- The document discusses the lack of sidewalks in the Forest Gardens neighborhood near Avoca West Elementary School, which forces students to walk in the street to get to school. A traffic study found many drivers speeding. Photos show the unsafe conditions students face when walking. The proposed solutions are to work with the Village of Glenview on a design study and installing sidewalks, and connect Avoca West to a park in Wilmette via a second entrance to provide safer walking routes. Happy consequences would include increased walking, safety, and less traffic if these changes are made.

1. T H E U N - WA L K A B L E S C H O O L I N T H E
M I D D L E O F A N E I G H B O R H O O D
A V O C A W E S T

2. F O R E S T G A R D E N S
• The name of the neighborhood which leads into Avoca
West is Forest Gardens.
• The reason for the lack of sidewalks, was so the
developer could save on construction costs. Today
sidewalks would be mandated by the Village of
Glenview.
• Newer Neighborhoods built after 1960, to the North
and South of Avoca West both have the mandatory
sidewalks.

3. V I L L A G E O F G L E N V I E W
• The Village of Glenview is willing to do a design study for
the Forest Gardens subdivision. The Village wants school
and neighborhood support prior to moving forward.
• Working with Peter D’Agostino, Management Analyst for
the Village of Glenview, a traffic study was scheduled and
performed on Sherwood Road.
• Officer Jen Smith (#168) performed the study. The study
took place from Sept 4 - 11, 2013 from the 1100 - 1200
block of Sherwood Road.

4. T R A F F I C S T U D Y D ATA
• Northbound on Sherwood
• 176 cars were traveling at speed where a ticket would be issued.
• 15% of drivers were traveling faster than 30 mph.
• Peak volume is between 8:00 - 8:30 AM.
• Southbound on Sherwood
• 194 cars were traveling at speed where a ticket would be issued.
• 15% of drivers were traveling faster than 32 mph.
• Peak volume is between 3:00 - 3:30 PM.

5. P H O T O S
• The following are photos of Sherwood Road and
Heatherfield Lane taken over a one-year period.
• These photos were taken during times when students
would be walking.
• Many of the photos include students attempting to
walk to school or return home at the end of the day.

6. AV O C A W E S T ’ S P E R C E I V E D
O B L I G AT I O N E N D S

7. W H E R E A R E S T U D E N T S T O G O ?

8. M A R I E M U R P H Y S T U D E N T S A L S O G E T F O R C E D O N
T O T H E S T R E E T S A F T E R T H E B U S D R O P S T H E M O F F

9. B U S E S B E A R D O W N O N M O R N I N G
WA L K E R S

10. PA R K E D C A R S P U S H S T U D E N T S
FA R T H E R O U T O N T O T H E S T R E E T

11. I N M A N Y I N S TA N C E S T H E R E I S N O
W H E R E T O G O E V E N O N G R A S S

12. B L I N D C O R N E R - W O U L D Y O U L E T
Y O U R C H I L D WA L K H E R E ?

13. T H E O T H E R S I D E O F S T R E E T I S N O
B E T T E R

14. S O M E A R E A S A R E I M P O S S I B L E T O PA S S

15. T H E S C A L E O F V E G E TAT I O N G R O W T H T O T H E
S I Z E O F S T U D E N T S I S O U T O F P R O P O R T I O N

16. D O E S T H I S R E A L LY F E E L R I G H T T O
Y O U ?

17. T H I S I S M U C H B E T T E R

18. S O L U T I O N S
• Work with Village of Glenview and Village of Wilmette
to assist in executing two tactics:
• 1. The school board, principals, and superintendent
must support the design study and installation of
sidewalks in the Forest Gardens Neighborhood.
• 2. Work with the Village of Wilmette to create a
second entrance to Avoca West through the rear
(west side) of school. Connecting Wilmette’s West
Park with Glenview’s Avoca Park.

19. H A P P Y C O N S E Q U E N C E S
• Increased amount of student walkers from Forest Garden (Glenview)
and West Wilmette
• Increased safety for all residents of the area:
• Areas for neighborhood residents to walk dogs
• Elderly may get exercise using sidewalks
• Toddlers and young families can go on safe strolls
• Less traffic on Sherwood
• Less idling cars on school grounds

20. H A P P Y C I T Y
“You can design a city for cars
or you can design a city for people,
you cannot design for both.”
- Charles Montgomery, author of Happy City

21. T H A N K Y O U