06/12/2026
The Village has heard questions from the community about the status of the pedestrian gate project and wanted to provide a quick update.
Recently, the Village filed an extension with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) related to reimbursement funding for engineering and design work associated with new pedestrian gates at the Hough Street, Main Street, Cook Street and Hillside Avenue Union Pacific (UP) rail crossings. The current ICC order authorizing Village reimbursement expires this month.
Importantly, this extension does not delay the project. It simply ensures that reimbursement funds remain available while the final engineering and approval process continues.
The Village has proactively used its own funds to help expedite the project. We continue to work closely with the ICC, Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and UP to advance the installation of these safety enhancements as quickly as possible.
While the approval process involves multiple agencies and remains more complex than anyone would prefer, the project continues to have the full support of the ICC, IDOT and UP. Although the Village does not control the review and approval timelines of these agencies, it remains actively engaged in coordinating between all parties and pursuing every opportunity to move the project forward. One item the Village requested was regular status hearings, where IDOT and UP are required to report on progress since the previous hearing, helping maintain accountability, transparency and momentum throughout the process.
For the latest information about the pedestrian gate project, visit the Village’s website at barrington-il.gov/pedestrian-gate-update. The Village will continue to provide status updates on this page following each scheduled hearing so residents can stay informed of progress as it occurs.