Algonquin turns to counties to make road pedestrian-friendly

Algonquin trustees signed off Tuesday on a wish list of projects that would make Randall Road more friendly to pedestrians.

The board's action was the culmination of a process that began in the fall of 2008, when village officials sought public input on ways to improve pedestrian safety on Randall Road, the main north-south drag in the western portion of the village.

Tuesday's vote clears the way for village planners to begin meeting with counterparts from Kane and McHenry counties about including pedestrian upgrades in the counties' engineering plans.

"It will present village officials and staff with an inventory of potential pedestrian improvements," said Ben Mason, a planner with the village. "That (allows) staff to work with the counties."

Because Randall Road is a county highway, any improvements would have to be approved by either Kane or McHenry county, Mason said.

Some of the key findings of the $20,000 study are:

• Upgrades to the existing pedestrian crossing at Bunker Hill Drive/Huntington Drive would cost an estimated $70,000 but would not significantly improve pedestrian safety.

• Building an overpass at any of five possible locations would enhance safety and cost between $2.5 million and $3.1 million.

• Building an underpass at any of the five locations would also improve safety and cost between $3.2 million and $3.4 million, except at County Line Road, where the cost would rise to $6 million because of drainage issues.

None of the projects is funded. In the coming months, the village staff will seek state and federal grants to cover the cost of the improvements.