Two pedestrians were hit by vehicles in separate crashes in Batavia this month, both at or near the intersection of North Kirk Road and East Wilson Street, putting a spotlight on safety for those walking in that area.
The first incident, on Feb. 4, occurred when a 60-year-old woman was struck by a semi-truck turning right on a green light, according to a news release from the Batavia Police Department. A police investigation indicated that the woman had been crossing legally with the pedestrian crossing signal illuminated, and the truck driver was issued citations.
The pedestrian was taken to the hospital and was found to be in stable condition on the day of the crash.
The second incident occurred last Tuesday afternoon. An 8-year-old boy attempting to cross Kirk Road from east to west just north of the Wilson Street intersection was hit by a car and subsequently taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, according to a news release from Batavia police.
The police investigation indicated that the boy had crossed outside of a designated crosswalk, and the driver was found not at fault.
Batavia police have increased enforcement of traffic and pedestrian laws in the area, according to Batavia Police Chief Eric Blowers, and they are working with the Kane County Division of Transportation on pursuing possible infrastructure improvements on the roadway there.
“Once the investigations are complete, we will review them and determine if we can take any additional measures to improve safety at these locations,” an official at the Kane County Division of Transportation said in an email to The Beacon-News on Saturday.
Kane County controls Kirk Road, along with several of the other major roads in the area, according to a 2023 report from the city, so any infrastructure plans would need the county’s approval, Blowers said.
The intersection has sidewalks leading up to the crosswalk along with a pedestrian crossing signal, Blowers said in an email on Friday.
But the department has noticed an increase in pedestrians crossing Kirk Road since a Speedway gas station opened on the east side of the street.
Batavia Police Sgt. Michelle Langston also noted an increase in foot traffic of people who live in residential buildings on the west side of Kirk Road crossing the street to reach the Speedway.
“Sometimes those pedestrians are using the crosswalk, and other times they are crossing in the middle of the roadway,” Langston said on Thursday.
She said they don’t see as much pedestrian traffic at other nearby intersections.
Langston said the department is working on getting social media information out about safety in the area, along with a flyer with educational information on pedestrian safety for people living in the nearby residential buildings following the recent crashes.
According to a news release from Batavia police, the city – along with St. Charles and Geneva – began an initiative in May 2024 intended to reduce crashes and improve safety on the area’s four major roads: Randall Road, Route 31, Route 25 and Kirk Road. Between May 20 and May 27, the cities’ law enforcement agencies conducted 290 traffic stops during the initiative.
The stretch of Kirk Road where the recent crashes occurred sees about 31,400 vehicles a day, according to 2023 data from the Illinois Department of Transportation. Kirk Road is a “strategic regional arterial,” according to the Kane County Division of Transportation and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, meaning it is designed to carry a high volume of traffic at relatively high speeds, but is distinct from the expressway system.
“It’s often these wider roads that are particularly dangerous,” said Maggie Czerwinski, the director of community building and leadership for the Chicago-based nonprofit advocacy organization Active Transportation Alliance. The group was a consultant for Batavia’s 2023 bike and pedestrian plan. “To actually cross (Kirk Road) going from west to east or east to west, you know, you’re dealing with traffic going pretty fast, and it’s a very wide intersection. So, especially for … older adults, for children, it becomes a challenge.”
Batavia’s 2023 bike and pedestrian plan found that Wilson Street was the city road with the most crashes from 2016 to 2020, using data from the Illinois Department of Transportation. The plan also featured community input on which roads were priority areas for walking and biking, with Wilson Street and several others commonly cited.
Making intersections more pedestrian-friendly can be done in a number of ways, Czerwinski said, such as leading pedestrian intervals – essentially giving pedestrians a several-second head start before cars can start turning into a crosswalk.
Concern over traffic safety on Kirk Road isn’t new. It used to be called “Killer Kirk,” which garnered media attention in decades past when fatal traffic accidents occurred. In 1996, the Kane County Board approved a plan to double the width of the road to add shoulders and left-turning lanes to improve safety in the nine-mile stretch that includes parts of St. Charles, Geneva and Batavia.
In recent years, the city and Kane County have made plans for infrastructure improvements meant to reduce traffic crashes and improve overall safety in the area.
For example, in Batavia, the city recently reduced the number of lanes on Route 31 from two in each direction to one in each direction plus a central turn lane, according to past reporting. The goal is to improve traffic flow, reduce crashes and make crossing the road safer for pedestrians and bicyclists, particularly after that stretch of road saw a number of traffic accidents over the past few years.
Kane County released its own bike and pedestrian plan in 2023 that examined infrastructure and conditions in the county and suggested plans for improvements. The county also created a Safety Action Plan, part of a regionwide initiative called Safe Travel for All, which is meant to reduce crashes for pedestrians, bikers and drivers.
And while North Kirk Road and East Wilson Street in Batavia is just one area, Czerwinski said these recent crashes are part of a broader issue of prioritizing pedestrian safety, in the county and beyond.
“Traffic safety is a national crisis, it’s a regional crisis, it’s a local crisis,” Czerwinski said on Friday. “Sometimes, we focus so much on, you know, ‘We got to, we have to move vehicles as quickly as possible.’ But … we’re all sharing the road in many places, and, you know, we need to be thinking about everyone.”
mmorrow@chicagotribune.com
