What a difference two months can make! The proposal to remove the traffic signals at the intersection of Genesee Street and U. S. Route 30 was discussed in Morrison, IL, City Council on Monday, July 10, 2023. It was evaluated in greater detail on Monday, September 11. It almost came up for a final-action vote, during the City Council meeting on Monday, September 25.
It is clear to me, that some leading citizens of Morrison want the signals gone–yesterday–but the City Council, to its credit, held off on a final vote, in order to gather more input from the residents of Morrison. Now, the Genesee Street Proposal approaches final action. The City Council needs your input on Tuesday, October 10.
The signals received a reprieve on September 25, but I believe that a majority of the City Council is ready to vote to remove the signals, absent some much-needed input from the residents of Morrison. Citizens have been for the most part disengaged, from a process that has been gaining steam since mid-July. [That is] when City Administrator Brian Melton proposed the idea of a pedestrian plaza for a one-block stretch of Genesee Street, between U. S. Route 30 and Main Street. The idea of removing the signals dates back many years, but formal action to bring about the change has developed only in the past few weeks.
A broader menu of options for the block emerged in late August and early September, culminating in a City Council discussion session on September 11, regarding the pros and cons of each option. City Administrator Melton’s thorough overview of the options for the “Intersection Improvement Plan” is available through this link https://www.morrisonil.org/documents/city-council/441479.
During the past few weeks, only about three Morrison residents–including me–have participated in the Public Comment portion of the Council’s meetings, to express their opposition to major changes to the functionality of the Genesee Street intersection. Given the limited feedback from the public, many members of the City Council wonder, quite reasonably, whether the residents of Morrison object to removing the traffic signals and implementing a new, one-way traffic pattern on two blocks adjacent to U. S. Route 30.
With the signals removed, the block between U. S. Route 30 and Main Street would flow only southbound, and the block between U. S. Route 30 and Knox Street would flow only northbound.
As the presentation from C. A. Melton explains, if the signals were removed, the Illinois Department of Transportation would insist on the one-way traffic pattern, in order to ensure that motorists have adequate lines of sight at the intersection.
Approximately 237 Morrison residents (with some less-legible names not included) and 18 non-residents have signed a petition (circulated primarily at Morrison True Value Hardware), to keep Genesee Street open to traffic, and to maintain the existing traffic signal system at Genesee Street and U. S. Route 30.
[Editor’s note: Signers are listed following Bartoz’s letter.]
Now is the time for residents to express their views–either pro or con–during the Public Comment portion of the next Council meeting. If you signed the petition, some City Council members are unsure whether you signed it, because you are opposed to removing the signals, or whether you signed it because, you are opposed to a full closure of the road to create a pedestrian plaza. Although this distinction is a reasonable question to pose, in reality, it makes little difference to the average motorist.
Implementing a one-way traffic pattern represents a 75 percent reduction in the functionality of the Genesee Street and U. S. Route 30 intersection. Instead of having the option to turn left or right from Genesee to reach Fulton, or Sterling, IL, or to go straight ahead to travel directly from the south end of town to the north end, motorists would no longer be able to access Genesee Street from Main Street or from Knox Street, in order to reach U. S. Route 30.
Yes, a motorist could turn from U. S. Route 30 and reach Main Street via Genesee. Yes, a motorist could turn from U. S. Route 30 onto Knox Street via Genesee. But, for each street, three of the four directions of travel currently available would disappear–if the signals were removed and the one-way street plan were implemented. Reducing the functional status of an intersection for motorists by 75 percent is hardly a positive outcome, for those who value convenient travel around the City of Morrison.
Fellow Morrison Residents, please bring some clarity to the discussion by sharing your views for a moment or two during Public Comment at the beginning of the Tuesday, October 10, City Council meeting, at Odell Public Library at 6:30 p.m. Residents who want to participate in the Public Comment portion must sign in on a clipboard located on the right side of the entrance to the Community Room. Those who do not sign in will not be able to participate.
My earlier Letter to the Editor (available at https://thecity1.com/letter-from-brian-bartoz/) debunks the claims that the Genesee Street and U. S. Route 30 intersection is dangerous. As the Illinois Department of Transportation’s data show, only three collisions have occurred at the intersection between 2018 and 2022–hardly the mark of a high-risk intersection, and better than many, other, nearby intersections.
