Starting from the crack of dawn, Naperville is notorious for being a hustling and bustling city, with commuters of all ages and types rushing to reach their destination. The extreme focus is evident, but perhaps on the wrong idea.

Naperville North is conveniently located in the center of this madness–the train station a couple streets down, downtown Naperville a mile away and the highway a few miles off, heading straight to the city where the commotion grows even more.

Unfortunately, this convenience comes at a cost.

According to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), there were 20,026 car crashes in DuPage County in 2014. These crashes were due to various conditions including turn and head on crashes, with the majority occurring in clear conditions.

For students at NNHS, this issue is even greater, with bundles of students walking to and from school each day.

The intersection of Ogden and Mill is especially nerve-wracking for students, with many feeling unsafe about the care drivers are taking during the peak hours of foot and road traffic.

Freshman Alex Easler, who walks to school every day, feels there is a lack of focus on the pedestrians themselves.

“I feel like I’m going to get hit,” Easler said.

In a study conducted by the DuPage Division of Transportation (DOT), it states that this intersection receives about 50,000 units of car traffic each day. The bulk of it occurs between 7 and 8 a.m., and 4 and 5 p.m., exactly the times when the majority of students are utilizing the crosswalks.

There has been a variety of speculation as to why this intersection specifically is such an issue, but a common trend is the worst offender of this day and age: texting.

Junior Taylore Campion, also a walker, has noticed this issue as well as the effect it has on students.

“People are always on their phones or not paying attention,” Campion said. “I feel like I have to be extra careful.”

More than that, there is also a high concern from the parents of the community for the safety of their students as soon as they walk out of the door.

Miriam Sen, mother of a regular walker, has expressed concern for her children’s safety, but her reasoning is quite different. If you take a closer look at the intersection while the commotion has subdued, it is evident that the markings for cars are faded and often times nonexistent.

“[I’m] always a little concerned,” Sen said. “You send your kids off to school and hope that nothing bad happens.”

The Naperville Transportation Advisory Board is an organization that informs officials about the issues regarding the transportation system. Each month they hold a meeting, where the public can express their interests and concerns about issues.

Sen, in a similar effort to shed some light on the situation, talked to the City of Naperville, who replied that Ogden Avenue is indeed owned by the state, not the city, bringing up an even larger issue.

IDOT oversees much of the construction that occurs in Illinois. Along with local highways, they are responsible for maintaining the roadway system, including periodical construction.

Sen hopes to see change in the road markings in order to take away some of the unruliness of drivers.

“Even if the state doesn’t care about it, I kind of feel like the city should anyway because it’s a school zone, because it’s right there,” Sen said.

School Resource Officer Brett Heun agrees that the crosswalks do need to be redone. Until then, he said that there are solutions that students and drivers can implement now.

“It all comes down to common sense,” Heun said. “We have to make sure we are crossing with the light when it’s safe to do so, and us drivers have to make sure we are paying attention.”