The Village of Oak Park | 123 Madison St. Oak Park, IL 60302 | village@oak-park.us
Oak Park offers a variety of services that can be accessed online from a computer, tablet or smart phone. Some of the services are managed directly by the Village, while others are third-party vendors authorized by the Village to conduct transactions.
The Village of Oak Park provides a wide range of services, from public safety programs like fire and police protection to support for housing, historic preservation and neighborhood relations. Don't see what you are looking for? Use the search feature at the top of the page.
Oak Park operates under the village manager form of government. A part-time, elected legislative body of a president and six trustees hires a professional manager to oversee the day-to-day administration of government programs and services.
Oak Park boasts excellent schools, world class architecture, shopping, dining and an extensive public transportation network. But Oak Park is more than a place – it also is a way of life. Use the links in this menu to learn more about our community and the many services available to residents and visitors alike.
Oak Park offers a variety of services that can be accessed online from a computer, tablet or smart phone. Some of the services are managed directly by the Village, while others are third-party vendors authorized by the Village to conduct transactions.
The Village of Oak Park provides a wide range of services, from public safety programs like fire and police protection to support for housing, historic preservation and neighborhood relations. Don't see what you are looking for? Use the search feature at the top of the page.
Oak Park operates under the village manager form of government. A part-time, elected legislative body of a president and six trustees hires a professional manager to oversee the day-to-day administration of government programs and services.
Oak Park boasts excellent schools, world class architecture, shopping, dining and an extensive public transportation network. But Oak Park is more than a place – it also is a way of life. Use the links in this menu to learn more about our community and the many services available to residents and visitors alike.
Here are links to some of the most popular items on the Village web site.
Here are links to some of the most popular items on the Village web site.
The Village of Oak Park is keeping its Eye on the Ike, as the Illinois Department of Transportation prepares for the largest major reconstruction of I-290 since it forever transformed the community more than five decades ago.
With the potential for both positive and negative impacts on the community, Village efforts are focused on helping residents stay informed and get involved in the planning process to ensure the negatives are minimized and opportunities maximized.
Actual funding and construction may still be several years off, but the state is only about a year away from choosing its preferred plan. That’s why the Village is working to make sure residents get the latest news and take advantage of every opportunity to influence IDOT decisions.
A page on the Village website — www.oak-park.us/eyeontheike — has been created as a clearinghouse for the latest information, such as dates and times of formal hearings hosted by the IDOT to gather public input, and links to studies and presentations.
In addition, the Village Board is actively calling on residents to get involved. The Board hosted a community meeting at Lincoln School in September, and State Sen. Don Harmon was scheduled to bring Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider to Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School in October to hear from the community. More local meetings are likely as IDOT moves closer to a final plan.
State transportation planners have narrowed the options to four for reconstructing I-290 from Racine Avenue to Mannheim Road. Each would widen the Ike through Oak Park from six to eight lanes and move the exit and entrance ramps to the right side of the expressway at Harlem Avenue and Austin Boulevard.
The elevated ramps would be well above grade along much of Harrison and Garfield Streets, a concept many say could pose the biggest negative impact on the community, bringing noise and pollution out of the current highway trench closer to the nearby neighborhoods.
But IDOT’s plans also offer potential opportunities for improved pedestrian and bicycle access to upgraded CTA stations and even expanded space on the new bridge decks for amenities such as bike racks, landscaping and new retail activity.
In addition, opportunities may arise to get transportation planners to look beyond a wider highway as the only solution to improving I-290 traffic flow. Many residents support improving the Blue Line and extending it further westward as part of a broader plan to reduce traffic congestion.
So what can you do? The most important steps residents can take are to stay informed and ask questions. Residents also are urged to check the Village website for updates, sign up for Village e-news alerts, watch our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. Most importantly, residents need to tell the Village what they think by emailing questions or concerns to village@oak-park.us.
