Ongoing street work north of Archer Road and 79th Street was the hot topic during the public comment portion of the latest Justice Village Board meeting.
The board heard from longtime resident Mary Lou Hermosillo, who lives in the neighborhood just north of Archer, during the Jan. 27 meeting.
She is not happy with how local traffic has been impacted.
“It’s a pain,” said Hermosillo, a resident since 1987.
“The line of traffic in the morning goes all the way down Blazer Avenue (north from Archer) since this started.
“Also, the (red) lights are way longer than they used to be. I don’t know if they can change that, but I think you’d get more traffic through if the lights were changed,” she said.
She found support from none other than Mayor Kris Wasowicz, who lives in the same part of town.
“I share your frustration,” he said.
He noted it’s especially bad when school buses are in the mix.
“Believe me, you get four to five buses (on the road) and nothing’s moving,” Wasowicz said.
He sometimes retraces his route north on Blazer and east on 75th Street to Archer to avoid the delay.
Justice is not in charge of the project, he said. Nor is IDOT.
“Believe me, you get four to five buses … and nothing’s moving,”
Mayor Kris Wasowicz on neighborhood traffic.
The Cook County Highway Department is in charge of making improvements that are expected to be completed in 2026, Wasowicz said after the meeting.
“If IDOT was leading the project, we’re talking a decade,” he quipped.
After the meeting, Hermosillo said “(Blazer Avenue is) a parking lot all the way to get out to the (traffic) light (at Archer).”
She hasn’t seen any bad accidents but fears some could result from drivers trying to get a head start.
In other business, the board unanimously approved donating $100 to the Justice Park District for events in 2025.
The board also approved expenses to not exceed $2,000 for the Southwest Conference of Mayors meeting on March 27.
In December, the board approved licenses for two new businesses in Justice.
Viva La Beauty will operate an esthetician business in Suite 105 at 9050 W. 81st Street.
Avocado Burger will set up shop at 8025 W. 79th St.
The next board meeting will be at 7 p.m. Feb. 10.
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