Posted in Community Alerts, DARCHED, EJ&E/Canadian National, Traffic on March 13, 2025| Leave a Comment »
“The Canadian National Railway will be completing emergency repairs to the U.S. Route 14 rail grade crossing to address the track structure. These repairs are unrelated to the U.S. Route 14 Grade Separation (underpass) project.
This work will require temporary lane closures tomorrow, Friday, March 14, from approximately 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Flaggers will be on-site to assist with traffic control. Please use caution and consider alternate routes during this time.”
Posted in Barrington Area Library, Community Alerts, EJ&E/Canadian National, Goat Rodeo, METRA, Road construction, Traffic on March 9, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Northbound Hough Street just before the CN/EJ&E crossing.
“This vital infrastructure improvement project will enhance traffic flow and safety in our community. Below are the latest updates:
As the project progresses, the Village of Barrington plans to share monthly project update emails to provide information and timelines on completed and anticipated work. Updates will be utilized to convey special construction or traffic alert information. You are always encouraged to stay informed throughout the project by visiting the website.”
– Posted March 7, 2025
Posted in EJ&E/Canadian National, METRA, Road construction, Traffic on February 11, 2025| 1 Comment »
Marin Lacson, 17, of Barrington, (inset) died on January 25, 2024, after she was hit by a Metra train while walking to Barrington High School where she was in her junior year. | Background Photo: Nick Rusin; Inset: Provided
| Lake & McHenry County Scanner
Crews are set to begin installation of pedestrian gates next month at a railroad crossing in Barrington near where a 17-year-old girl was killed by a train while walking to Barrington High School.
The Canadian National Railway (CN) announced last year that it was going to install pedestrian gates at the Main Street crossing just east of Barrington High School in Barrington.
Construction was delayed due to material backorders but the necessary materials were expected to arrive early this year.
The Village of Barrington recently said that they received preliminary confirmation that most of the construction will take place between March 21 and March 30, coinciding with District 220’s spring break.
The timing is intended to minimize traffic disruptions. CN will provide more details and confirm the schedule as it gets closer to construction.
The village said it is also reviewing statements of qualifications from engineering firms for the preliminary design of a pedestrian underpass at Main Street and the CN tracks.
“This work is particularly important as it connects the Village Center and Barrington High School, and is a crossing used daily by many students,” the village said.
More here.
Posted in 220, Agendas, BACOG, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Deception, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, EJ&E/Canadian National, Elections, Ethics, His Master's Voice, Illinois State Board of Elections, Look For The Union Label, Organizations, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Real Estate, School Districts, Unions, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on February 4, 2025| Leave a Comment »
The District 220 Board of Education meets this evening at 6:00 PM at the District Administration Center, 515 W. Main Street. Items on their agenda include:
A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be live-streamed on the district YouTube channel.
Posted in EJ&E/Canadian National, Traffic on January 29, 2025| 1 Comment »
Barrington officials have approved a study to create a grade separation where Main Street meets the Canadian National Railroad.
By Steve Zalusky | Daily Herald
Barrington is in the exploratory phase of a project that could improve safety at a railroad crossing near Barrington High School.
The village board Monday approved a more than $821,000 contract with Civiltech Engineering Inc. for a study of a grade separation where Main Street meets the Canadian National tracks.
It would be the village’s second grade separation project. Work is already underway on an underpass beneath the Canadian National Railway tracks on Route 14 between Valencia Avenue and Hough Street.
The village was already awarded $500,000 in federal funds, more than enough to cover the $425,000 cost of Civiltech’s study of a preferred alternative, Deputy Village Manager Marie Hansen said. The options are an overpass, an underpass or at-grade improvements.
More here.
Posted in EJ&E/Canadian National, IDOT, Property Taxes, Taxes, Traffic on December 18, 2024| Leave a Comment »
A northbound Canadian National freight train crosses Rout14 earlier this year in Barrington. The village’s grade separation project will create an underpass that will help drivers avoid long delays. | Joe Lewnard/Daily Herald
By Steve Zalusky | Daily Herald
Barrington village board members this week took another step toward making a Route 14 underpass a reality.
