Jennifer Davis reports in the Journal Star today that plans are moving forward to “widen and improve” Northmoor Road:
The proposal would be to make Northmoor Road three lanes from Allen Road to Rosemead Drive, which is basically across from the Exposition Gardens entrance. Northmoor would then become five lanes from there until Sheridan Road, and then go back to three lanes from Sheridan to Knoxville Avenue.
I agree that Northmoor needs to be improved — meaning they need better drainage, curbs, sidewalks, etc. But what is the justification for widening it?
There are two nearby east-west routes that have higher traffic capacity — Pioneer Parkway to the north and Glen Avenue to the south. Those east-west streets have a high volume of commercial businesses, which justifies the higher-capacity, five-lane roadways.
Northmoor, on the other hand, provides more than adequate access to the schools (Northmoor-Edison, Richwoods High) and residential areas that lie along its path. The justification for widening Northmoor is clearly not to provide better access to anything along that corridor, but to provide an easier throughway for those wanting to travel from the east side of town to the west side.
In other words, they want to make it a cut-through — a shortcut through a primarily residential area with two schools and lots of little kids. That’s not a good enough reason. To encourage more people to use Northmoor as a cut-through by accommodating faster traffic flow is unwarranted. They wouldn’t let motorists use Prospect Road between Knoxville and Lake that way, so why should they let motorists use Northmoor that way?
The road is already a through street and has a 30 mph speed limit. If anyone wants to use it instead of the larger, faster east-west routes, they have that choice. The city should improve the street, but keep it at its present width for the safety of the residents and school children.
Thank you for your entry on this. Here are some of the schools on or near the proposed Northmoor Rd. widening:
Northmoor
St. Vincent de Paul
Richwoods
Lindbergh
Kellar, Rolling Acres, Notre Dame are in the vicinity
Northmoor Rd. will be turned into a virtual highway if widened. With all these schools in the area safety will be jeopardized just so motorists won’t have to wait 15 seconds behind a car making a left turn. It’s dangerous to walk to school on the parts of Northmoor without sidewalks, and now we’re going to increase speeds?
Northmoor needs more sidewalks for children. I don’t see where they will fit if stretches of Northmoor become five lanes. More balance between automobiles and pedestrians is sorely needed in Peoria.
Does Northmoor have a turn lane or not already? I can’t remember.
If it already has one – I agree. Don’t see the need for widening it.
If not, why not just put in a turn lane – that wouldn’t widen it too much or make it all that much more dangerous.
Definitely sidewalks all the way – with that many schools, I’m amazed and saddened it doesn’t already have them.
Follow the money. Some contractor wants more taxpayers’ money in his pocket. There may also be some developer in the woodwork looking to buy some residential property that will have suddenly gone down in value thanks to this road project, and then build, I don’t know, another strip mall, or another fast food joint. We need another one of those in Peoria, don’t we (like a case of bird flu).
It does get frustrating getting stuck in traffic on Northmoor. It seems like everyday the road comes to a standstill because one car wants to turn left and backs it up to the next block where somebody going the opposite direction can’t turn left. There has to be a better solution than cars driving on the grass to go around other cars.
Northmoor between Allen and University is in terrible shape for the amount of kids that walk/ride along and across it each school day. Let it get widened with a center turn lane and add in proper sidewalks, away from the edge of the traffic as well as some decent crossing areas for the schools. It doesn’t need to be a 5 laner though.
The intersection of Sheridan and Northmoor has so many bushes and trees blocking the view near the edges of the intersection it is a wonder why no one hasn’t been killed. It needs to be fixed.
On the other hand…
No kid going to Rolling Acres would cross Northmoor Rd. Those kids would go to Northmoor. When is the last time you saw one of the Catholic students walking to St Vincent? 90% show up in cars and the rest ride a bus.
A center turn lane on Northmoor, no five lane road, would be a decent compromise provided there are continuous sidewalks from Knoxville to Allen.
Since Northmoor is a K-4 and Rolling Acres 5-8 there may be kids crossing Northmoor to get to Rolling Acres. More kids could walk to St. Vincent if there were sidewalks west of University.
MDD said, “No kid going to Rolling Acres would cross Northmoor Rd. Those kids would go to Northmoor.”
That was true back when I was going to grade school in District 150, but not anymore. Northmoor is now a primary school; Rolling Acres is a middle school.
Oh, by the way, there’s a public hearing scheduled for this Thursday, Nov. 2, 4 to 7 p.m., at the Youth Building at Exposition Gardens.
Mouse sez: “another fast food joint. We need another one of those in Peoria, don’t we (like a case of bird flu). ”
I say: Hello? Peoria could really use some more fast food joints. Wendy’s is gone, Burger King seems to have disappeared, we never seem to get a Sonic and Hardee’s is spoty at best. While not fast food, the Outback is gone as well as Famous Dave’s. While driving around Aurora last week, I couldn’t believe all the construction going on and malls, fast food joints, restraurants I never heard of all packed including White Castle.
I guess if you are talking about the gutbomb (McDonald’s) then yes I guess we do have too many.
EMTRONICS SAYS: “I say: Hello? Peoria could really use some more fast food joints.”
Well…Culver’s has built two fast-food joints in Peoria in the past three years and Steak-n-Shake has built a new one up by Shoppes at Grand Prairie. Arby’s and Bob Evans have both put in new joints across from the new Wal-Mart supercenter on Allen Road during the last few years. Also, the Wendy’s on Big Hollow recently reopened; the one on University will reopen someday. Don’t worry, more fast-food joints will come.
You can throw a rock from point A to point B- This doesn’t make much sense, install a light to control traffic if there is a need.
well.. northmoor will probably still be posted with a 30mph speed limit after the widening. I don’t know many people who can allow themselves to drive at 30mph on a 5 lane wide (each lane 12 ft wide) roadway. Might as well be on I74
Ask for traffic counts. Northmoors volume is not much different than the roads in downtown that may be switched to two way, narrowed, and loose lanes.
hmmm..
I want a Waffle House here. Now.
Oh, and Northmoor only needs 3 lanes and sidewalks.
Thank you.