Big risks, slow changes on Randall

Help is on the way, slowly but surely, for Kane County's most dangerous intersection.

The intersection of Randall Road and Route 72 in Elgin has been rated the county's most dangerous since 2006 by the county's own severity index, which tracks accidents by property damage, injuries and fatalities.

Third in number of crashes from 2003 through 2006, the Randall/Route 72 crossroads is the only one in the county to record two fatal crashes.

Just 1½ miles north, the Huntley Road-Randall Road intersection led the county in crashes over the four-year period, but had no fatalities.

Last month, the Randall/Route 72 intersection claimed its third life since 2003 when 16-year-old Keith Forbes of Carpentersville was killed after the car he was riding in was struck by a van.

On June 12, 2006, 35-year-old Martin Vieyra of Elgin, a passenger in a van, died after a semitrailer truck smashed into the passenger door.

On Nov. 30, 2005, 39-year-old Eleazar Rosete, of South Elgin, died instantly when a truck carrying 20,000 pounds of gravel ran a red light and crushed his minivan.

These crashes and hundreds of others at high-risk intersections along Randall Road, which Kane County Director of Transportation Carl Schoedel described as the county's busiest, can be traced to a number of causes.

"I think congestion is probably the biggest reason," Kane County Division of Transportation traffic manager Tom Szabo said. "There seems to be driver frustration, and that leads to drivers not making the best decisions."

Rapid development has turned Kane County's farmland into housing and retail centers, causing congestion.

"Years ago, the goal with Randall Road was to have a high-speed north-south connection in Kane County," Elgin Mayor Ed Schock said. "But given development, I don't think that's realistic anymore, and now we're starting to see the results of those high speeds."

Changes coming

Upgrading the Randall Road/Route 72 intersection is complicated, as the Illinois Department of Transportation controls Route 72 and the intersection itself, while Kane County is responsible for Randall Road.

Still, Szabo says a series of improvements are planned in response to the intersection's accidents and fatalities.

"We started looking at it in response to concerns both the state and county had with accidents there," Szabo said. "After the (June 12, 2006) fatality we were both investigating what could be done."

The first improvement, and the only one the county can make on its own, is a speed limit reduction on Randall Road, from 55 mph to 50 mph. This change has already been implemented.

"I think 50 is too high," Schock said. "It might be fine on some parts of Randall that are more rural, but when you get into that part where there are industrial parks, shopping and homes, it needs to be lower."

Proposed signal changes, which would likely cost several hundred thousand dollars, would allow left turns only on a left-turn arrow. Szabo said this would reduce the risk of drivers attempting left turns against fast-moving oncoming traffic.

The proposal also would add larger "Traffic Signal Ahead" signs on Randall and Route 72, in hopes of slowing drivers down before they reach the intersection, and additional signal lights to improve the signs' visibility.

These changes could be completed next summer. But more extensive improvements -- widening streets to allow dual left-turn lanes and a dedicated right-turn lane on eastbound Randall -- are still two to five years away.

Safety at a cost

Meanwhile, the speed limit and signal changes are expected to improve safety at the cost of increased congestion at the already crowded intersection.

"Signal changes alone would have a positive effect," Szabo said, "but it would also result in more cars backed up in the turn lane."

The additional lanes would allow shorter turn signal times, which would mean less waiting for drivers and more time between signals for cars to clear the intersection, Szabo said.

At the local level, several towns along Randall Road have considered turning to increased enforcement, including new red light camera technology, to control traffic at dangerous intersections.

Elgin, according to Schock, does not plan to wait for county and state design improvements.

"In the immediate future -- within our next couple of (city council) meetings -- there will be an item requesting approval to hire a firm for camera enforcement," Schock said.

But change can't come soon enough for neighbors like Sleepy Hollow's Betty Brewster.

"My daughter just started driving," Brewster said, "and I won't even let her drive on Randall Road."

"My neighbors and I talk about it all the time," Brewster said, "but we don't know what we can do about it.

"How many people need to die there for something to happen?"

Kane County's 50 most dangerous intersections

Kane County's 50 most accident-prone intersections from 2003-06. Randall Road dominated the list, accounting for nine of the 10 most dangerous intersections and 30 of the top 50. Fatalities at the intersections are shown, along with the number of accidents in which injuries were reported.

