By Claire Taylor, Staff Writer, and Orli Strickman, Senior Managing Editor
Over 100 people attended a rally on Thursday, Sept. 10, advocating for a traffic signal and crosswalk on Roosevelt Road by St. Francis High School, between the Marian Park Apartments and Target. The rally was organized by Marian Park residents and members of DuPage United, who work to build relational bridges between Marian Park and civic institutions, schools, churches, mosques and synagogues.
The crowd, which included local schoolchildren and Wheaton Councilwomen Erica Bray-Parker and Leah Brice, gathered in front of Marian Park to hear from clergy and both current and past residents of Marian Park about the dangers of the lack of a crosswalk. Since 1998, three fatalities have occurred, as well as 11 injuries and dozens of vehicle crashes each year.
Wheaton Professor of New Testament Amy Peeler, an associate priest at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, opened the ceremony with prayer. Peeler is friends with several of the clergy involved, and noted that as an inclusive nonpartisan organization, DuPage United’s efforts surrounding pedestrian safety have been interfaith. She prayed that the gathering would further the work of DuPage United to protect pedestrians from the traffic.
“We pray that our governmental leaders who are gathered here and others will listen, and that this simple act of protecting life, simple, but profound, and needed, might move forward today,” she prayed. “We know that this is your desire, as creator and the one who blesses life, and we pray this work might be blessed, and come to fruition for the flourishing of this community.”
The Rev. Kevin Caruso of Trinity Episcopal Church discussed the progress made so far on the crosswalk. On Sept. 1, Caruso and Debbie Suggs, a resident of Marian Park, met with Wheaton Mayor Phil Suess and city and school leaders to discuss the project. Caruso said there was unanimous agreement that a stoplight would improve safety in the community.
DuPage United leaders have been in contact with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) regarding the construction of the crosswalk and stoplight. Currently, engineers assigned to the project anticipate construction to begin in early 2028.
Suggs said the price of building the crosswalk and traffic signal is $840,000. To raise the money, DuPage United leaders met with Illinois state Sen. Seth Lewis to work on two bills introduced to the state Senate, according to Suggs. As a result, they raised $250,000.
Suggs followed Caruso, sharing her experiences with the danger of crossing Roosevelt Road. Since moving to Marian Park in 1973, Suggs has witnessed more than one person being hit by a vehicle while crossing the road. In February 2023, Suggs, along with other residents of Marian Park, decided to use their membership with DuPage United to petition public officials to install a crosswalk.
Suggs said there have been 11 community meetings at Marian Park, including seven meetings with Mayor Suess, four meetings with IDOT and countless individual conversations within the community.
“This issue is still alive because people like you and me keep showing up,” she said.
Caruso said the project still faces challenges, including funding, though the city of Wheaton has agreed to work with DuPage United to look for gap funding. “That gap funding needs to be found in the next 12 months to avoid any construction delays connected to the IDOT plan,” Caruso said.
Caruso also pointed to improvements that have already been implemented, including a new pedestrian bridge and sidewalks nearby.
“It’s one of the city’s strategic planning points to develop this kind of pedestrian infrastructure in the city,” he said. “This stoplight provides one more opportunity for the city to expand the impact of the work already done.”
One of the fatalities was the father of speaker Mehret Asgedom. Asgedom is a former resident of Marian Park. She lived there with her family as a child and young adult.
Asgedom named some community members who struggled to cross the street every day as they walked through the neighborhood.
“There was the senior citizen that would race and pause to beat traffic in his motorized wheelchair,” she said. “I’ve also seen my St. Francis brothers and sisters making a quick dash for a trip to Target, and how about my sweet younger brother, as he crossed to learn the value of hard work at his first job at Burger King?”
After living in Chicagoland for a while, Keyana Ray moved to Marian Park in 2023, saying she had never encountered an intersection as dangerous as this one. She also lost a family member in an accident at the intersection.
“The strength of DuPage United is in the organized people power of our countywide organization,” Ray said. “It’s about more than just stoplights, even if that’s the issue that’s brought us together today.”
Ray named several action items for rally attendees to participate in, including calling friends and family to inspire them to get involved, attending the evaluation on the evening of Sept. 16 at Marian Park Apartments and joining the DuPage United Fundraising Letter Mailing Party on Oct. 27 at Faith Lutheran Church.
Before the Rev. Seth Carey of the First Congregational Church of Glen Ellyn closed with prayer, Ray addressed the families of victims of accidents in the intersection who had passed away.
“Please know that your family member’s deaths were not in vain,” she said. “In remembrance of them, our vision for a safe crossing is coming true.”
