With the bus accident during school drop off on Sept. 15 in mind, myself and some other parents have become concerned about the intersection of Woodside, Kimbark and Park during school dropoff and pickup. While there is a traffic light there, drivers and students alike seem to take it as a suggestion.
Personally, I’ve been asking around for a safer solution to this intersection since at least 2022. So far, I’ve spoken with Pete Gatz of Central Elementary, Jeffry Miller of RPD, Matt Buckley of the village of Riverside, and the entire D96 school board about this issue, yet it seems that no one can actually do anything about it. They’ve all told me to reach out to someone else about it, shirking the responsibility to create a safer environment for students. Shame on all of them.
I understand that small-town bureaucracy can move slow, but it’s clear that some changes must be made while we search for a more permanent safety solution to this intersection. A week after the bus accident, I saw a driver go down Woodside Road southbound in the morning — despite some very clear signage. About once a month, a driver turns from Park onto Kimbark while students are crossing, avoiding them narrowly. We are able to provide crossing guards at other intersections (including at the light just south on Woodside), but somehow this intersection is simply out of the question?
The warning signs couldn’t be clearer, and the Sept. 15 bus accident should have been our final wake-up call. We don’t need more referrals or excuses about red tape; we need actionable, immediate intervention at Woodside, Kimbark, and Park. Unfortunately, those who can make a change are choosing not to.
Owen O’Riordan