District 181 seeks hazardous designation for intersections

If the state approves Community Consolidated School District 181’s request to designate two intersections as hazardous, school buses for children near those areas would be partially subsidized.

On Oct. 26, the District 181 School Board approved submitting an application to the Illinois Department of Transportation seeking approval of two locations within Hinsdale Middle School’s boundaries as serious safety hazards.

“This really isn’t about the funding, it’s about the safety of the students,” said Troy Whalen, assistant superintendent for business. “The additional funding we would receive from the state to subsidize busing for those students we can rightfully claim is about $5,000. We currently receive about $20,000 annually from the state for the students we currently claim, so it really isn’t a lot of money we are talking about.”

The hazardous designations are being sought for Garfield Avenue at the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway tracks just north of Hinsdale Middle School and the intersection of 47th Street and County Line Road.

Attendance areas affected would be north of the tracks between Garfield Avenue and the Tri-State Tollway, and east of County Line Road between 47th and 55th streets.

Based on a point system used by IDOT, both areas qualify for designation.

“The intersection at 47th Street and County Line Road is controlled by a stop sign, and is heavily trafficked by motorists trying to get to (Interstate 55),” said Whalen.

Students east of County Line Road must cross the intersection if they are walking to school, Whalen said.
Students north of the BNSF/Garfield Avenue crossing must cross the tracks to get to and from Hinsdale Middle School, whether traveling by bus, in other cars or on foot.

“Three sets of tracks and trains moving at 40 mph were elements that pushed the point total over the 12 needed to meet the criteria,” Whalen said.

HMS Principal Ruben Pena worked with the Hinsdale Police Department to conduct the safety hazard evaluation.

“This will impact about 120 students who live north of the tracks, and we expect that number of students taking the bus from that area to grow to about 180 in 2010,” Pena said.

Pena said about 50 students live east of County Line Road, the majority more than 1.5 miles from school.

The school district provides bus service to students who live more than a mile from school, Whalen said.