‘Get it done. Please’: Father of teen killed by train implores Barrington officials to install safety gates

The father of Marin Lacson, the 17-year-old Barrington High School student fatally struck by a Metra train at the Hough Street crossing in January 2024, confronted Barrington trustees Monday about the slow progress installing pedestrian safety gates installed there.

“Get it done. Please,” Michael Lacson told trustees at Monday’s committee of the whole meeting. “Somebody already died. It was a ticking time bomb, and unfortunately my daughter was the one who paid for it.”

But Barrington officials said progress is being made toward getting the gates put in at the Hough Street crossing and the nearby Main Street/Cook Street crossings.

Lacson, who is also suing the village, said the village had the opportunity to take action after the Illinois Commerce Commission allocated money for the project in March 2024.

But as of November, he said, the village had not co-filed the petition with the ICC.

“This village is not dragging its feet in working on getting pedestrian gates installed,” Village President Karen Darch said during Monday’s village board meeting. “Installing pedestrian gates is done by the railroad. It is a process that involves many agencies.”

According to Darch, a petition is on file with the Illinois Commerce Commission, which will go through an administrative proceeding before issuing an order for the installation of the gates. She noted the village has been working with engineers for months to develop plans in coordination with the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Deputy Village Manager Marie Hansen confirmed the village and the Illinois Department of Transportation jointly with the ICC filed a petition earlier this year for the safety gates at Hough Street and at Cook and Main streets.

She said there was no delay. Time was needed, however, to complete the engineering drawings that are part of the filing.