resource and, in turn, has a direct impact on the future development and desirability of the planning area. The DuPage Airport is one of the largest general aviation facilities in Illinois and provides an excellent resource to the entire region.

The Comprehensive Plan supports the continued use of the DuPage Airport. However, the DuPage Airport should be used only to meet local and business flying needs. The eventual use of the airport for commercially scheduled flights or for commercial jet aircraft is in direct opposition to the Comprehensive Plan.

DuPage Airport is no longer just an airport. The Airport owns about 2,850 acres of which more than 1,100 acres are being utilized or are planned for non-airport development including office, retail, and industrial uses and an 18-hole golf course. As the Airport property develops, it will generate a substantial increase in traffic. Route 64, Kautz Road and the streets connecting Kautz with Kirk Road will be most affected. The development of the Airport and other property north of Route 64 is closing the gap of undeveloped property that has previously separated St. Charles and West Chicago. As development continues, St. Charles, West Chicago and the Airport should cooperate with each other in planning and implementing needed transportation improvements.

III.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Establish an ongoing data base of traffic movement.

1.	Maintain and update strategic traffic counts and studies throughout St. Charles.

2.	Monitor the traffic impact of growth in the west-northwest regions of St. Charles.

Minimize the impact of truck traffic through St. Charles.

1.	Work with State and County officials regarding the improvement and designation of Randall Road and Kirk Road as Class II truck routes for the region and the removal of Class II truck route status for Routes 31, 25 and 64.

2.	Alternative truck routes outside the City should be developed to reduce the number of trucks going through the downtown area.

Further develop and reinforce the street network of St. Charles.

Strongly encourage a modified grid pattern for future streets including the extension of streets to connect existing neighborhoods with new development.

Encourage the use of service roads or other means to limit access along arterial routes.

Encourage the State to consider a bi-directional turn lane from Fieldgate Drive to 7th Avenue.

Develop the arterial/collector street network as shown on Map 12 including the following recommended improvements:

a)	Extend Foxfield Road between Kirk and Smith Roads. This is a high-priority improvement needed as soon as possible to reduce the amount of through traffic on residential streets north of Charlestowne Mall.

b)	Extend Gray Street to connect with 14th Street to better distribute traffic in southwest quadrant.

c)	Extend Madison Avenue to 7th Avenue.

d)	Relocate or reconfigure the intersection of Campton Hills Road and West Main Street.

e)	Extend Division Street to Kautz Road.

f)	Extend Prairie Street/Adams Avenue to Route 25.

g)	Re-alignment of Peck Road to provide a continuous, direct connection between Route 64 and Route 38.

Enter into access agreements with Kane County for Randall and Kirk Roads.

Install traffic signals at 7th and West Main Streets.

Minimize the traffic congestion from special events and tourism.

1.	Work with sponsoring organizations to establish tourist bus routes, bus parking areas and outlots with shuttle buses to help.

Provide sufficient river crossings wherever possible in advance of need so as to reduce congestion and disharmony in the vicinity of existing river crossings.

Strongly encourage Kane County to construct a regional bridge connecting Red Gate Road with Route 25 north of Army Trail Road with connections to Bolcum Road on the west and Stearns Road on the east to connect with the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway. This route will provide a needed and effective additional arterial highway to Route 64.

Develop a comprehensive pedestrian/bicycle system throughout St. Charles.

1.	Develop a linkage network connecting pedestrian and bicycle paths, and tying commercial, residential and open space areas together (See Open Space Map 8).

Meet the transportation needs of all St. Charles residents.

1.	Work with mass transit agencies in the consideration of opportunities to provide mass transit facilities.

2.	Submit proposed development site plans to Pace for technical review comments regarding bus transit needs.

Participate in the airport planning process so that the DuPage County Airport will meet local and business flying needs, but discourage a change in the function of the airport toward commercially scheduled flights or for commercial jet aircraft.

1.	Closely monitor any proposed DuPage Airport expansions or changes in operating procedures or land uses.

IV.

IMPLEMENTATION STATEMENT

Transportation needs to be addressed on two levels: on a local level by the City of St. Charles and on a regional level by a coalition of state, regional and local agencies. It is important to recognize that St. Charles functions as a large intersection with ten major entrance and exit points. It is essential that the City of St. Charles and the region as a whole deal with not only increasing traffic, but also conflicting traffic movement. Considering existing development, there is no easy or master solution to improve traffic efficiency. The best that can be attained, and what the recommendations reflect, is the improvement and expansion of the current road network. In the past five years, the City has implemented the following:

1.	Completion of the Prairie Street bridge and related signalization and turning lane improvements at the Route 31 and Prairie St. intersection.

2.	Finalized the geometric highway plan for Main Street from 14th Street to 7th Avenue.

3.	Restriping of Illinois Street/Avenue between 7th Avenue and 3rd Street.

The five-year implementation plan for achieving the goals and objectives of this chapter includes the following:

1.	Because increasing traffic is a major planning issue, this Chapter should be reviewed on an annual basis to maintain a current understanding of traffic impacts, needs and potential solutions.

2.	Coordinate with IDOT to assist in accomplishing the State's reconstruction of the Main Street bridge and highway from the 14th Street to 7th Avenue.

3.	Update the traffic signal system along Illinois Avenue/Street and include advance turning movements on Illinois Avenue at 1st and 5th Avenues.

4.	Construct the hike/bike bridge along the Union Pacific railroad alignment between Route 31 and the east bank of the Fox River.

5.	Reconstruct Dunham Road north of Foxfield Road.