We Need Your Support for Pedestrian & Traffic Safety!
Please write a letter of support for the changes we are advocating for with DOTE and CPS:
- DOTE change Montgomery Rd and Lester Ave intersection to pedestrian scramble.
- DOTE and CPS partner to change school zone signage to be more effective.
- CPS provide additional police officers to direct carline traffic on Montgomery Rd.
We would like to collect as many letters as possible by Sunday 5/22. Please send a pdf copy of your letter to Lindsey Felder at [email protected] or reach out with any questions. You are welcome to draft your own letter, but for convenience, we have provided a template here for you to copy, paste and modify:
Date
To Whom it May Concern
I am a member of the Pleasant Ridge Montessori school community and am a parent of [Number of kids] children that attend PRM. I’m involved in the school as a parent volunteer, PTO member and advocate.
I am writing to make you aware of safety concerns at the intersection of Montgomery Rd and Lester Ave in front of Pleasant Ridge Montessori, and to ask for your support in resolving these issues. Due to the school’s location on a major roadway and the large number of students and staff that walk or are dropped off, there are significant pedestrian and traffic concerns that need to be addressed. A PRM staff member was hit in this intersection in October 2021, requiring a hospital visit. [Personal Story or Perspective]
I believe that with the help of DOTE and CPS, there are a few achievable solutions available. The PRM community has proposed 3 changes which we believe will significantly improve the safety around PRM.
First, we have requested that DOTE change this intersection to a pedestrian scramble and provide a left turn light from Montgomery South to Lester. This will ensure the safest crossing for pedestrians while no vehicles are moving in any direction. Providing a pedestrian free time for vehicle traffic, along with providing a left turn from Montgomery to Lester, will reduce traffic backups at busy times and reduce the number of collisions at this intersection.
The DOTE has not yet agreed to make these changes and instead has increased the signal length slightly. Due to the nature of T intersections, we do not believe this change is sufficient and request DOTE make the change to a pedestrian scramble ahead of next school year.
Second, we would also request that the CPS and DOTE partner to change the school zone lights to be flashing throughout the school day and add permanent speed monitoring signage. This would remind drivers that there is a school on a major roadway, and alert them to pedestrian crossing that occurs throughout the day. In addition, we suggest that the Montgomery Rd school zone signs be moved farther back, as these signs currently sit at the driveway of the school which does not give advanced warning that drivers are entering a school zone.
Finally, we would like to ask CPS to provide additional officer presence to cover the exit and entrance of our carline. Currently, staff members of PRM have to enter four lanes of Montgomery Avenue traffic each morning and afternoon to manually stop and wave traffic through. I believe that this is a dangerous endeavor and a big ask for staff members, who in the morning have to vacate their posts after the first bell so they are not late to class. This leaves many cars navigating the exit themselves, and increases the risk for vehicle and pedestrian accidents.
We need your support and advocacy for these 3 changes:
- DOTE change Montgomery Rd and Lester Ave intersection to pedestrian scramble.
- DOTE and CPS partner to change school zone signage to be more effective.
- CPS provide additional police officers to direct carline traffic on Montgomery Rd.
We believe that the combined forces of CPS and DOTE can solve many of the traffic issues around Pleasant Ridge Montessori school. We respectfully request that these changes happen quickly, before another pedestrian incident occurs. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Firstname Lastname
Phone number