More Cruise Night Parking Restrictions Pending for Oak Park Avenue

Officials hope to make in a . So they're recommending that the board approve a plan to enforce more restricted parking regulations during the weekly event.

The and are sponsored by the village's MainStreet Commission. During the event's first year, parking was only prohibited on the east side of Oak Park Avenue between 171st and 173rd streets. This year, members of the board's public safety committee want to restrict parking on the west side of the street as well.

"This will hopefully eliminate traffic congestion and pedestrian conflicts," Assistant Village Manager Mike Mertens said Tuesday night during a Committee of the Whole meeting. "It would be temporarily signed on parking barriers. (Signs) are up in the late afternoon on the day of the event and … are down at the end of the night." 

Businesses along Oak Park Avenue generally benefit from the foot traffic, officials said. Those that rely more on drive-up customers have parking lots behind them that people can access via the Cruise Night detour route, Mertens noted. 

See the accompanying photos for a look at the detour route.

Event organizers plan to work with property owners on the west side of Oak Park Avenue regarding potential upcoming changes. Access to private driveways will not be affected, officials said.

The motion is scheduled to go before the full board on May 15, at which point trustees may waive the first reading to ensure changes can be implemented before this year's first Cruise Night on June 5, Mertens said. 

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