LOGAN SQUARE — Residents in the 2600 and 2700 blocks of North St. Louis Avenue who were outraged when their one-way street was converted to a two-way route earlier this summer without notice recently got some good news.
After meeting with concerned residents, 35th Ward Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa worked with the city to convert the street back to a one-way, he emailed constituents Friday.
RELATED: Neighbors Outraged After Block Converted To 2-Way Street — With No Notice
"The people govern in the 35th Ward. After a successful community meeting and discussions with many residents on the 2700 block of North St. Louis, Ald. Ramirez-Rosa decided to convert St. Louis back to a one-way in line with residents' wishes," Monica Trevino, chief of staff for Ramirez-Rosa, wrote in an email.
Trevino said the alderman now is working with the city's Department of Transportation and neighbors to find other ways to address safety concerns.
Neighbors have long said too many drivers speed down the narrow 30-foot-wide street, creating an unsafe environment for the many families on the block. One longtime resident's young son died in a traffic accident on the street back in the 1980s, according to neighbors.
From 2012 to 2014, there were six crashes on St. Louis Avenue, all of which either involved a parked car or fixed object, according to CDOT.
When the street was suddenly converted to a two-way, dozens of neighbors signed two petitions, one demanding that the city convert the street back to a one-way and another insisting that the city add speed bumps instead — options they said Ramirez-Rosa ignored.
"I think it was very unfair and inconsiderate of our alderman to make this decision without notifying the people that elected him into office," neighbor Nancy Barraza said at the time.
Ramirez-Rosa said he was merely following the recommendation of CDOT. As for the lack of communication, the alderman was apologetic, but ultimately blamed the city's sign division for not notifying his office when two-way street signs were erected.
On Friday, 35th Ward staffers posted signs along the street and left flyers at every household declaring that the street is one-way again.