Today's Sun reports that Indian Praire School District 204 is working on a traffic impact study to determine how Metea Valley High School will affect congestion along Eola Road.
The study will take into account the possibility of a future interchange at I-88 and Eola Road. Also, planners will study how the high school could spur additional commercial development along the road, and the additional impact that will have.
What are your concerns about Metea's impact on traffic? In general, how well does the district handle traffic around its two other high schools--Waubsonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley--and its elementary and middle schools? What traffic situations around schools would you like to see addressed?
Traffic will be impacted on Eola just as it would have impacted 75th street or another site. There will be an increase - - no sense wasting time trying to argue about how it will increase this site versus another. Plus, any interchange nonsense is nonsense - - if it even happens, it is years off and will feed onto side streets, not Eola.
It will be like MegaMaid from the movie Spaceballs when they flip the switch.
JWH,
It may feed onto a side street but people will still travel on Eola to get to that side street because that is the major road between the other 2 exists that this interchange will be there to support.
Fifteen years ago when I moved out here their was talk about the interchange off of 88 & Eola Rd. and nothing has happened or come close to happening. The Sun just put this out here to bring more conflict to the community.
What difference does it make where this school is built when we live in an area as populated as Aurora & Naperville. No matter where you put it you will have traffic. Give me one main road in this area that is not congested in peak drive times.
The fact that this site will make Metea the northernmost school in District 204 means the kids will mostly all be coming from the south, making Eola more congested.
If they are to use the Molitor entrance they need to come from the north, so they either need to cut over on Diehl and cross the grade level RR tracks or go all the way up to Ferry and then come south.
If the school was not on the extreme northwestern edge of the district, there would be more access for students - they would be coming from all directions instead of nearly all from the S / SE.
Anyone who has driven Eola in the morning knows how bad it is now. And adding thousands of students trying to get to school and another light at Molitor will make it a nightmare (and on days that it snows it will be at a standstill). And from the site plans there will only be an entrance to the school from Eola so there won’t be a back way into the school. I guess that is good news for the people who live just south of the new school. Also from the site plans parking going to be at a premium. And I am sure the people living south don't want people parking on their street during school or football games.
Since 204 seems to want to pull a significant number of students from south of Aurora Ave., I would be more worried about how north-south traffic along Rt. 59 would be affected.....
A comment regarding the site chosen for Metea being in the extreme Northwest corner of the district.
I did not hear the administration mention at the 1/22 school board meeting that the district maps shown were out of scale in order for the Midwest Generation site to appear closer to the rest of the district than it actually is.
Not sure if this is on purpose or not, but it probably makes a difference in public opinion and should have been mentioned. In the past there were disclaimers on the maps that say "NOTE: Map is not drawn to scale."
Traffic problem could be easily solved if we didn't build the third high school that we don't need.
Since enrollment is declining, the impact will be nominal.
Just keep WVHS gold campus open, we don't need MEATHEAD HIGH.
See all the red????????????
http://www.ipsd.org/Documents/0708/EnrollmentStats07.pdf
The local school districts are borderline houses of corruption.
In the last 2 years, district 204 elementary school enrollment has DECLINED by 284 students. The 3rd HS will NEVER be needed.
Schools like Longwood and Brookdale have a ton of empty classrooms. Why doesn't the SUN ever do a story about that?
Oh, that's right, Brit Carson, owned and operated by local teachers' unions.
It looks like this blog is turning more constructive (let's discuss traffic flow patterns, given the inevitability of the new school being built, etc...). For those of you who have used this blog and the ProBoards blog and are looking for yet another place to let your feelings be heard, I found another place which has started up a blog on the Metea topic too. Go to:
http://www.elemental-learning.com/OurBlog/tabid/90/BlogID/3/ParentBlogID/1/Default.aspx
Seems to me the real traffic issues at the Eola site will be caused by the anticipated TRIPLING of train traffic on the EJ&E tracks. With so many students and buses needing to cross the tracks, the rail road intersections will likely become conjested and dangerous.
