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Committee weighs one‑way conversion on Kenwood Street near Pioneer School but favors education and coordination
Summary
West Chicago officials reviewed a study on converting one block of Kenwood Street to a southbound one‑way to ease school arrival/dismissal congestion. Traffic staff and Commander Reevely warned of mail, garbage, emergency‑response and resident impacts and recommended improved signage, school coordination and targeted officer presence instead of a partial one‑way conversion.
The committee examined a traffic study and public‑safety analysis about converting one block of Kenwood Street near Pioneer School to a one‑way (southbound) street to ease morning arrival and afternoon dismissal congestion. Presenters and the police commander urged caution and recommended education, signage and coordination with the school rather than an immediate street‑configuration change.
Alderman Adina Soto (presenter) framed the proposal and asked whether the conversion would be limited to a single block and which direction would be used. Commander Reevely, introduced by the presenter, described logistical constraints: mailboxes are clustered on the west side of Kenwood, so southbound would be the only practical carrier route; garbage pickup uses right‑side pickup arms; emergency vehicles can operate contra‑flow but a one‑way could complicate response and create circuitous routes for residents. “There would have to be an approval kind of from the post office,” Commander Reevely said, noting service disruptions could occur during changes.
Commander Reevely and staff said crash data did not show a pattern that would justify a one‑way conversion and cautioned partial one‑block implementation could be confusing and shift problems to other houses. The commander recommended an education campaign with the school, improved signage, targeted officer deployments at arrival/dismissal and coordination with the school resource officer, who has been active at dismissal times.
Committee members asked about speed studies and traffic calming; staff said a speed trailer could be deployed but average speeds during peak school times are typically low and a short study might be skewed. Members discussed alternatives such as targeted drop‑off lanes, physical pedestrian refuges (raised medians/crossing islands) and better signage; staff identified these as engineering options requiring further review. Several members said a full‑time one‑way would be clearer than a part‑time one‑way, but most agreed the cons—resident inconvenience, garbage/mail logistics and potential safety tradeoffs—outweighed the limited benefit of easing 20–30 minutes of daily congestion.
The committee did not adopt a one‑way conversion at this meeting; instead members requested further coordination with the school and for staff to explore signage, education and targeted enforcement options.