Proponents of removing the signals are quick to point out that the corner of Genesee and Route 30 features two properties not currently open to the general public: Exner’s Sportsmans Paradise and Wells Fargo Bank. While we all would like to see more commercial activity in Morrison, readers should note that these businesses—unlike non-profit and religious entities—are still paying property taxes to the City of Morrison and other tax-collecting entities, including Morrison Community Unit School District #6, Whiteside County, and other units of Government. The City Council should take into account nearby property owners’ wishes, as the Council develops a solution for the intersection.
I don’t believe that the City Council should inconvenience the tax-paying residents and motorists of Morrison, in exchange for the promise of a potentially quieter environment for First Presbyterian Church, or any church or business located in close proximity to U. S. Route 30. Just as noise from freight trains affects those who live or run businesses near Morrison’s railroad tracks, noise from U. S. Route 30 is an issue—and will remain an issue—regardless of whether the signals at Genesee and U. S. Route 30 are removed.
Motorcycles, cars, and trucks will still brake, accelerate, and generate noise and vibration in the vicinity of the Genesee Street and U. S. Route 30 intersection, as they respond to traffic conditions at the Cherry Street (IL Route 78) and U. S. Route 30 intersection, just a block away. Noise and vibration are the unavoidable outcomes of occupying a building located next to a road—a transcontinental highway, no less—that hosts 8000 vehicles per day. Promises of a quieter experience suggested by the proponents are unlikely to materialize.
What action, then, should the City Council take? I believe that it should identify areas where broad agreement exists. Start with a plan of action to address the significant flooding that occurs near Genesee and U. S. Route 30 during periods of heavy rain. No entity—non-profit, commercial, residential, religious, or otherwise—deserves the continued uncertainty of basement and ground-floor flooding when storms occur. Upgrading catch basins, sewers, curbs, sidewalks, and other infrastructure to prevent flooding would enjoy strong support from the vast majority of Morrison residents.
As the list of petition signers shown below indicates, support for removing the traffic signals—and for implementing a one-way traffic pattern on Genesee leading away from U. S. Route 30–does not exist among the residents of Morrison. Support for the concept of a complete closure to create a pedestrian plaza—not yet on the Agenda at City Council, but a possibility for action down the road—is likely even lower.
Regardless of your point of view, please attend the next City Council meeting on Tuesday, October 10, at 6:30 p.m. to express your view on the proposed removal of the traffic signals and the prospect of a one-way traffic pattern on Genesee leading away from U. S. Route 30.
Regardless of your position, the City Council needs to hear your views, including exactly what you want to see at the intersection in the coming weeks and months. Absent a strong turnout from the citizens of Morrison on October 10, I believe that the City Council will vote to remove the traffic signals and turn the intersection into a far less-useful segment of road, than it ought to be.
As of Tuesday, October 3, the following residents (and visitors to Morrison) support maintaining the intersection’s current functionality.
Brian Bartoz
Petition to Keep Genesee Street Open to Traffic and To Maintain Existing Traffic Signal at Genesee Street and Route 30
Signers from Morrison
Gerry Akker
Dennis Altfillisch
