Why Schaumburg is restricting fundraising at certain intersections

Seeking to improve pedestrian safety, Schaumburg trustees Tuesday unanimously approved increased restrictions on the places and times volunteers can solicit money for charity at intersections in the village beginning in 2019.

After about six months of studying data and applying safety criteria, the transportation department recommended adding the entire lengths of Golf, Higgins, Irving Park and Barrington roads to the list of prohibited areas, as well as the intersections of Martingale Road and Corporate Crossing, Schaumburg and Roselle roads, and the Route 53 East Frontage Road at Woodfield Road.

The new policy also extends the winter prohibition that starts Nov. 1 one month longer to end March 31.

Transportation Director Karyn Robles said the criteria applied to each intersection included its size, traffic volume, accident rate and geometry. The curve of the intersection at Martingale and Corporate Crossing is what got it added to the list.

Though neither the recommendation nor approval of the new policy has yet received any criticism from charitable organizations, Robles thought it possible such concerns may still be heard.

“Some of these (intersections) are quite popular — like Schaumburg and Roselle — but it's also one of the most dangerous,” Robles said.

Village Trustee Frank Kozak knows that well. His adult son Steve was thrown into the air and missed several days of work after being struck by a vehicle that ran a red light while he was there soliciting money for Misericordia about three years ago.

“He was totally legal with what he was doing,” Kozak said of his son. “We went to court and the guy was proven guilty.”

Trustee Tom Dailly said the transportation committee he chairs directed the village staff to do the study after hearing concerns from the community about the safety of these volunteers.

“People have said, ‘Why do we allow it? It's unsafe.'” he said. “I think for the most part people are cautious when they're out there. But at some of these high-volume (intersections) it's not safe to be standing out on those curbs. And some of them don't have curbs.”

The new restrictions start in 2019 because some permits have already been requested for 2018, Robles said.

The revised policy doesn't ban all intersections in the village, but others that were already on the list include the West Frontage Road of Route 53 at Woodfield Road, Woodfield and Meacham, and all Elgin-O'Hare ramp or frontage road intersections.