Here’s what the residents of Will County, Illinois have to say about truck traffic on their streets:
“Your chances of survival are pretty remote.”
“It’s a matter of life or death.”
“This is a ticking time bomb.”
“Too many good people are being lost.”
“We can’t afford another truck on the road.”
Residents Say They Pay the Ultimate Price for Truck Traffic
Will County residents have joined together to form a community-based coalition designed to “take back their streets” from truck traffic generated by nearby intermodal centers. The campaign, which is called “Safe Roads Illinois”, features a website that claims that residents are paying “the ultimate price” for truck traffic.
From the website’s About page:
While we support jobs and commerce, we are paying the ultimate price when truckers:
- Run red lights and cut off drivers
- Speed, tailgate and slam on the brakes
- Crash through railroad crossing safety gates
- Ignore signs and drive in our neighborhoods
- Disregard weight limits and vehicle safety regulations
- Disobey law enforcement
As a concerned resident of Will County, I ask you to:
- Make truckers pay for blatant disregard of the law
- Hold developers accountable for their actions and impacts
- Coordinate enforcement of truck traffic
- Toughen commercial driver licensing, regulations and penalties
Website Features Truck Fatalities Map and Petition
The website features a “Truck Fatalities Map” complete with a red “View Deaths” button. The site also features a petition that allows residents to tell lawmakers that “Enough is Enough”when it comes to truck traffic.
The Safe Roads Illinois YouTube channel features a video in which resident Dennis O’Connor claims that truck drivers don’t care about safety — only maximizing their profits. It also features a video entitled “A Young Life Lost” which details the death of eight-year-old Madison Frost, who was killed in a minivan vs. truck collision.
Residents point to 20 truck-related deaths that have occurred on Will County roads since 2014, though it is unclear who was at fault in these fatal crashes.
An estimated 8,000 trucks travel on Interstates 80 and 55 and Illinois Route 53 in Will County every day in order to reach intermodal centers in Elwood and Joliet.
You can view the Safer Roads Illinois Website by clicking here.
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Sources:
The Chicago Tribune
The Street
News Channel 10