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Shorewood committee recommends closing Morris Boulevard for Halloween trick-or-treating
Summary
A Shorewood committee voted to recommend that the Village Board close a two-block stretch of Morris Boulevard for Halloween to reduce traffic chaos and improve safety, while leaving open the possibility of adding neighborhood activations later.
A Shorewood committee voted to recommend that the Village Board close a two-block stretch of Morris Boulevard for Halloween so children can trick-or-treat without vehicular traffic. The recommendation came after several months of discussion and debate about who would organize a larger block party and what safety and neighbor-activation measures would be needed.
Committee members said safety concerns prompted the recommendation. Trustee Ersink said the street has been “absolute chaos” during past trick-or-treat events, with cars parked on both sides, people running across the street, and some parents worried about children being struck. Trustee McGovern said closing Morris as a pilot this year would let the village try the idea and “see what issues there are and make it better next year.”
The committee heard that a formal block-party application process previously relied on a trustee volunteer to serve as a sponsor; that trustee was unavailable this year. Staff noted the village has the capacity to install and remove barricades. Trustee McKay said the village’s primary responsibility is to ensure children can trick-or-treat safely and favored a straightforward closure of the street with minimal required volunteer oversight.
The committee moved and seconded a recommendation to the Village Board to close the designated portion of Morris Boulevard for Halloween; the motion passed with one abstention. The recommendation will be placed on the full Village Board agenda for final action.
Why it matters: The closure aims to reduce crash and pedestrian-safety risk at a recurring neighborhood event. Committee members framed the action as a pilot that could inform a more elaborate neighborhood-sponsored event in future years.
Meeting context: The item was discussed at the Media & Business Relations Committee meeting immediately before the full meeting; committee members explicitly separated discussion (options for activation, neighbor buy-in) from the formal recommendation (street closure) forwarded to the Village Board.
Next steps: The Village Board will consider the committee’s recommendation at its next meeting; if adopted, staff will schedule barricade setup and reopening procedures and the village will monitor results as a pilot.
