Forest Park may soon be getting a new permit parking program, reduced speed limits and town halls about traffic and safety in Forest Park – all per the traffic and safety commission’s recently approved work plan for this year.
At April’s final village council meeting, Commissioner Maria Maxham told Mayor Rory Hoskins she was “frustrated” he stonewalled discussion following a presentation from the safety and traffic commission pitching their work plan for the year. Following the presentation, Maxham asked other commissioners if they thought some of the commission’s suggestions overstepped its purview – and whether the commission’s jurisdiction should be adjusted.
Hoskins answered, asking commissioners to only ask questions about the presentation, limiting each to one comment.
Commissioners unanimously approved the safety and traffic commission’s 2025 work plan at the May 12 council meeting. After Hoskins presented the plan for a vote, there was no immediate discussion from the council, until Commissioner Ryan Nero spoke.
“There was a lot of back-and-forth on this work plan that happened behind the scenes, and a lot of colorful discussion that I thought was healthy among the commissioners and Village Administrator [Rachell] Entler,” Nero said. “I don’t really know where all that landed or if everyone was happy or satisfied with the way that came out.”
Next, Commissioner Michelle Melin-Rogovin said she talked to Maxham, Entler and Commissioner Jessica Voogd about this year’s safety and traffic plan and the ordinance the village council passed last fall. That ordinance added pedestrian and bike safety under the commission’s jurisdiction and made it possible for the commission to advise village council members and staff proactively, rather than only when requested by the village.
“The purpose of the new ordinance and the plan itself is to align the work of citizen volunteer commissions with the work of village staff so that village staff aren’t surprised or overwhelmed by requests or activities from citizen commissions,” Melin-Rogovin said.
She added that the safety and traffic commission is working with Entler on their plan for this year, and that any policy changes or engagement efforts recommended by the commission will still need to be approved by the village council – like the commission’s suggestion to reduce the speed limit around the village.
Maxham said that, though she met with Melin-Rogovin to ask questions, some of her concerns are still outstanding, specifically “about what is the best way to go about determining if there needs to be a speed limit change?” She said public input will be a necessary element in the process, but that she better understands the scope of the commission’s work after speaking with Melin-Rogovin.
“Any decision about changing a speed limit would come to us down the road, so I feel comfortable with the plan,” Maxham said at the May 12 meeting.
Melin-Rogovin said the safety and traffic commission will send out a survey to Forest Park residents about their thoughts on local speed limits, “simply soliciting citizen feedback as part of saying, ‘Is this something that the village should consider?’”
This year’s work plan
The safety and traffic commission’s 2025 work plan contains several policy and engagement recommendations, and responsive processes that they hope the village council will approve this year.
Policy guidance includes:
- Launching a survey to explore whether residents want to reduce speed limits throughout the village
- Reviewing off-street parking policies and the village’s permit parking program
- Collaborating with the village’s environmental control commission on a bike path and in creating an ordinance that would manage the large number of shopping carts at the Forest Park Blue Line CTA station and surrounding areas
Public engagement recommendations are:
- Continuing the bike safety fair, which is May 31
- Hosting a town hall to educate residents about local guardrails, plus safety and traffic issues in the village
- Focusing local messaging around Pedestrian Safety Month in October
The safety and traffic commission is also looking to standardize the way the village intakes and executes requests from residents, like how to get signs or crosswalks installed around town.