Dylan Anderson
Harv Arians
Edgar Arroyo
Katherine Bair
Kristi Balk
Rick Barr
Brian Bartoz
Paul R. Beck
Phillip Benson
Andy Beranek
Brad Bielema
Colton Bielema
Lisa Bland
Amanda Blean
Jennifer Block
Ora Bontrager
Jon Brackemyer
Craig A. Brady
Amber Bramm
Denise Bramm
M.L. Brandon
Jeff Brearton
Ann Britt
Diane Britt
Mike Britt
Susan J. Britt
Daniel Brown
Sandy Buikema
Lisa Bush
Vincent Bush
Jenny Butkus
Ryan Callan
Ron Callihan
James Camp
Linda Carney
Mike Carney
Terry Carroll
Vicky Carroll
Michelle M. Castaneda
Robert Castaneda
Lori Chelstrom
Alvin Christin
Kenan Clark
Louise Clark
Chad Conduff
Joe Cook
Andrea Cooper
Abigail Coyle
Josh Coyle
Rod Davis
Steve Davis
Dailey Damhoff
Dave Damhoff
Dustin Damhoff
Shaine DeMay
Tom DeMay
JoEllen DeMuynck
Elaine Dent
Greg Dent
Adam Deter
Brian Dewey
Mitch R. Drolema
Shayla Dusing
J. Breck Dykema
Norm Edlund
Michelle Edwards
Wayne E. Endress
Mark Ernst
Tonia Ernst
Mervin Fitzwater
Yvonne Fitzwater
Anne Frame
John Frame
Glenn Frank
Mariah Freymann
Mitch Freymann
Kole Gabberd
Audrey Geerts
Corrina Geerts
Dale Gibler
Dave Gorzny
Josh Gowan
Rhonda Greeley
Rebecca Green
Tom Green
Jeff Hanson
Kurtis Hart
Mark Heusinkveld
Mark Hill
Allison Hoehn
Scott Holbert
Carol House
Keith Housinga
Bonnie Hudson
Neal Hudson
Janice Huizenga
Kathy Huizenga
Gregory Hunt
Emily Hutson
Kevin Janssen
Brian Johnson
Galen G. Johnson
Jeff N. Johnson
Mel Johnson
Rich Johnson
Tracy Johnson
Maggie Jones
Ed Karvelius
Bandie Klinkner
Josh Knouse
Marlene Knox
Linda Koepke
Laurie Kruep
Susan Kuehl
Stanley Kurasz
Matt Lee
Keith Lilly
Barry Linder
Rick Long
C. Marche
Ramsey Mason
Liz Maxwell
Dave Mayes
Matt McCole
Patricia McGarvey
Randy Meier
Melissa Melton
Michael Melton
Tom Melton
Mike Merema
Howard Mills
Megan Modglin
Cindy Monkman
Tammi Morthland
Todd Morthland
Eric Mulnix
Vicky Murney
Jillian Neas
Tracy Neas
Thomas Nedbal
Laverne Newendyke
Randy NuBoer
Helen M. Null
Bill Onken
Brian Oostenryk, Sr.
Roger Osborn
Chris Ottens
Jessica Page
Jacob Paschal
Daryl Patterson
Chad Peppers
Jerry Peterson
Frances Plude
Bobbie Prins
James R. Prombo
Tonia Prombo
Gary Pruis
Nikki Pruis
Isabelle Ramirez
Sally Reese
Mike Rennie
Terry Rhodes
Donna Ricker
Anna Rinker
Karlos Rivera
Doris Robertson
Larry Roggy
Dan Runions
Joe Rush
Gene Ryan
Ken Saville
Adam Schaefer
James Schaefer
Kathy Schmidt
Julie M. Schumacher
Thomas R. Schumacher
Cody Scott
Shawn Scott
Eugene Scudder
JoAnn Seelye
Matt Severdy
Robert Shambaugh
Marcia Sibley
Barton Smith
Jeff Smith
Ken Smith
Stacey Southern
Dave Stern
Valerie Stern
Jerry Stevens
Nancy Stevens
Deb Stiefel
Beth Stillings
Deborah Stone
Robert Stone
Keegan Strobbe
Jerry Stuart
Gary Styles
Nick Taylor
Don Teceler
Shelley Tiesman
Marcia Todd
Emma Torrez
Bill Urban
Norine Urban
Dan Vandermyde
LaVerne VanderSchaaf
Matt VanDrew
Paul VanKampen
Mike Vegter
Brad Venhuizen
Tom Venhuizen
Phil Vock
Donna R. Vogel
Darren D. Vos
Larry Vos
Tim Vos
Jaycie Wagner
Jeff Weets
Jae Wence
Byron Wetzell
Jeffrey Wetzell
Linda Wetzell
Robert White
Dalbert Wiebenga
Dale Wiersema
Jeannie Williams
Mitch Wolf
Jan Wollam
Stephanie Wright
Charles Yost
Gail Young
Tom Zuidema
Vince Zuidema
Signers from outside Morrison
Noah Anderson
Shelley Baker
Lucas Bush
Susan Gidel
Kyle Haan
Ray Hamm
Justin Hey
Ken Jansma
Liz Maxwell
Shari Morgan
Cody Scott
Pam Steinhaus
Cheryl Stutzke
Jack H. Sumption
Paula Sumption
Dean Walters
Matt Ward
Todd Weimer.
Note to signers from Brian Bartoz: If you are listed above but did not in fact sign the petition, please contact me by e-mail at brianbartoz@yahoo.com or by phone at 815-668-1828, so that I can correct any errors. I will provide updated figures regarding petition signatures during the Public Comment portion of the City Council meeting, on Tuesday, October 10, at 6:30 p.m.