Drivers and residents in the Berwyn neighborhood should be aware of an upcoming traffic pattern change designed to improve safety and better accommodate the roadway improvements recently completed in the area.

Beginning Tuesday, May 26, 2026, Ruatan Street will convert to one-way westbound traffic between Rhode Island Avenue and 48th Avenue. In addition, 48th Avenue between Ruatan Street and Berwyn Road will become one-way southbound.

The City’s contractor has now completed several major safety upgrades in the area, including raised intersections, new pavement markings, high-visibility continental crosswalks, directional arrows, and stop bars. Parking will still be permitted on the south side of Ruatan Street and the east side of 48th Avenue. As required under City Code, parked vehicles must face the new direction of traffic beginning May 26.

After looking into the project further and speaking with staff and members of the community, what I learned is that the final design reflects what the community requested during the engagement process.

One important caveat the City included regarding the new traffic pattern was that if it does not perform as intended, Engineering would review the situation and make adjustments accordingly.

The reason for changing the traffic pattern was that the roadway has been narrowed due to the construction of the new sidewalk improvements, and it can no longer safely accommodate two-way traffic while still allowing on-street parking.

City staff began engaging extensively with the Berwyn community in 2023. Three design options were developed based on community input and expectations, and the community ultimately selected Option 2. The options were shared on the project webpage and displayed publicly at Jack Perry Plaza.

The three proposed options were:

  • Option 1 – Ruatan Street remains two-way with no parking
  • Option 2 – Ruatan Street becomes one-way westbound. This aligns with the existing one-way operation on Rhode Island Avenue and extends that pattern logically.
  • Option 3 – Ruatan Street becomes one-way only between 49th Avenue and 48th Avenue, which removes additional parking and does not significantly address cut-through traffic concerns.

The City also provided a FAQ section on the project webpage to answer resident questions throughout the process.

Community engagement on the project included:

  • A community engagement letter mailed to residents within the project area in February 2023
  • Presentations and discussions at two Berwyn District Civic Association meetings on January 18, 2024 and October 17, 2024
  • Presentation of the 90% design plans to the Mayor and Council at the April 8, 2025 Council meeting
  • Final construction approval by the City Council on September 9, 2025 through Consent Agenda Item 25-G-86

Projects like this often involve balancing competing priorities — traffic flow, pedestrian safety, parking availability, neighborhood concerns, and roadway constraints. While not everyone may agree on every aspect of the design, it is important to recognize that the City went through a lengthy public engagement process before implementation.

That said, traffic patterns can still be revisited in the future. If residents would like to pursue changes, I would encourage bringing the matter to the Berwyn District Civic Association (BDCA), since that was the primary community forum where the traffic pattern was discussed and supported.