Total 4-year No. With Intersection Town crashes avg. fatal injury

1 Huntley Road @ Randall Cville 343 85.75 0 93

2 Randall @ Big Timber Road Elgin 258 64.50 1 53

3 Randall @ Route 72 Elgin 229 57.25 2 78

4 Randall @ Weld Road Elgin 183 45.75 0 47

5 Randall @ Foothill Road Elgin 172 43.00 0 52

6 Fabyan Parkway @ Kirk Rd. Batavia 163 40.75 0 37

7 Randall @ Keslinger Road Geneva 161 40.25 1 33

8 Randall @ Route 38 St. Charles 155 38.75 0 34

9 Randall @ Bowes Road Elgin 144 36.00 1 42

9 Randall @ Fabyan Parkway Geneva 144 36.00 0 34

11 Kirk Road @ Route 38 Geneva 139 34.75 0 29

12 Randall @ Route 64 St. Charles 134 33.50 0 44

13 Randall @ Gleneagle Drive Geneva 123 30.75 0 33

14 Orchard Road @ Galena Blvd. Aurora 113 28.25 0 40

15 Randall @ Williamsburg Ave. Geneva 104 26.00 0 34

16 Randall @ Bricher Road Geneva 103 25.75 0 40

17 Randall @ Wilson Street Batavia 102 25.50 0 56

18 Orchard Rd @ Base Line Rd Montgomery 99 24.75 0 35

19 Randall @ South Street Elgin 97 24.25 0 28

20 Kirk Road @ Route 64 St. Charles 95 23.75 0 16

21 Randall @ Hopps Road Elgin 93 23.25 0 35

22 Plank Road @ Route 20 Elgin 92 23.00 0 20

23 Fabyan Parkway @ Route 31 Geneva 91 22.75 0 28

24 Randall @ Fargo Blvd. Geneva 83 20.75 0 27

25 Randall @ Miller Road Cville 82 20.50 0 27

26 Jericho Road @ Rt 47 Sugar Grove 81 20.25 0 19

27 Huntley Rd @ Square Barn Algonquin 79 19.75 1 19

28 Randall @ Dean Street St. Charles 77 19.25 0 17

29 Randall @ Mill Street Batavia 76 19.00 0 30

29 Randall @ Christina Drive Geneva 76 19.00 0 16

31 Randall @ Point Blvd. Elgin 73 18.25 0 17

32 Randall @ Main Street Batavia 72 18.00 0 27

33 Huntley Road @ Sleepy Hollow Cville 67 16.75 1 30

33 McLean Blvd. @ Bowes Road Elgin 67 16.75 0 17

35 Randall @ Highland Avenue Elgin 66 16.50 0 18

35 Big Timber @ Road Route 47 Kane County 66 16.50 0 23

37 Randall @ Silver Glen Road South Elgin 65 16.25 0 17

37 Randall @ College Green Dr. Elgin 65 16.25 0 16

37 Randall @ Royal Blvd. Elgin 65 16.25 0 14

40 Fabyan Parkway @ Route 25 Batavia 64 16.00 0 15

40 Kirk Road @ Wilson Street Batavia 64 16.00 0 10

42 Randall @ I-90 Eastbound Elgin 62 15.50 0 17

43 Randall @ Orchard Road North Aurora 60 15.00 0 23

43 Orchard Road @ Indian Trail Aurora 60 15.00 0 18

45 Silver Glen Road @ Route 31 South Elgin 58 14.50 0 16

45 McLean Blvd. @ Spring Street South Elgin 58 14.50 0 13

47 Dunham Road @ Stearns Road Elgin 55 13.75 0 19

48 Burlington Road @ Rte 64 St. Charles 54 13.50 0 15

49 Kirk Road @ Pine Street Batavia 53 13.25 0 13

50 Randall @ Binnie Road West Dundee 52 13.00 0 11

50 Randall @ McKee Street Batavia 52 13.00 0 13

50 Kirk Road @ Douglas Road Batavia 52 13.00 0 13

50 Randall @ Oak St Aurora 52 13.00 0 10

Source: Kane County Division of Transportation