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Cambridge Lakes Charter asks Pingree Grove to restrict left turns, change parking and add signage to ease afternoon congestion
Summary
Cambridge Lakes Charter School presented a traffic plan to the Village Board proposing a permanent right-turn restriction from Cambridge Lakes Drive onto Wester between 3–4 p.m., parking-lot reconfiguration and shared barricades to reduce afternoon backups and improve safety for students and residents.
Cambridge Lakes Charter School asked the Pingree Grove Village Board to approve traffic controls and parking changes aimed at relieving heavy afternoon congestion at school dismissal.
Mark Raser, CEO of Northern Kane Educational Corp., which manages Cambridge Lakes Charter, said the school typically handles about 500 vehicles during the 3–4 p.m. dismissal window and that congestion grows when parents try to cut the established pickup line. “We gather about, you know, 500 or so vehicles,” Raser said, and added that counts can reach 600–650 on days with after-school activities.
The school proposed a set of measures: posting a sign to prohibit left turns from Cambridge Lakes Drive onto Wester during 3–4 p.m. (right turns only), closing a smaller “green” parking lot to nonemployee parking, redesigning end islands in a larger lot to create four traffic lanes instead of two, and closing the back parking area until 3 p.m. Raser said the school would pay for signage and provide and store barricades to block the restricted route during dismissal; the school also proposed a shared storage arrangement so the village could use the barricades for special events.
Raser told trustees the school will run a public information campaign and traffic-flow videos to notify families of the changes. He also said the school would station staff and volunteers to enforce the routing and buy traffic horses (plastic movable barricades) the school would deploy and maintain.
Trustees and the village police chief raised neighbor-impact and enforcement concerns. Trustee Peony worried that GPS routing could divert drivers into a nearby residential neighborhood, and Chief Harris said the police department would patrol the area “when they can,” but that staffing or concurrent calls could limit coverage. The chief also noted an operational conflict: fingerprinting services used on Tuesdays and Thursdays take officers off street patrol during part of the dismissal window.
Board members asked about phasing and messaging. Raser said the school could shut the employee lot immediately but that moving students between buildings to reorganize pickup points would require staging and messaging to avoid disrupting current procedures. When asked whether the change would be temporary, Raser said he viewed the no-left-turn restriction as permanent unless the partners reconvened to reconsider it.
Board consensus: Village staff and trustees voiced support for moving forward. Andy (village staff) said the board was comfortable with staff proceeding on the traffic plan and that staff would follow up on implementation steps and signage timing.
Why this matters: The proposal changes village traffic patterns, affects nearby residential streets and requires operational coordination with police and school staff. The board’s next steps will determine signage, enforcement and an outreach schedule to parents and residents.
Next steps: Staff will coordinate with the school and police on signage placement, public messaging and on-the-ground enforcement during the initial rollout.
