A two-car collison at the intersection of Ridge and Grove sent one person to the hospital and closed Ridge between Grove and Lake shortly after 8 a.m. Thursday.
Police tell Evanston Now that a Subaru going eastbound on Grove and a Prius going south on Ridge were involved.
There was only a driver in each vehicle. The Prius driver was taken to Evanston Hospital with what police describe as minor injuries.
Air bags deployed in both cars.
The closed segment of Ridge was still shut as of 9:15, but the Subaru was towed away, and it appeared the road would reopen soon.
No charges or citations have been issued.
This is exactly the reason the intersection was changed to restrict Grove St traffic to only turn right from 7 AM to 7 PM. As a long time resident on Grove St, I couldn’t begin to count how many times I have heard the sound of two cars colliding at this intersection.
Police routinely enforce the restriction. I’ve even seen a police car sitting on the West side of Grove, advising a West-bound vehicle over their PA that left turns are prohibited and the West bound car still makes the left turn in front of the police car.
There are already stoplights at Lake and Davis. Making Grove a controlled intersection would adversly affect the traffic on Ridge.
Does anyone have an idea for how to make this intersection safer?
I have to admit as a pedestrian who travels this way often I’m not sure how worried I am about the traffic on ridge being adversely affected. They should be going slower,(no one is driving the specified limit) a controlled intersection doesn’t seem unreasonable.
I can’t comment on that particular intersection, but I think Ridge is fundamentally unsafe because the lanes are so narrow–I have never seen a main thoroughfare with narrower lanes. Is there a reason why we cannot cut it from 4 lanes down to 3, with the center lane converted into a 2-way left-turn only lane?? It is 2 lanes south of Howard and north of Emerson.
Good idea. 3 wider lanes, rather than 4 narrow ones. 1 lane in each direction and a middle lane for turns. Such a good idea, I wonder why the city hasn’t done it.
Hi Channah,
That idea has been considered in the past. Conclusion then, based on traffic studies, was that there was too much traffic on Ridge to reduce the number of lanes and that doing so would be likely to increase traffic on other nearby north-south streets, like Asbury. However, there’s always the possibility the city could take another look at the issue.
— Bill
Perhaps a light at grove and ridge timed with the others would help.
Widening the road would be necessary to make it center lane possible. But that would require cutting trees. But we know that would Never happen…. tree lovers would be so upset. Ridiculous!
This is why I avoid driving on Ridge at all costs. I call it Demolition Alley.
This accident is unfortunate and I hope no one was seriously hurt. Ridge Avenue is a narrow and dangerous roadway… I wish the EDP would vigorously enforce the NO TRUCKS ban that is clearly marked every block or so! I see big trucks every time I travel on Ridge Ave.
Respectfully, Brian G. Becharas