Barrington resident urges faster installation of pedestrian safety gates after student killed near train tracks

Daniel McCoppin, a Barrington resident and classmate of the student killed near the tracks, told the Village Board on April 20 that community anger remains high and urged officials to speed installation of pedestrian safety gates at several railroad crossings.

“The community is not going to forget about this,” McCoppin said, and asked the trustees to “please do everything in your power to get these gates installed as fast as possible.” He described how a Barrington High School student was killed in January last year while crossing the tracks at the intersection of Route 59 and Main Street.

Village President Karen Darch responded in her report, saying the installation process is handled by the railroad and by multiple agencies. “The petition to have that done is on file with the Illinois Commerce Commission,” Darch told the board, adding that the filing will go through an administrative proceeding with an eventual order that will determine how gates are installed. She reiterated: “Public safety is our number 1 priority.”

The board did not take a formal vote on the matter during the meeting. Darch urged residents to consult the village website for details about the process and to speak with staff after the meeting for further questions.

Context and next steps remain administrative: McCoppin and other speakers said they want pedestrian gates installed at the crossings; Darch said the village has worked with engineers and the Illinois Department of Transportation on plans and that the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) proceeding will govern the next steps. No timetable or budget figure was provided during the meeting.