President and Board of Trustees

123 Madison Street Village of Oak Park Oak Park, Illinois 60302 www.oak-park.us Meeting Minutes President and Board of Trustees Monday, August 24, 2015 7:00 PM Village Hall I. Call to Order Village President Abu-Taleb called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. II. Roll Call Village Trustee Barber joined the meeting at 7:04 P.M. Present: 6- Village Trustee Barber, Village Trustee Brewer, Village Trustee Lueck, Village Trustee Ott, Village Trustee Tucker, and Village President Abu-Taleb Absent: 1- Village Trustee Salzman III. Agenda Approval It was moved by Village Trustee Tucker, seconded by Village Trustee Ott, to approve the agenda. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved. IV. Public Comment There was no non-agenda public comment. IV Regular Agenda ID 15-273 Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) Update and Discussion: The Harlem Ave. Interchange (ramps) Design and its effects on Air Quality and Noise Impacts. Village Manager Pavlicek stated that this is the third in a series of meetings focusing on the re-construction of the Eisenhower. Village Engineer Bill McKenna will present information related to the Harlem Avenue/I-290 interchange, specifically ramp configuration heights, air quality effects and noise impacts. Rick Kuner. Mr. Kuner commented that how noise and air quality will affect residents will depend on where in the Village they live. The Village, Park District and School District 97 all own properties and represent residents in the impact area. The CSX right-of-way is also an ongoing concern and needs to be addressed. Marty Tellalian. Mr. Tellalian, a Forest Park resident, stated that public safety concerns regarding right lane exit and entry ramps should be emphasized. Joe Walsh. Mr. Walsh discussed the lack of signage near the Blue Line at Austin. Village Engineer Bill McKenna gave a slide presentation prepared by IDOT. The primary focus when the expressway was designed in the 1950's was to keep the footprint as small as possible. Today's standards for safety, noise and air quality did not exist. In Village of Oak Park Page 1 Printed on 9/9/2015 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes August 24, 2015 order to include those standards in the new design, various constraints have to be taken into consideration. These include CTA and CSX access, vehicle and non-motorized crossings, constrained existing right-of-way and drainage issues. Mr. McKenna described the existing drainage system under the I-290. During heavy storm events, it cannot adequately convey storm water which results in flooding of various sections of the expressway and CSX. He noted that the CSX and CTA run parallel to the I-290 but do not run in a straight line or at one elevation. He explained how those existing conditions will affect bridge clearance and the Village's desire to lower the bridge. In order to keep the ramps as low as possible while still maintaining bridge clearance and drainage requirements, IDOT's proposed design lowers the mainline pavement eight feet at Harlem Avenue, allowing the bridge at Harlem to be lowered two feet. Much of this is based on shifting the traffic lanes on the Eisenhower south by 25 feet. Ramps will be at the existing height or lower. He referred to a diagram that details these changes. Mr. McKenna discussed regional air quality trends and noted that air quality has improved over time due to cleaner vehicles, fuels, etc. He described the air quality sensitivity analysis conducted by IDOT and indicated that this covers the entire project not just Harlem or other specific areas. Based on this analysis, which considers volume, speed, types of vehicles, etc., there will be no significant increase in pollutant emissions. IDOT also did a carbon monoxide analysis for the Harlem Avenue intersection. Mr. McKenna discussed the results, which included build and no-build data. Mr. McKenna explained how the noise analysis was conducted. Noise Abatement Criteria (NAC) Receptor categories were identified as residential, hospitals, schools and parks. Only exterior noise is initially studied. Mr. McKenna gave examples of common noise levels and noted that a 5 dB(A) increase is needed for a person to notice a change in the level of noise. Noise levels for the NAC categories identified should be in the 67 to 72 range. The results of the noise analysis revealed that 75% of the 48 representative receptors within the area are above the NEC standards with or without the project. IDOT is scheduled to begin a noise abatement process in October. He discussed the factors affecting traffic noise levels, noting that distance from the roadway is a major factor and that noise from the doubling of traffic volume is barely perceptible. Mr. McKenna referred to several documents detailing the noise in relation to the ramps and mainline. The analysis concluded that the mainline is the predominant noise source and that ramp location does not significantly affect noise levels. The proposed design offers built-in noise reductions up to 7 d(B)A due to the lowering of the expressway by eight feet and shifting it 25 feet. Mr. McKenna presented several simulation videos prepared by IDOT. Mr. McKenna and Peter Harmon from IDOT answered questions from the Board. V. Adjourn It was moved by Village Trustee Ott, seconded by Village Trustee Tucker, to adjourn. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved. Meeting adjourned at 8:10 P.M., Monday, August 24, 2015. Respectfully submitted, MaryAnn Schoenneman Deputy Village Clerk Village of Oak Park Page 2 Printed on 9/9/2015