Western Springs Police Department Crackdown on Ogden on Tuesday

Western Springs residents of the renovated Bemis Woods crosswalk will get all they could ask for and more—at least for a day—when the participates in a six-county traffic-safety initiative along U.S. Rt. 34 (Ogden Avenue in Western Springs) on Tuesday, Aug. 14.

Spearheaded by the Naperville Police Department, the initiative consists of a full day of aggressive enforcement of traffic laws all the way along the Rt. 34 corridor from LaSalle County to the route’s eastern terminus in Berwyn. Focus is placed on speeding and occupant restraint (seat belt wearing).

In Western Springs in particular, the enforcement will also concentrate on crosswalk laws—a hot topic in the Village due to from Woodland Avenue to Bemis Woods.

“We are heavily going to target our efforts towards that crosswalk at Ogden and Woodland, and obviously the other crosswalks at Ogden and Wolf [Road] and Ogden and Gilbert [Avenue],” said Deputy Chief of Police Brian Budds. “That crosswalk has received a lot of attention, a lot of good and some negative feedback we’ve received, and we’ve been monitoring that closely.”

This is the , and of Western Springs’ participation.

Budds added that the department is taking steps to ensure increased police coverage of Ogden Avenue on days besides Aug. 14 as well.

“Since the , our officers have been directed during their unobligated time on patrol to focus and target their enforcement efforts on that stretch of road,” Budds said.

Cars are required by Illinois law to stop at the crosswalk when the rectangular yellow lights are flashing to allow pedestrians and bikers to cross Ogden.