Barrington officials say progress is being made on pedestrian gates at UP crossings

Barrington officials said progress is being made with a plan to install pedestrian safety gates at several Union Pacific railroad crossings in town.

The village is seeking approval from the Illinois Commerce Commission for installations at three crossings in town — Hough Street, Main and Cook streets and Hillside Avenue.

The Hough Street crossing was where a Metra train fatally struck 17-year-old Barrington High School student Marin Lacson more than a year ago.

The ICC held a hearing June 5, during which the village requested monthly hearings to ensure all parties continue to work together expeditiously on the project.

Village officials said the meetings will help provide more frequent updates to the community.

The project requires input from multiple entities and public agencies including Union Pacific, the Illinois Department of Transportation, the village and the ICC.

All parties agreed on a draft interim order to reimburse the village for engineering design costs, which is expected to be approved later this month.

Union Pacific will begin its engineering design work soon, with an estimated completion time of four months, after which they will determine project costs and material needs, village officials said.

“The village remains committed to moving this project forward efficiently and transparently,” Village President Mike Moran said.

The next hearing is set for July 9.

The ICC has received public comment, including communication from Marin’s father, Michael Lacson, and Roma Khan, president of the Barrington Student Safety Organization, which has advocated for the gates.

“Marin was deeply loved. Her loss has devastated our family and sent shock waves throughout the Barrington community. We owe it to her memory, and to every child and family in this community, to treat installation of these pedestrian gates with the highest level of urgency,” Michael Lacson wrote.