Red Gate Light Drives Wedge Between St. Charles, District 303

Lights Not Needed Until 2030

That study was done, but city officials have pointed out that the study indicated a traffic light at the high school would not be warranted for nearly two decades — in 2030, based on traffic flow projections. Because the light now would be needed only during twice a day on school days during the school year, the city decided not to pursue that until the traffic volume warranted the change.

School officials, however, feared the sudden traffic increase after mid-December’s opening of the new Red Gate Bridge warranted a traffic light now, and Superintendent Dr. Donald Schlomann initiated talks with the city to get that done. A tenative agreement was reached to have the work done over the summer months. The City Council approved it earlier this spring, before the District 303 board rejected it in mid-May.

One alderman on Monday night likened the board’s rejection to breaking a handshake deal, and other aldermen joined in to voice their distrust of the District 303 board in future dealings.

Perhaps most irksome to city officials is that the city already had awarded a contract for the traffic light installation to assure the work would be done before the start of the new school year and in the belief that the District 303 board’s approval of the deal was a formality. On the night the board of education rejected the pact, Schlomann had reminded board members that he had approached the city in good faith out of concern for student safety, knowing the traffic light’s installation had not been supported by the city’s engineering studies. He also told the board his integrity was on the line if members rejected the deal, which they subsequently did in a 4-2 vote.

Mistrust of District 303 Board

The agreement approved by the City Council this week — and scheduled for approval by the board later this month — cut’s the school district’s financial contribution to $125,000, and specifies that the payment is toward installation of a right-turn lane into St. Charles North High School from eastbound Red Gate Road. The new agreement apparently puts the onus on the city for the cost of the traffic signal.

Alderman Dan Stellato of the 1st Ward questioned the wisdom of approving the agreement now when the District 303 board has not yet formally voted on the revision. But Public Works Director Mark Koenen reassured the council that the agreement had received a unanimous committee recommendation for approval by the full board.

Stellato still expressed misgivings, saying the board of education broke “a handshake agreement, and where I come from, that still means something.”

Perhaps the harshest criticism came with a remark by 4th Ward Alderwoman Jo Krieger.

“I’m glad the school district values the life of a child at only $125,000,” Krieger said before moving to approve the agreement. “But in future, let’s have cash in hand before we award any contracts. I don’t trust them.”

Second Ward Alderwoman Rita Payleitner, who cast the sole dissenting vote on the issue, said she disagreed with the idea of the city paying for a traffic light at an intersection when the traffic does not meet the city’s threshhold for installing one.

“Traffic for the high school is not related to the bridge,” she said. “... A stoplight at this point is not up to our standards.”

She added the traffic safety concern at the high school entrance relates to about 150 days of the year, for 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the afternoon on each of those days. Payleitner added her belief that the district is responsible for half of the project’s cost because the safety concerns at the school entrance have little to do with the bridge’s opening.

Police Chief James Lamkin, responding to questions from Payleitner, indicated that the stop signs the city put at the intersection in advance of the mid-December bridge opening are allowed under the city’s ordinance only because the city is preparing to install traffic lights there. The implication was that traffic at the intersection does not meet the city’s threshhold for a four-way stop, either.

Ultimately, City Administrator Brian Townsend, who has been the primary contact person with the school district on the agreement, said that traffic projections do show a traffic signal at that intersection eventually will be warranted. “It’s not a question of it, but when …”

While the traffic light at the school entrance was sought due to a perception of traffic safety concerns, Townsend said he believes that it is prident to move forward on the project. “If we wait, the entire expense would have to be borne by the city at a much greater cost.”

Regardless, 5th Ward Alderman Ed Bessner echoed his fellow aldermen’s earlier concerns about trust.

“What concerns me is how we will deal with (District 303) in the future,” he said.

Related:

• May 13, 2013: St. Charles School Board Dumps Traffic Signal for North High

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