WEST CENTRAL High School students hosted a memorial service Monday for a woman who died in a crash in front of the school and for the many other drivers and passengers whose lives are at risk on a highway that needs to be improved.

The 34 VOICES group has been working for change since it was formed last year. The group has promoted passage of an Illinois capital construction bill that would include money to upgrade U.S. 34 to four lanes between Gulfport and Monmouth.

So far the Legislature has not taken action and no highway work has taken place. Miriam Rutzen, co-chairman of 34 VOICES spoke for her peers when she said: "We want to know why."

The challenge is a valid one.

U.S. 34 is a major freight corridor between Galesburg and Des Moines, Iowa. Most of the 210-mile corridor is a four-lane divided highway. The two-lane section west of Monmouth has become a bottleneck as tractor-trailer rigs and passenger cars that have been traveling at higher speeds converge onto a slower and more congested highway.

More than 900 students attend West Central School District and travel that highway either in buses or cars. Crashes can, and do, happen.

34 VOICES has closely followed the template used by the SMART group of Canton, Mo. SMART, the Students of Missouri Assisting Rural and Urban Transportation, was formed in 2000 after Canton High School senior Kristin Nicole Hendrickson died in a crash along a two-lane portion of U.S. 61.

SMART's success at gaining attention in Jefferson City and Washington, D.C., can be seen in the rapid progress of four-lane construction along U.S. 61, where the final section of divided highway is scheduled to open in June.

It should be noted that in 2000, the improvements that now exist were not even included in Missouri's construction plan and were generally expected to occur in about 2020.

34 VOICES members have been passionate and persistent in their efforts to get the highway improved. They have made it clear that lives depend upon their success.

The group wants to meet with former House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Southern Illinois University President Glenn Poshard, who are spearheading the drive for a capital construction plan.

The students, although most cannot yet vote, are learning how to lead.

They have made sure not to fall into the trap of focusing only on tragedies of the past. They want to assure a safer future for themselves, their loved ones and the thousands of drivers who travel that highway each day.

Their call to action is a powerful message that the state's political leaders should be sure to heed.