Please take a moment to voice your concerns to the Federal Surface Transportation Board at www.STB.DOT.gov. We have until Feb 1st to e-file about how the inreased train traffic will negatively impact our community. If you are concerned about our students safety, please take a quick moment to e-file or leave a message on the recorded line at 1-800-347-0689, option #5. (Please refer to Finance Docket # 35087.) Thank you.
Yes, I find it interesting that after the board voted, then the Sun decided to write an article about the negative effects this high school site might have. I guess we'll have to wait until it's built to find out if all those environmental concerns have any merit either...
What a mess this is going to be. Have you driven down Eola during rush hour lately? I drive it every day. More buses on Eola, Indian Trail, and North Aurora Rd. and more parents driving kids to school because of its distance from the students who attend? It's hard enough getting to the toll way and the train station. Why not keep it away from major rush hour traffic hot spots and situate it in an area that makes more sense. Sit back down with Macom, save money, and save the commuting public another headache.
As anyone who travels on Eola Road these days knows, starting around 3PM every single day, Eola Road becomes a congestive nightmare starting at Diehl Road and going all the way down to New York Street. Before the school district plans on going through with placing a high school along Eola Road, I would greatly suggest that they do a somewhat exhaustive study of what that stretch of roadway looks like from 3PM all the way past 6PM. I would like to see such a study include school board members actually taking a trip down Eola Road during the suggested times, so as to get a real feel of the frustration the rest of us have to endure trying to make our way down that road. Then have them imagine the addition of bus traffic and student drivers, not to mention activities such as football games and the like, all adding to the congestion that is already on that road. Then have the same school board members come back and try to convince the rest of us that it should be no problem placing a new high school next to Eola Road.
I agree with mariacallous - the environmental hazards are being completely glossed over. I'd rather have my kids sit in traffic then be exposed to chemical spills and EMF hazards. Where are our priorities?
Sad,
This power plant apparently operated for decades with no pollution controls or monitoring in place. What long term harm could there be from that?
We dont need third high school... save the tax money for
something we need, give it back to the homeowenrs they
need it the most.
The high schools dismiss at 2:25 busses leave the high schools at 2:40-2:45. The first year of operation there will be no student drivers, they will only have Freshman and Sophomores in the building. The school will be totally cleared out by 3:15. On football game days, there football games do not start until 5:15pm. Other sport game days do not start until 4:45-5:00pm. Stop complaining!
I have a few questions:
1) Why isn't the City of Aurora asking for this traffic study as part of their site plan review process?
2) How can the SB say that construction can start so early? Won't new civil engineering plans be required for the new site? Won't these plans need to be submitted to the city for review before issuing building permits?
3) Typically civil engineering plans are needed to be reviewed and approved before the building plans can be reviewed and approved. Yes, city of Aurora???
4) Has the SB asked their civil engineers and architects / engineers to produce plans for each possible site and submit for city review so that no matter what site was selected, the plans would have already been submitted? If so the SB has spent the tax payers $ over and over again!
5) What is going on? How could they be so ready to build on BB land and now be ready to build on this new land? New civil engineering drawings would have been needed to be produced? Building plans would have had to be resubmitted along with the new civil dwgs?
6) City of Aurora Building Department, please explain. Sun Newspapers, please investigate!!!!!!!!
Mo posts that "The high schools dismiss at 2:25 busses leave the high schools at 2:40-2:45. The first year of operation there will be no student drivers, they will only have Freshman and Sophomores in the building. The school will be totally cleared out by 3:15. On football game days, there football games do not start until 5:15pm. Other sport game days do not start until 4:45-5:00pm. Stop complaining!"
And tell me mo, how many times a day do you happen to travel down Eola Road? I'm going to bet 0! I therefore cordially incite you to take a leisurely trip down this stretch of highway anytime between 6:30AM and 8:00AM and 3:00PM and 6:00PM any old day of the week, Monday thru Friday.
