RIVERSIDE-BROOKFIELD $1.00
Starved Rock murders and Riverside
Vol. 40, No. 25
July 2, 2025
Page 4
Inside the petition to end traffic deaths in Riverside
170 residents have endorsed a Vision Zero plan for the village By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter
“What is an acceptable number of children who are hit by cars per year?” asked Riverside resident Valerie Kramer. “If that answer is, ‘Zero,’ we need to actually make changes to get there.” Kramer, the founder of the bicycle slow ride and transit advocacy group Ride Riverside, is behind a petition advocating the end of traffic injuries and deaths within the village. So far, 176 people have signed the petition, including 170 residents, Kramer said, calling for the implementation of Vision Zero within Riverside. “Vision Zero is a commitment to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries by prioritizing safety and street design, not just managing accidents after they happen,” said Charles Wiegand, another Ride Riverside leader. “People thought that injuries and deaths were inevitable, but we have eviSee VISION on page 6
The Loft, a safe ‘third place’, for teens to grow their mental health Two years at Eight Corners has welcomed 400 teens, families, so far By JACKIE PISANO Contributing Reporter
TRENT BROWN
NO MORE TRAFFIC DEATHS: Charles Wiegand and Valerie Kramer are urging Riverside to adopt a Vision Zero plan for street safety.
In March 2023, Brookfield became home to a space for teenagers unlike anything else existing in the western suburbs — The Loft at Eight Corners, a community mental health drop-in center open daily to provide holistic mental health support for teens ages 12 through 18. In joint partnership with The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Metro Suburban and Pillars Community Health, over the last two years, The Loft has served dozens of teens and their famSee LOFT on page 8
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