Byron One Way Decision 10/25/24

Several months ago, in June, the 46th Ward Office ran a survey after being approached by a large number of neighbors living on Byron street seeking to convert Byron into a one-way westbound street from Southport to Ashland (1400-1600 W. Byron).  These neighbors expressed that the street was too narrow for two-way traffic, leading to frequent side-swiping, dangerous passing situations, and unsafe driving at nearby intersections.

Neighbors also reached out previously to the 47th Ward Office before the area was redistricted into the 46th ward.  However, their process had not proceeded sufficiently prior to redistricting and so we began from scratch.

The survey was open for several weeks and received more than 300 responses.  Twenty five percent  of respondents lived on Byron itself.  More than 50% lived one block away; less than 10% lived two blocks away, and roughly 6% lived 3-4 blocks away.

A significant majority of both survey-takers and Byron residents supported the proposed one-way conversion.  Counting only residents on Byron, 60% supported the proposed change.  Neighbors living 1-2 blocks away – often frequent users of Byron, and living on one-way streets themselves – also narrowly supported the proposed one-way conversion by a margin of 52% to 48%.

Infrastructure

Beacon Street (4400 - 4600) Lighting Project 2/20/25

We’re excited to share updates about upcoming improvements on N Beacon St, from W Montrose Ave to W Wilson Ave, as part of the Chicago Residential Lighting Improvements Program.

The project is managed by John Burns Construction, with resident engineering services provided by Stanley Consultants in partnership with the Chicago Department of Transportation.

Foundation installation has now been completed aside from where light pole foundations need to be installed in concrete. This will be done at a later stage to avoid disruption to residents. The next stage of significant work - underground conduit and cable installation - will likely begin next week, starting with some concrete removal (pending weather conditions!).

Construction Timeline:

Work began the first week of January with the installation of light pole foundations. Construction will proceed in segments and will take several months, likely finishing up in Spring 2025.

Project Stages:

This project will proceed in the following stages:

  • Installation of new foundations. (Mostly Complete)

  • Underground conduits and cable work. (Expected Start: Week of Feb 24)

  • Installation of new residential lighting poles with piggyback lights and LED Smart Lighting luminaires. (Pending)

  • Restoration of concrete sidewalks and parkways impacted during construction. (Pending)

  • Removal of existing light poles once the new lighting system is operational. (Pending)

Parking Information:

During construction, temporary “No Parking” signs will be posted as needed to allow for work to take place. Restrictions will apply only during working hours, allowing residents to park as usual overnight, on weekends, and after posted hours.  Cars will only be relocated as needed.

We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work to improve safety and infrastructure in the ward. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our office. Thank you!

Seeing extensive community support for the proposal, especially from Byron residents themselves, the 46th Ward reached out to the Department of Transportation (CDOT) to ensure that the proposed conversion would have no significant impacts on emergency vehicle access or traffic patterns; traffic engineers at CDOT reviewed the one-way conversion proposal and had no objections.

The 46th Ward staff carefully weighed the arguments made by both proponents and opponents of the change. We heard from neighbors  via the survey, phone, email and in-person walks on Byron, all of which were made thoughtfully and in good faith.

From those in favor of the proposed conversion, we heard that many residents hesitated to park or drive on that stretch of Byron due to its narrowness, and had witnessed numerous accidents and hit and runs on the street.  Drivers also often use Byron as a cut-through from Ashland and speed down the street, putting pedestrians at risk.

From those against the conversion, we heard that many residents were concerned that making Byron into a one-way would make leaving the neighborhood more difficult and would have the side effect of directing more through traffic onto alleys in order to avoid exiting via Ashland or Irving Park.  Residents also were concerned that turning Byron into a one-way would increase speeds leading to a decrease in safety.

Taking all of these concerns and more from proponents and opponents into account, we have decided to support the proposed one-way conversion.

We will work with CDOT to ensure we address the secondary effects of the one-way conversion: these may include alley speed-bumps to slow down any potential through traffic and neighborhood traffic coming on Byron to ensure drivers don’t use the one-way as an excuse to speed.