Then come on back and tell the rest of us to stop complaining.
I agree with most of the former comments, it doesn't matter! Why would anybody believe that another site would not have the same problems? They ALL would. This is an issue that really isn't an issue.
Denny,
Every site would have traffic concerns; each to their respective amounts. From the mumblings I am hearing there is also concern about certain 'utilities' adjacent to the property as well as the ambiguity with regards to mitigation and remediation of unspecified environmental concerns. There seems to be a mixed reaction to those ranging from unconcern to grave concern.
Carl, It wasnt Mo that posted the comments it was me... I do travel down Eola road at those times, but I am an adult and I will learn to cope with the situation and make adjustments as needed. Thats what adults do, instead of constantly complaining about the situation.
Joe,
Those posting the biggest concerns (most without any merit) are those who still believe they can angle to get the site squashed and moved to a south site in their backyards.
I use Eola as a short-cut to avoid the congestion on 59. Yes, Eola gets congested around typical rush hour times... just like most every road in Naperville. But during the mid to late afternoon it is pretty wide open. Yesterday at 4:22pm, during a slight drizzle, I sailed through from Diehl to Liberty in 3 minutes. No traffic whatsoever.
JWH,
I'm sure the same can be said with regards to the problems being white-washed over by those who's backyard the site is in.
Both, of course, would be incorrect characterizations and avoid the real issue of the amount of unknowns and uncertainty about the current chosen location.
Joe,
Agreed. We need rational analysis of environmental, traffic and other topics related to the site. Not, the sky-is-falling postings like usual.
If you don't like the results, move!
JWH,
Agreed. We also don't need the "Everything's perfectly fine, nothing to see here" rhetoric about a site that was intelligently and systematically eliminated in the first round of site selections due to the numerous things that were pointed out as hazards and pitfalls that are counter-productive to a school setting.
More real data is key so that something does not circle back around and bite us in the butt; wasting $150 million.
Hopefully the District will deliver on its assurances for further detailed testing and certification then publish all of the results of such tests and subsequent review of the results by the EPA.
Vicki,
Sounds easy just to move. Great than buy my house and I'll move.
Joe wrote;
"We also don't need the "Everything's perfectly fine, nothing to see here" rhetoric about a site that was intelligently and systematically eliminated in the first round of site selections due to the numerous things that were pointed out as hazards and pitfalls that are counter-productive to a school setting.
More real data is key so that something does not circle back around and bite us in the butt; wasting $150 million."
____________________________________
I bet those concerns aren't really an issue. The SB was using every excuse they could think of to justify why BB was the only feasible option for the 3rd HS, and to justify eminent domain and then quick take.
Speaking of biting in the butt, I am sure the SB's rears are sore now, 1st the eminant domain didn't work out so well,the jury actually decided a property owner should be paid a fair price instead of letting the SD steal it, and now they have to eat the words they used to dismiss AME/ MWGEN as a viable site. This whole ordeal is like watching a Three Stooges episode.:)
RJ,
No argument from me on the SB taking a leak into the fan for the past 2 years. They most certainly were. The problem they have going forward is that old document that will not go away if something unfortunate happens in the future. It will come back around to say they knew or should have known something was a problem. Their bets are hedged in the wrong direction. As for the site cost differences, one could point out the same BS information in the first document now exists in the second document in the form of tricky math to justify buying AME at what they call a cheaper cost.
At the next meeting I would like to see them slap each other, pull their noses and ears and poke each other in the eyes. Who do you think is Moe?
Vicki -
I believe your sentiment of "if you don't like it then move" echos our new administation's "my way or the highway" stance. Limit/ignore community input and just do what you want.
