Residents Seek Help to Make Haligus, Scott Intersection Safe

Catherine Vandy went to village hall with a mission.

She asked theboard to erect a flashing yellow sign at Haligus Road and Scott Drive because she and other parents are worried about the safety of Marlowe Middle School students.

Vandy came away disappointed by the board’s action and is determined to continue pushing for safety measures at the intersection.

Huntley officials are expected to vote this week to change the speed limit in that area from 35 mph to a school speed zone. Additionally, no parking on either side of Scott Drive within 100 feet of the intersection will be allowed.

“I think it will help somewhat,” Vandy said. “I still want to see some flashing lights.”

Safety issue

“There is a danger in our community and each and every day members of our community are in danger of being injured,” Vandy told trustees as Thursday’s committee of the whole meeting. “The time to make a decision is here and now. We need to make the intersection of Haligus and Scott a safe place to be.”

Vandy was among three parents who spoke to the board about their concerns.

There are no traffic controls — no stop sign, no lights, no flashing yellow sign or crossing guard — to keep children walking home from the middle school safe as they cross busy Haligus Road.

The road has a pedestrian crossing, but drivers do not yield to the students who get tired of waiting and dart out to the middle of the road, Vandy said. Four years ago, three students were hit by a car but were not seriously injured, she said.

“Is this what we are waiting to happen?” she said. “Another injury or even worse, a death?”

It’s also dangerous for drivers, said Jen Yuchasz, another parent who spoke at the meeting. It’s hard to turn north or south from Scott Drive onto Haligus, she said. People trying to come out of the Southwind subdivision get frustrated waiting and back up on Scott, causing another dangerous situation.

“It’s just a real hairy place,” Yuchasz said.

School speed zone

The current speed limit is 35 mph so the village board is voting on an ordinance this week to reduce the speed limit to 20 mph during school days when children are present.

Mayor Charles Sass said staff has been working on finding a solution to residents’ worries and are looking at other options.

Police have determined the speed is too high but the area doesn’t warrant a stop sign. Huntley police did a traffic study earlier this year and found installing a traffic stop would cause unnecessary traffic back up and would cause more safety problems, Village Manager Dave Johnson said.

An idea the board may consider is putting a squad car at the intersection before and after school. cannot put a crossing guard at the spot because it will lose transportation money from the state, Vandy said.

There is still uncertainty over whether the village would be able to do this and who would pay police to monitor traffic.

Vandy said she and others will continue to come before the board to urge more safety precautions be taken.