Cruise Night Car Show prompts new road closure in Wauconda
A section of a second street in downtown Wauconda will be closed to motorists for this month's Cruise Night Car Show.
The village board on Tuesday agreed to close Maple Avenue between Route 176 and Bangs Street for five hours during the show, which is set for Sept. 16.
As usual, a section of Main Street north of Route 176 will be closed as well.
The closures will run from 4 to 9:30 p.m. that day.
Organizers requested Maple Avenue be closed to improve traffic flow, increase pedestrian safety and provide more space for the vehicles on display, according to village documents.
Street parking on some side roads also will be limited because of the event, as was the case at the previous car shows.
The car show and other public events in the downtown area were criticized by a pair of downtown merchants at a village board meeting last month. They said the street closures disrupted their businesses.
The Wauconda Lions Club's annual Blues, Brew and Burger Fest was targeted, too, as were the weekly farmers markets.
Other business owners have supported the gatherings, however.
No one opposed the request to close Maple Avenue for the next Cruise Night, officials said.
This month's car show is the last one of the year.