At least Howie considered community input (remember "late start"?)instead of steamrolling over us with proposals (all day kindergarten, now school site, and in the future, boundaries). No input, and as a matter of fact, they don't even feel compelled to address legitimate concerns. There is not enough space for all day kindergarten and now is Daeschner's opportunity to completely redraw boundaries top-to-bottom to bus kids around and try and make space at the elementary school level.
Once they're on the bus, it doesn't matter if it's for 5 minutes or an hour, right? They are just kids and their time is worth nothing anyway. Hope you like art on a cart/PA in the hallways/30+ in a classroom, because "if you don't then move." That's their idea of "having space" for all day kindergarten. (Did you notice that the all day kindergarten FAQs were very careful to state that they would not violate the teachers' contract limits of district averages in the classroom? So if your kid in stuck with 30+ in their 1st grade class, you just got unlucky and are above average, but it is still allowed.)
This district is working hard to accomodate the working mother. Just like all day Kdg. If I here one more working mom say it's about time I'm going to scream. We do not pay taxes for child care. We pay to educate. That is what is going to happen with all K. It is child care.
I'm tired of hearing the stay at homes cheer as well. If you are happy they have all day K then why did you have kids if you can't wait to push them out the door.
And the other group of mom's who say "my child needs it they are ready now". Guess what a 4-5 year old who can't control themselves and still has temper tantrums but knows his ABC's is not ready for K. It's mom who can't handle them and wants to get rid of them.
These kids need an environment that is not all about keeping up the Jones' with the expensive PreK and the daily activiities. They need the PreK and an acitivity here or there. But also down time with mom sharing and enjoying the simplicity of life.
Kids today are like little robots and their buttons are pushed as to what they are going to do. Whatever happened to staying home and using our imagination and just enjoying time with mom.
I'm just glade I don't have PreK anymore. What I'm not happy with is my tax dollars going to this and not my kids art or music education.
This was a district that pride itself in the arts as well as the overall academics and it's athletics. Looks like now we the the Dashound that doesn't count.
It's a sad day in this district.
By the way, the kids who are at risk and need this all K are the same one who will be at risk come Jr. High who show up to class without their books (given to them for free), don't do homework and still act out. It's because education is not valued at home and it is carried on from one generation to the next.
Because of this my kids education continues to suffer because of all the time the teachers have to discipline these kids.
Even if you set aside the debate regarding the merit of all day day kindergarten, the new administration's penchant for shoving an ill-thought-out plan through without addressing legitimate concerns is concerning.
That is what we are getting with the MWGEN site - it won't even be cleaned up before we start construction. The turbines aren't even scheduled to be removed until the end of 2008.
We're just trusting them to get it cleaned up before the school is finished.
The EMF testing was done on the "approximate" school site last fall when electricity usage is at it's lowest. That report hasn't been made public. But Daeschner wants to close on both properties in the next 30 days.
If District 204 was smart and wanted to save the taxpayers double digit millions of dollars they would offer Plainfield School District $104 million for the brand new Plainfield East High School located at Naper/Plainfield and 119th which they can not fill enough to open for the Fall of 2008.
$104 million is TWICE what they paid, if I am reading things correctly and it is at least $40 million dollars LESS then the MV at Molitor/Eola site construction budget.
Plainfield doubles their money, 204 saves $40 million dollars and we open this school in Fall of 2008 instead of 2009.
Problem solved, and Eola traffic is not impacted.
Joe,
Your reccomendations are insane. Why would we want a school in Plainfield's boundries???
What environmental problems are present at the proposed new Metea school site? One of the posters said there were serious concerns. Can anyone address the issue and reassure parents that children will not be impacted. I assume an environmental impact study has been completed? If not when will it be completed. Thanks
@Joe: Not sure where you get your information, but Plainfield East will open in 2008 with freshmen and sophomores. This was reaffirmed at the 01/31/08 SB meeting. 439 students will move from Plainfield Central and North and they'll stop having a split schedule at Plainfield Central. The reason the school is not full is same as Metea -- they only want to move freshmen and sophomores.