In an effort to adjust to the crowded and congested streets surrounding NC and create a safer, better functioning school zone, LT has helped revise the current traffic pattern at NC.

In August, LT proposed new traffic plans to the Village of LaGrange. The Village Board voted on the proposition and approved the installation of a three-way stop at the intersection of Cossitt Avenue and Park Avenue, and the installation of a four-way stop at the intersection of Elm Avenue and Park Avenue. These new stop signs were installed on Friday, Sept. 25 and are currently in operation.

Kenig Lindgren O’Hara & Aboona, Incorporated (KLOA) gave a presentation to the Board of Education in August, in which they gave suggestions for LT’s traffic, based on observations they made at NC last spring. KLOA is the same company that studied the traffic at SC last year.

“[The new system] was something that was recommended to us by the experts that performed the traffic study, and the village was behind it,” Superintendent Dr. Timothy Kilrea said.

The village discussed and voted on the NC plans on Sept. 14. One topic that was discussed was the restriping of Brainard.

“The neighbors on Brainard expressed concerns about buffer space by Elm Park and the shifting of traffic,” Kilrea said.

According to Kilrea, the village board acknowledged the issues and plan to look at the issue further in the future, but the concern did not affect their decision on the new plans.

“The village was confident in putting forth the stop sign ordinance, but they did not act on re-striping Brainard,” Kilrea said.

A key factor in the success of the new traffic system is compliance, Kilrea said. It is crucial for pedestrians and drivers to adhere to the changes.

“This all hinges on whether or not people follow the established traffic patterns,” Kilrea previously said. “We are hopeful that drivers will comply with the new plans.”

According to Kilrea, the school will not enforce the new regulations in any way, should they be passed.

“We are not permitted to give out tickets to drivers in the area,” he said, “and nor would we want to do that.”

However, according to Lara Taylor, a spokesperson for the local group Neighbors for North Campus Safety, the school does have some power to enforce the potential new traffic system.

“While the school is not allowed to issue tickets,” she previously said, “they have the obligation as well as the power to direct parents.”

The new plans will be most effective if everyone is respectful and aware of safety around NC, Kilrea said.

“This is not just the village, or just the school, or just the neighbors,” he said. “This is all of us. We’re a neighbor that has 2200 inhabitants daily. So, it’s all of our responsibility to keep people safe.”