Barrington residents press board for faster pedestrian gates after teen's death; village cites regulatory limits

BARRINGTON — Dozens of students, family members and residents urged the Barrington Village Board on Monday to speed installation of pedestrian gates and other rail-safety measures near Barrington High School after the Jan. 2024 death of Marin Laxon.

“Wehave seen a year of resistance and difficulty with the village,” said Roma Khan, founder and president of the Barrington Student Safety Organization, saying the group will press the issue in Springfield. “I will be filing FOIA requests focused on this matter only.”

The comments came during an extended public-comment period. Village staff earlier reported progress on multiple rail-safety projects, including a recently held pre-construction meeting for the Route 14 grade-separation project and a proposed Phase 1 study to evaluate a pedestrian grade separation at the Canadian National Railway crossing on Main Street just east of Barrington High School.

Why it matters: Hundreds of students cross railroad tracks near the high school each school day. Residents said the loss of a student was preventable and demanded short-term measures such as crossing guards or reactivated warnings while longer projects proceed.

Village staff member Scott said the village has coordinated design and petition work with the…