Friends of the Forest Preserves

Friends of the Forest Preserves believes in improving community safety and protecting our forest preserves for generations to come. Unfortunately, the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways wants to expand Quentin Road from a 2 lane road to a 5 lane highway, forever degrading Deer Grove Forest Preserve. To justify the 5-lane highway solution, the old highway department used out-of-date traffic counts and have refused to adhere to their own policy. They are solely focused on moving traffic between Lake County and Dundee Road.

Potential Issues with Expanding Quentin Road

• Drainage and Runoff – Salt Creek is already polluted with road salt. A wider road will result in additional salt pollution.
• Wetlands — 181 acres of Deer Grove East were enhanced with restored wetlands. What will happen to the wetlands if the groundwater recharge zones are impacted by the road?
• Safety – More lanes of traffic will result in higher travel speeds and more dangerous intersections.
• Groundwater – What are the impacts on wells and drinking water supply for adjacent residents?
• Sewage – What are the impacts on existing leach fields of homeowners? Who is responsible for the costs to either replace the fields or extend sewer service?
• Traffic – What is the expected change in volume of traffic and how will that impact the ability of residents to safely enter/exit side streets. What are the regional impacts; not just on Quentin Road?
• Pollution – What will be the cumulative impacts of the additional air, water, and noise pollution on private property, Deer Grove Forest Preserve, and the Nature Preserve.
• Economic – Roads cost money to build and maintain. The bigger the road the higher the costs both upfront and into the future.
• Land – What is the impact of the direct conversion of both public and private land? What are the impacts of the loss of functionality on the land used for temporary purposes (i.e.. staging of construction equipment)?
• Threatened and Endangered Species – How will the seven threatened and endangered species be impacted?
• Wildlife and Trees – A wider road and curb and gutters can make it more deadly for wildlife and will require cutting down many oak trees that are at least 100+ years old. There is a rare fern along west side of the road, how will it be impacted?

Alternative Solution
To achieve a solution that thoroughly addresses all the issues, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) must be completed. Only an EIS will ensure that all the impacts are considered and the best solution found.

In the meantime, we support the three lane solution:

• Two lanes of traffic
• A center lane for left turns
• Separated from traffic, multi-use path.