OUR VIEW
This week the Review compiled car crash data in an effort to gauge the most “dangerous” intersections in Forest Park, at least in terms of the number of accidents that occur (not the type of injuries sustained.)
Police report the total number of local accidents annually is averaging just over 1,000 — which is nearly three every day – and these are just the ones that are reported. What’s interesting in the final ranking is that the top two intersections, Roosevelt Road at Harlem and Roosevelt at Desplaines Avenues, showed 16 car accidents each through the course of the year. That’s just a little more than 1 percent of the total crashes that happen around town. Other intersections that many people, including police and residents, suspected as being among the worst reported relatively low numbers: around five or six last year. This data seems to reveal that there are few specific troublesome spots. Based on the numbers, it appears that accidents are truly spread out over all the roads, parking lots and alleys of Forest Park. In that sense, it makes it more difficult for the village to target problem areas, considering none really stand out. It’s likely that residents who have been involved in an accident or witness them frequently near their homes are going to lobby for better enforcement or more stop signs at a given location. As well as they should. We all have safety as a top priority, here. But it may be hard for police to choose which area deserves attention over another.
There are ways, though, in which we can all play a part in making the drive safer: Drop the cell phone, put down the coffee and wait to eat the muffin. Stop for pedestrians. Slow down for yellow lights. Be patient in traffic – it’s not going away any time soon. It’s OK to be late for work; at least it’s the better risk to take. These words have been repeated time and time again, but yet the number of crashes remains relatively steady from year to year, as the data shows.
Fun at the cemetery
What a wonderful event the Oak Park and River Forest Historical Society organized at Forest Home Cemetery over the weekend. There are truly some remarkable people buried in the grounds of Forest Park, and their stories deserve to be remembered. The costumed actors brought the individuals to life and kept audiences engaged, all the while teaching significant moments in history, as well as honoring the fallen heroes’ lives.
It was the 19th annual walking tour, and the group promised a great anniversary celebration next year. It kind of makes you wonder, though, why the Historical Society of Forest Park is not involved in some way. The cemetery is, after all, in Forest Park. Many of the actors and volunteers in the OPRF group have participated in the event for more than 15 years. We hope that our Historical Society, as it develops, can look to them as a model.
