Wrong-Way Driving Incident Report
In downtown East Dundee, nine drivers were recorded going the wrong way on River Street at the Main Street intersection within a 12-hour period, according to a new safety report. This alarming behavior was observed by engineering consultants from Civiltech Engineering during peak traffic hours in late September 2025.
Safety Concerns and Observations
Steve Pautsch, a project engineer for Civiltech, highlighted additional issues including a near-miss incident that escalated into road rage. The study employed innovative technology capturing data and video footage of such near-miss events—a method reportedly new to Illinois. The consultants noted frequent pedestrian and cyclist activity, tallying 127 pedestrians and 236 cyclists during the study period, alongside heavy vehicle traffic particularly on southbound River Street.
Despite drivers generally yielding to pedestrians and cyclists, Pautsch emphasized that drivers often do not leave sufficient space, attributing the safety issues more to driver behavior than to flaws in the intersection’s design.
Proposed Short-Term and Long-Term Measures
To improve safety, Civiltech consultants proposed installing a "stop for pedestrians" sign and enforcing a right-turn-on-red restriction for westbound Route 72 traffic. Longer-term solutions under consideration include relocating Fox River to the west side of South River Street and enhancing intersection visibility by removing the village’s digital sign.
Broader Village Safety Plan
Lissa Sweeney, a transportation planner at Civiltech, reported that the ongoing Bike and Pedestrian Plan aims to prioritize future improvements and secure funding grants. The plan seeks to enhance connectivity and safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and other non-motorized users throughout East Dundee. While the Fox River Trail provides a main route for walking and biking, gaps remain, especially for east-west accessibility and existing sidewalk networks.
A public meeting will be convened for resident feedback prior to the village board’s review and adoption of the final plan, expected by spring 2026.
"It’s more a matter of driver behavior than an engineering problem related to the intersection or crosswalk." — Steve Pautsch, Civiltech Engineering
Author's Summary
The East Dundee River/Main Street intersection faces significant safety challenges, mainly due to driver behavior, with targeted short-term fixes and comprehensive planning underway to enhance overall pedestrian and cyclist safety.
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