CHESTERTON, Ind. — The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District has commissioned a study of South Shore Line pedestrian grade crossings to assess potential safety improvements in the wake of a fatal July incident at the Hegewisch station in south Chicago.
The report, by what the NICTD describes as “a nationally recognized engineering firm specializing in grade-crossing diagnostics” is expected within 90 days. The agency says it is committed to securing the funding for recommended improvements as soon as possible. In the short term, additional warning signs have been placed at pedestrian crossings, and the South Shore Line is urning pedestrians and drivers to exercise caution around railroad tracks.
On July 25, 22-year-old Grace Bentkowski was struck and killed by a South Shore train while crossing the tracks at the Hegewisch station after disembarking from another train. Members of her family are advocating for more safety measures where she was hit, a crossing which has no lights, bells, or crossing gates, according to a WBBM-TV report.
