Many of my neighbors and I are dismayed by the new Right Turn Only sign installed at Thomas and Ridgeland. We live in the 800 block of North Cuyler and our alleys only exit onto Thomas or Division. We can rarely turn west onto Division because of the volume of traffic, so we must go east, away from most of the village, at that end.
Now if we exit onto Thomas, we can’t make the historically easy left turn from Thomas onto Ridgeland, heading into the village. The natural move now is to turn south on Cuyler or Harvey on either side of Whittier Elementary School and the Dole branch of the public library.
Yep, increasing traffic around a grade school and branch library, an area thick with pedestrians. Always a good plan.
Our calls and letters to village engineers receive boiler-plate responses that the plans are already in place and can’t be altered. They will “study the situation.” Thomas will become a bike-friendly greenway. We have yet to hear back from village trustees.
I’m struck by the similarities between this and that greenway on the south side of the village which now prevents residents from parking in front of their homes.
As residents, we are only finding out about significant changes to traffic flow near our homes when plans have already been approved. Where is the public comment option? When did we get mail talking about the proposed changes? Just who is benefitting from these changes? Because it sure isn’t me and my taxpaying neighbors.
I think the village is going too far in creating greenways. It’s become hard to drive in the village. How am I supposed to bring my groceries home on my bike?
I encourage the village trustees to look more carefully at these plans. There are a lot of unhappy residents out here.