Hinsdale trustees back 4‑way stops at Elm & Walnut and Hickory & Lincoln after police crash data

The Hinsdale Board on Nov. 18 reviewed and moved forward on two ordinance amendments to add all‑way stop (4‑way) control at the intersections of Walnut & Elm and Hickory & Lincoln.

Chair Stifler said the Police Department review of crash records found six right‑angle collisions at the Walnut & Elm location during a 36‑month period, which meets the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) warrant for installation of an all‑way stop. “The Police Department has reviewed crash data that revealed that there have been 6 right angle collisions that have occurred in this 36 month duration, which meets the threshold for installation of an all way stop at this intersection of Walnut and Elm,” Stifler said.

Deputy Chief Lilly and board members described neighborhood outreach: letters were distributed to roughly a four‑house radius and staff reported two initial objections that were resolved after discussion. Trustees emphasized judicious use of stop controls because over‑deployment can reduce compliance and increase speeds between stops.

Trustees also noted other engineering responses (sight‑line improvements, parking restrictions and vegetation management) may be used before installing stop controls in some cases. For both Elm & Walnut and Hickory & Lincoln, staff recommended adding 4‑way control based on crash counts and outreach; the items were placed on the consent agenda for approval.

The Board asked staff to continue monitoring neighboring intersections and to provide additional safety‑study data where warranted, including sight‑line measurements and counts, and to report back as part of the safety commission process.