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Cut through traffic on local streets is another problem many Evanston residents place near the top of the list of problems they would like to address. Our City is built on a grid system which provides many parallel routes to the arterial and collector streets which are designated to handle the through traffic. This provision of local street alternatives which are several blocks long and are the same length as parallel segments of the major street system leads to cut through traffic as motorists seek to save a few minutes (or seconds) per trip. The grid system was popular 150 years ago when the street pattern was laid out, but it is very unlikely that it would be used if Evanston were being designed today. Instead, you would probably see more curved streets and "no outlet" sections which prevent through traffic. Trying to retrofit the modern design elements on an old grid street system poses quite a challenge for us today. There are some ways to address this which will be discussed later in this report. To help guide us through a process to reduce speeds and cut through traffic, some basic principles have been adopted. These will help as we work through the process of developing techniques for controlling traffic in neighborhoods. Guiding Principles A. Traffic operations and traffic safety are important and should be addressed to enhance the quality of life, the "livability" of the neighborhoods. Perceptions of traffic problems and measurable traffic characteristics are both important and should be considered as solutions are developed. B. The City will continue to support street classifications which give different weights to the streets which form the roadway system (arterial, collector, and local) and recognizes that not all traffic control measures are appropriate for each type of street. These street classifications are found in the City's Comprehensive General Plan. C. Adequate emergency and service access (for the City, as well as other agencies) is essential and must be maintained. D. The process for each neighborhood should include all who have a stake in how the street system operates (residents, businesses, schools, park users, etc.). E. The agreed -upon system of prioritization should be followed when projects compete for limited funding. F. Where possible, trials of the proposed changes should be undertaken prior to final approval of the funding, especially in the more costly projects. G. The traffic control measure(s) selected should not move traffic to other streets. The Process for Developing a Plan Each neighborhood will follow a similar process to develop a traffic management plan. 2