The Issue

The Cook County Highway Department proposes a five lane expansion of Quentin Road between Lake Cook and Dundee in Palatine, Illinois. But the majority of people who live off Quentin Road oppose the five lane expansion and favor a three lane solution:

  • A three lane highway is more safe than one with five.
  • A three lane highway will handle today's and future projected traffic.
  • A three lane highway makes a separated east side bike and walk path possible along the entire corridor.
  • A three lane highway fits into the existing highway department "right of way".
  • A three lane highway is less expensive to build and maintain!

The Cook County Highway Department (CCHD) does not want to consider the three lane solution despite the broad support in the local communities and the full support by all environmental groups. The department is pushing hard for the approval of the plan that ignoresthe needs of major stakeholders in the project - an approach that pretty much guarantees a train wreck in the upcoming phases of the project.

Who we are

We are a non partisan, grassroots organization whose mission is to promote a safe, efficient, environmentally friendly, and fiscally responsible design solution for the re-build of Quentin Road that cuts through Deer Grove Forest Preserve between Lake Cook Road and Dundee Road in Cook County.

Our goal is to insure that all stakeholders in this road have a voice in how this re-build happens: neighbors who live along the road, citizens who use and care for the Deer Grove Forest Preserve, communities that surround the Forest Preserve and commuters who frequently travel on this road in their vehicles.

Get involved

Anyone impacted by the rebuild of Quentin Road between Lake Cook Road and Dundee Road is invited and encouraged to participate in our effort - whether you agree with our positions or not. We need to hear from you and incorporate your needs and views to have a complete picture of all requirements the road project has to meet:

  • Residents and businesses from all neighborhoods along Quentin Road
  • Commuters who use the road frequently with their vehicles, bikes, or on foot
  • Recreational bikers
  • Users and care takers of the Deer Grove Forest Preserve
  • Users of the Camp Reinberg youth camp
  • Local and regional planners and politicians
  • or anyone else impacted by the road

Participate in one or more of our working groups, read, post or reply on our forum, or drop us a note at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
 
High Volume Three Lane Streets PDF Print E-mail
stakeholder workgroups - WG2: Traffic and capacity
Written by Administrator   

The main argument by proponents of the five-lane solution is, that the existing and anticipated traffic volume can only be handled with four travel lanes. It is also sometimes suggested, that the Highway Department has no choice and must build five lanes due to the projected traffic.

Both parts of this argument are not true. Road designers have large degrees of freedom when determining how many cars can safely drive on a given street with a reasonable "level of service". The particular situation of a road needs to be taken into consideration. The segment of Quentin Road between Lake Cook Road and Dundee Road is particularly well suited for high capacity on only two lanes.

Capacity of a road is driven by how wide the travel lanes are and what obstacles exist on and next to the road. Every entrance into a parking lot along the road and every intersection or cross walk will reduce the road's capacity of safely moving vehicles at reasonable levels of service.
Last Updated on Sunday, 21 March 2010 17:26
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Tree Removal Along Quentin Road Bad - In Deer Grove East Good – What Gives? PDF Print E-mail
stakeholder workgroups - WG4: Deer Grove Forest Preserve
Written by Administrator   

You might have recently noticed the large-scale tree removal underway in Deer Grove East as part of the major restoration being implemented by Openlands and the Forest Preserve District of Cook County (FPDCC), and you might have wondered why that is OK if the removal of trees as part of the Cook County Highway Department’s (CCHD) proposed five-lane widening of Quentin Road is not OK. This is very logical question! A big part of the answer lies in where the trees are located, and what kind of trees they are. Let’s address these issues one at a time.
Last Updated on Sunday, 14 March 2010 13:00
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Buckthorn: The Silent Killer PDF Print E-mail
stakeholder workgroups - WG4: Deer Grove Forest Preserve
Written by Administrator   

It's out there. Invading your backyards. Creeping along the forest bottom. Conquering the Midwest inch by inch. Wreaking havoc wherever it crops up. I myself have engaged it in battle countless times. That's right. Buckthorn.
Last Updated on Saturday, 06 March 2010 15:53
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The case for a kid-safe sidewalk and bike path PDF Print E-mail
stakeholder workgroups - WG3: Bike path and walk way
Written by Mark   

Executive Summary

Build Quentin Right proposes that a safe, kid-friendly sidewalk and bike path be built along the entire length of Quentin Road - from Dundee Road to Lake Cook Road. Planning and building the path must be an integral part of the Quentin Road reconstruction project lead by the Cook County Highway Department (CCHD).
Last Updated on Thursday, 18 March 2010 22:02
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