A Downtown La Grange 'Free-For-All' Traffic Situation

LA GRANGE, IL — Most downtown La Grange visitors probably don't see the driveway behind a number of businesses on La Grange Road. Is also serves as the access for residents of two complexes — Carriage Place Condominiums and La Grange Pointe.

At Monday's Village Board meeting, Carriage Place resident Lynne McInerney said she and other residents were concerned with what she called the "free-for-all" on the driveway, especially with trucks delivering goods to the businesses, including Prasino restaurant and Milk Money Brewing. She asked the village for help with signage.

The L-shaped driveway, including a roundabout, goes from Cossitt Avenue to La Grange Road behind the businesses, parking structure and residences. Over the last four years, McInerney said, the driveway has seen a lot more traffic.

With cars parked in the roundabout, the trucks have no room to maneuver there to unload, she said.

"Therefore, the trucks end up parking in the driveway to unload," McInerney said. "When they park in the driveway behind Floyd's (barbershop), they block traffic from the south. When they park in the driveway across from our parking structure, we can't back our cars out of the parking spots."

And there's another problem, she said.

"When one truck is parked and unloading by our structure, a second truck tries to pass it. The second truck hits the roof of our parking deck," McInerney said.

Over the last four years, the condominium complex has incurred nearly $5,000 in damages to the roof, which the residents cannot recoup because they don't know who caused the damage, she said.

"What we have noticed is that there is no signage anywhere in the roundabout or the driveway about where loading zones are and where no parking is allowed. And so it's kind of a free-for-all back there," McInerney said.

She said some truck drivers "hide out" on the driveway, taking two-hour breaks.

In response, Village President Mark Kuchler said he was unaware of the situation. He said truck drivers may have to get some encouragement from the police department to make things work better on the public driveway.

"We'll do our best to work with businesses, the residents and the delivery drivers for a solution that works," Kuchler said.