The Village of Morton Grove issued new experimental restrictions on Menard Avenue between Oakton and Keeney. The restrictions prevent parking, standing and passenger drop-off on school days from 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. and from 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. The new policies also restrict parking for more than one hour on school days from 8:30 to 3:00 p.m., except for vehicles displaying a Zone 1 permit beginning at a point 150 feet north of the centerline of Oakton and Keeney. U-turns are now prohibited on Warren Street from Major to Marmora Avenue.
Many students have been parking on these streets or getting dropped off there, causing increased traffic congestion, dangerous driving maneuvers and limited parking for residents. Morton Grove residents have complained about the usage of residential streets for Niles West students.
“People were stopping their cars on Menard and Marmora and letting their kids out, and what was happening is the kids [would] cross the street right away,” School Resource Officer Nick Larson said. “[Morton Grove Police] want to make sure that kids are being dropped off [on school grounds].”
Larson also indicated that the change was made for the safety of local elementary students who are waiting at neighborhood bus stops during high-traffic periods.
“The problem is there are several other school drop-offs [on Menard Avenue between Oakton Ave. and Keeney St.],” Larson said. “There are little kids [waiting] at their bus stops.”
Parents and guardians dropping off West students often wait in a line stretching north on Menard. Some do a U-turn on Menard or Warren to avoid the stoplight at Oakton. Associate Principal of Operations Mark Thomas addressed some of the concerns of residents regarding drivers and congestion.
“Some of the residents had shared that they were concerned about U-turns, and especially the closer it gets to the school bell in the morning, people tend to be late and tend to rush,” Thomas said. “Our kids do a nice job because they know they have to get there pretty early to a parking spot. But these are adults, for the most part, dropping kids off, and it goes from one block to sometimes four,” Thomas said.
Morton Grove resident Allison Tesnar lives on Menard and appreciates the new restrictions, considering the danger to pedestrians in the neighborhood.
“I’m happy to see the police, the village and the school administration working together,” Tesnar said. “I know that a lot of people see this as a parking issue; however, if you have ever been in the area during drop off or pick up, you know how congested and dangerous it is.”
Students have adapted to these changes, and some have found ways to still park in the restricted areas. As the restrictions do not apply to cars with Zone 1 permits, students, including non-residents of Morton Grove, have begun purchasing these permits that were briefly available for residents in those areas.
A Niles West student who wished to remain anonymous found a way around the restrictions.
“Yeah, I couldn’t get a spot,” they said. “It was open for like a day or two. And then by the time I got the notification, all the spots were filled. Yeah, I started parking there, but then they started restricting it. I’m still parking there because I have a person across the street I pay.”
Thomas indicated additional traffic changes coming to the Niles West campus. A light may be added on Gross Point at the south entrance, and students will be parking in the back lot while having staff use the front lot along Oakton St.
