Problem Darien Intersection Gets County's Attention

DARIEN, IL — Since May, two major motorcycle accidents have happened at the intersection of Cass Avenue and South Frontage Road in Darien, one involving a death.

Some residents are calling for improvements to the intersection, which involves county roads. And so is a Darien alderman. DuPage County says it is studying the issue. It also installed a warning sign on southbound Cass advising drivers about trucks entering the highway.

Opponents of the nearby Sterling Bay warehouse from a couple of years ago are among those who are calling for changes. They say when the warehouse reaches full capacity, it could worsen the situation.

They also point to increased use of the nearby Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve as a likely factor in the problem.

"In my 28 years living in Darien, I have never seen such heavy use of this preserve on a daily basis," engineer and Darien resident Patrick Donohue said in an August email to a county traffic engineer. "I attribute this to the COVID-19 pandemic and people, out of work or working from home, needing to get out for fresh air, relaxation, and mental health."

Donohue said his main concern was semi-trucks exiting from northbound Interstate 55 onto southbound Cass Avenue in Darien. These trucks, he said, must perform three immediate lane changes across Cass to turn left on South Frontage to access Sterling Bay.

"It is outright dangerous for even a single truck to perform this maneuver with the current traffic on Cass Avenue," he said in the email. "So in my opinion, you don't need to wait for COVID-related traffic patterns to stabilize or for Sterling Bay to reach full capacity, in order to realize how dangerous this maneuver is."

Donohue was apparently responding to an email a week earlier from traffic engineer Bill Eidson to Darien resident Chuck Fischer, who also expressed concern about the intersection.

In that Aug. 5 email, Eidson said the county had heard recently about the May fatality and requested the police report to understand the circumstances. The county, he said, was conducting traffic counts to determine how much traffic was generated by Sterling Bay compared with the projections.

He acknowledged the pandemic changed traffic patterns, making it harder to collect valid data throughout the road system.

When the county collects findings representative of traffic at the intersection, it would make the information available to the public, Eidson said.

"Based on those findings, we will work with our partners, including IDOT, to implement any indicated countermeasures," he said.

In an email Wednesday, DuPage County spokesman Evan Shields said besides the warning sign, the county is also considering an "Intersection Ahead" sign on southbound Cass approaching South Frontage.

The county has seen a big increase in pedestrians and bicyclists near Waterfall Glen, Shields said. Officials are proposing to lower the speed limit on Cass to 40 mph between North Frontage Road and 91st Street, he said.

In early September, Shields said, the county spoke with officials at Argonne National Laboratories about the long-term future of Cass Avenue in that area.

"Based on that conversation, we intend to work together to pursue a planning study in the corridor that will involve the necessary partners to evaluate what improvements are necessary," Shields said in the email.

At Monday's City Council meeting, Alderman Tom Chlystek brought up the intersection for at least a second time. He said the solution may be lower speed limits. "Residents, be careful," he said.

On May 31, Gina C. Pisano, 31, of Oak Lawn, who was riding a motorcycle, collided with a pickup truck, according to a police report. She died shortly afterward.

Chlystek indicated at the meeting that a fatal accident happened at Cass and Frontage recently. But that motorcycle fatality actually occurred Oct. 12 at Cass and 73rd Street, according to police. A nonfatal motorcycle accident happened at Cass and Frontage on Sept. 27.