Trustees on Monday approved a cost-sharing agreement for the construction phase of the “grade separation,” which will run beneath the Canadian National Railway tracks between Valencia Avenue and Hough Street.
“All of our projects with federal funding require joint funding agreements with the state, because they typically manage those federal dollars,” Deputy Village Manager Marie Hansen said.
The agreement spells out project costs shared among the village, the Surface Transportation Program (STP) and the Illinois Department of Transportation, which administers the STP.
Posted in Community Alerts, EJ&E/Canadian National, Traffic on December 10, 2024| Leave a Comment »
“The Canadian National Railway will be completing track repairs on the U.S. Route 14 rail grade crossing in Barrington on Thursday, Dec. 12, between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. This work comes after irregular track geometry conditions were identified within the grade crossing, necessitating immediate remediation to ensure safety and reliability.
Repairs involve temporarily closing the two center roadway lanes, removing the existing concrete crossing surface, repairing the track structure, and reinstalling the crossing surface.
During this time, flaggers and signage will be in place to guide traffic through the area safely. Drivers are urged to use caution and plan for potential delays. The project is expected to be completed within the same day.”
-Village of Barrington
Posted in EJ&E/Canadian National, METRA, Public Safety, School Districts, Traffic on November 27, 2024| Leave a Comment »
By Steve Zalusky | Daily Herald
Barrington and the Illinois Department of Transportation will petition the Illinois Commerce Commission to allow pedestrian gates at several railroad crossings in town.
But the process, which will seek gates for crossings at Hough Street, Main Street and Hillside Avenue, likely will run into 2026.
The lack of pedestrian safety gates emerged as an urgent issue for the village earlier this year, after the death of 17-year-old Barrington High School student Marin Lacson. She was struck and killed by a Metra train at the Hough Street crossing Jan. 25.
Officials said IDOT will lead the filing process. The petition is likely to be filed early next year following legal review.
In the interest of efficiency, the village will perform engineering work while the petition is pending. The ICC, which is responsible for regulating railroads and railroad crossings in Illinois, must approve the gates.
More here.
Posted in Agendas, EJ&E/Canadian National, Land Use, Plan Commission, Property Taxes, Village Attorney, Village Director of Administration on November 19, 2024| Leave a Comment »
The Village Plan Commission will be meeting this evening at 6:30 PM. Topics on their agenda include:
PUBLIC HEARING
PUBLIC MEETING
A copy of the agenda can be viewed and downloaded here.
Posted in 220, Algonquin Rd, BACOG, Barrington United Methodist Church, BCFPD, Cook, County, Crabtree Nature Center, EJ&E/Canadian National, FPDCC, Horizon Farm, IDOT, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Disconnection, Land Use, Organizations, Plum Farm development, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Real Estate, School Districts, South Barrington, Stillman Nature Center, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, VBHPD on October 19, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Area N (Click in image to enlarge)
“I want to thank everyone who showed up at the Plan Commission meeting and who voiced their concerns. We have strived throughout this process to be as open and fair as possible. We have held numerous hearings on the matter and have strived to treat everyone in attendance at these meetings with dignity and respect, while ensuring the voices of our residents are heard. Our goal has always been to follow the law and protect the interests of our community.
However, we found out about legal action the church appears to be taking to disconnect the property from the Village of South Barrington through a newspaper ad, and we did not receive any direct notification prior to the ad running. This is very disappointing, especially since the ad ran the same day as the Plan Commission meeting.
I also want to clarify the zoning process. We are obligated to consider all zoning requests and to treat all requests without prejudice.
The primary functions of the Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals start with a request from a Petitioner and then a referral by the Board of Trustees. Specifically, the Commission is charged with:
Our goal has always been to carry out these duties in an honest and transparent manner. We are committed to reaching a resolution to the issues surrounding the Area N property. To that end, we will be having another hearing at 7 pm at Village Hall on Oct. 23rd to continue the discussion on Area N. I invite all concerned residents to attend this important meeting.”
Paula McCombie
Mayor
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