Lake Bluff Provides Safe Crossing At Busy Intersection

Most students on summer break end up standing behind a register.

Some high school and college students from Lake Bluff and Lake Forest end up standing in a busy intersection, facing danger (and sometimes wild animals) in the name of public safety.

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Mike Korpai, a senior at Aurora University, is in his second summer as a crossing guard at Green Bay Road and Route 176 in Lake Bluff.

“I needed a summer job and my dad works for the village and is friends with the police officers,” Korpai said. “It’s really easy and the parents are nice. People stop and talk to me.”

Korpai said his pet peeve is when he’s out in the intersection and people still turn on red. “It’s a busy intersection and you never know what’s going to happen,” he said.

The craziest time for the Lake Bluff crossing guards was the  

“The turkey was awesome except when it caused traffic jams,” Korpai said. “If it was in the road I would just let it go, or radio the police and ask them to move it.”

A crossing guard works the intersection from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends to assist residents who visit the . The pool season runs from early June to mid-September.

A rarely recognized public service, crossing guards are “a luxury to the city,” according to Jason Mount, a dispatcher for the . The guards are paid by the village and work four-hour shifts.

Before heading over to the intersection, the crossing guards check into the police station each day to pick up walkies.

“We oversee them because we’re here 24 hours a day, so if they have any problems, someone’s always here,” said Mount, who oversees the six crossing guards. The crossing guard service has been available for more than 10 years.

“Their primary responsibilities are making sure everyone gets past the intersection safely. It’s a busy intersection with a lot of pedestrian traffic to the park district and pool,” Mount said.

“There’s always a sense of danger, but they are required to wear reflective vests and hold a stop sign. We’ve never had any injuries,” Mount said, adding that some people have been cited for disobeying crossing guards when officers in traffic take notice.

Korpai said when it’s slow, he’ll listen to music or read a magazine. “I just have to look up every 15 seconds,” he said.

Added Mount, “A lot of them carry headphones or a cell phone. As long as they’re paying attention, it’s pretty lenient.”

“They’re a good group of kids,” Mount said. “I’ve had no complaints about them this summer.”