Lombard village officials will seek bids to plant a thorny "fence" of bushes along the Union Pacific railroad tracks at the end of four different avenues: Ahrens, Chase, Highland and Westmore.
The goal of the natural barrier, which could ultimately grow to 4 feet high, would be to prevent people from crossing the tracks at somewhere other than the designated crossings.
In February, 14-year-old Kristen Bowen was killed when she tried to cross the tracks at Ahrens Avenue in Lombard to North Terrace Park in Villa Park.
Since the teenager’s death, her friends’ families and homeowners who live on the four streets have called for increased railroad safety in a section of Lombard where others also have been fatally hit by trains.
The village board’s transportation and safety committee asked Lombard’s Public Works Director Wes Anderson to request bids with the purpose of buying and installing the plantings by September.
Initial estimates have the work pegged at $120,000 to $130,000. The transportation and safety committee wants to firm up those figures.
The committee would then review the bids and vote on whether to recommend them to the entire board. The final say would be with the village board.
A vote from village trustees could be scheduled by the board’s August meeting.
While the money could come from either the village’s general fund or from its capital improvements fund, Trustee Steve Sebby, the committee chairman said the village could also seek grants to pay for part for the work.
The committee will also ask the village to request that the railroad company place no trespassing and other signs as warnings.
Reprinted with permission from the Daily Herald