Blue Island is considering a $6.5 million plan to rebuild the southern stretch of Western Avenue, from 127th Street to Grove Street. Proposed changes include wider sidewalks, new lighting, roadway resurfacing and pedestrian crossing beacons, with safety concerns and a history of crashes cited among the reasons for the work.
The plan, reported by the Chicago Tribune, covers the southern section of Western Avenue from 127th Street to Grove Street. According to the outlet, the redevelopment is aimed squarely at addressing pedestrian and driver safety concerns that have built up along the corridor over several years.
Where the Crashes Are Concentrated
The project analysis identified Western Avenue and 127th Street as the intersection with the most collisions among the locations studied, according to the Tribune. At Western Avenue and York Street, there were 17 crashes from 2021 through 2025; 29% involved same-direction sideswipes and 18% involved turning collisions, the newspaper reported.
Brian Meadows attributed collisions on Western Avenue primarily to a lack of signage. He also said he had seen people fail to stop and look both ways, according to the Tribune.
Wider Sidewalks and New Crossing Beacons
The proposal would widen sidewalks along the corridor by 3 feet. Sidewalks with larger bump outs would expand from 10 feet to between 13 and 17 feet, the Tribune reported. Push-button rapid-flashing beacons would be installed to alert drivers when pedestrians are crossing.
The proposed work also includes curbs and gutters, lighting improvements, roadway resurfacing, driveway replacements and corner-crossing improvements, according to the Tribune. The plan calls for seven ADA-compliant parking stalls.
Engineer Lays Out the Project's Core Goals
The project’s stated goals are to improve safety for drivers and pedestrians, increase compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and make walking more accessible, civil engineer Michael Gratzke of Christopher B. Burke Engineering said. Transportation planner Kathleen Ebling is also involved, the Tribune reported.
The redesign would reduce parking stalls along the corridor from 149 to 110, according to the Tribune. Blue Island held a public information meeting on October 6 about the southern proposal. An earlier meeting, on July 1, covered improvements to the northern corridor from 119th Street to 127th Street.
Trees, Funding and the Bigger Picture
The proposal includes planting more trees along the route. Val Kehoe, a longtime Blue Island resident and the city’s forestry board chairperson, said she is excited about the prospect of adding trees to Western Avenue.
Mayor Fred Bilotto said the streetscape project could benefit residents, businesses and visitors along Western Avenue, according to the Tribune. The funding plan includes local money as well as the surface transportation program, the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program and funds distributed through the Council of Mayors. Design engineering is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2027.
The southern project follows years of discussion about improvements to a wider stretch of Western Avenue. In January 2024, the Tribune reported on a broader vision to beautify, upgrade and add green space along the avenue from 119th Street to 135th Street. That proposal was estimated at $21 million and was expected to be funded by a tax on profits from businesses along the corridor. Business owners said at the time they hoped improvements to walkways, traffic patterns and storefronts would attract more customers.
How the Southern Project Fits Earlier Plans
The City of Blue Island says its Business Development District primarily fronts the Western Avenue commercial corridor from 119th Street to 135th Street. The proposed southern project, by contrast, covers Western Avenue from 127th Street to Grove Street. A separate segment from the river to 127th Street was still in early discussion, according to a January 2024 Chicago Tribune report. That is the documented status of the earlier segment in that report; it is distinct from the southern proposal now under consideration.
