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Resident urges flashing yellow arrow to replace protected left at Cuneo Boulevard
Summary
A Vernon Hills resident told the village board the protected left-turn arrow at Cuneo Boulevard and North Milwaukee Avenue stays red too long, leading drivers to speed or make illegal turns; staff said IDOT controls the corridor and the village can coordinate with the state.
A Vernon Hills resident told the Village Board on Nov. 12 that the protected left-turn signal into the Cuneo Mansions and Gardens at North Milwaukee Avenue is causing unsafe driving behavior and should be converted to a flashing yellow arrow.
"The protected left turn light was the only thing truly preventing me from making a left turn," resident Aneri Amara said, recounting a neighborhood survey she said included 15 homes. She told the board she found the arrow typically stays red except for a brief five-second interval and quoted neighbors saying they speed to catch the green or turn illegally when no traffic is present. "I propose a flashing yellow arrow signal," Amara said, citing studies she said were conducted by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
The board and staff responded that control of signal timing on Milwaukee Avenue (Route 21) rests with state or county authorities. Director Venato and other staff explained that Route 21 is designated a Strategic Regional Arterial, giving the Illinois Department of Transportation or Lake County Department of Transportation primary authority over signal design and timing. Staff advised residents can submit requests directly to IDOT and that the village can coordinate with IDOT or the board’s state legislators to seek a change.
Trustees noted Lake County has installed flashing yellow arrows along Butterfield Road but cautioned that differences in jurisdiction and intersection geometry (for example, whether a left-turn lane is single or double) affect whether a flashing yellow arrow is appropriate. Village staff said changing left-turn timing at one intersection can alter timing at downstream signals and that engineers weigh overall intersection movement when adjusting left-turn phases.
The board asked staff to note the request, and trustees suggested the village manager or director of public works could provide the resident with IDOT contact information or pursue a coordinated request if residents want the village to take the lead.
The board did not vote on the matter during the meeting; staff described next steps as either providing residents IDOT contact details or drafting a letter for further coordination.
