Yesterday's Press Conference in Support of the Route 53 Extension Referendum

From the News Sun, GRAYSLAKE -- Pro-Route 53 groups are hoping Lake County's advisory referendum Tuesday will provide long-sought consensus on extending the highway north to Route 120.

The "Build 53 Yes Coalition" ramped up its campaign to bring out a favorable vote Wednesday afternoon with signs, banners and speakers in favor of the controversial project.

The group includes labor and business organizations, as well as some municipal representatives and officials of the Lake County Farm Bureau.

"I'm excited Lake County has taken steps to bring it to an advisory referendum," said Round Lake Mayor Bill Gentes, who said he supports the extension because it will help alleviate congestion and bring people closer to jobs and, hopefully, jobs to Lake County.

"I'm talking about quality of life. Here in Round Lake, commuting is terrible," he said. "Route 53 would help people get off the roads sooner and home with their families."

Gentes said the extension would make it easier for central Lake County commuters to make it to job destinations along the Lake-Cook Road and Tri-State Tollway corridors, as well as attracting more business locally.

"It's bringing everything a little closer to the front burner, something we definitely need in order for this to happen," Dwight Houchins, president of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, said of the referendum.

Houchins said the extension would "certainly promote commerce and industry" in the county. "It's an improved way to get around the county," he said.

Greg Koeppen, manager of the Lake County Farm Bureau, said the bureau has supported the extension for more than a decade because traffic problems are the top problem in the county.

"It affects farmers trying to move from field to field, too," Koeppen said. "Picture a combine that's backed up along with your regular SUVs."

Koeppen said development is going to come to Lake County with or without the extension, and current roads are not keeping up.

Grayslake Mayor Tim Perry said his village has supported the extension and he hopes the advisory referendum demonstrates countywide support to state officials.

"Traffic congestion is the number one roadblock to economic development," Perry said. "At the very least, whether we ever build 53, the voters of Lake County need to send a message to Springfield that we need traffic relief and we need it now."

You can't escape the rush hour traffic in Lake County.

You've tried leaving early. Going home late. Taking a bunch of different routes. Nothing works. You're losing sleep, time with your family and friends, time at work. Instead, you have lots of windshield time with your car. You're losing part of your life, wasting time in a congested mess on Lake County roads with no end in sight.

A simple "yes" vote April 7 can help change all that.

The Route 53 project has been planned for years. Now, you finally get to vote in favor of it. You can tell Lake County, state and federal leaders know you're sick and tired of traffic jams. You want to stop wasting dozens of hours behind the wheel every month, watching all the vehicles around you pollute the air while they inch along at a frustrating pace.

And, you can do more than vote. You can tell your family, neighbors and friends to vote "yes" for Route 53. Tell them how it will enrich their lives, help businesses and improve the economic future of the county. We can help you do that. Sign up for e-mail blasts, Twitter alerts, and a Facebook page that will provide the latest on our plan to bring some sanity to the crazy mess of traffic in Lake County.

Results from the 120 CPC meeting last night.

The 120 Corridor Planning Council reached one of the major decision points last night, which was to decide on the character of the road. There were 3 remaining options that were voted on.

13 of the 16 members were present so we had a good representation of key decision makers throughout the corridor.

Alternative 5-- 6 lane expressway with limited on and offs failed
2 votes to 11 votes

Alternative 4-- 6 lane expressway signalized arterial failed
1 votes to 11 votes

Alternative 3-- 4 lane boulevard (either signalized or with roundabouts) passed
11 votes to 2 votes

I cast the villages vote for Alternative 3, based on a few things, the first being cost, followed by land use issues along the corridor are easier to solve with alternative 3.

Alternatives to Driving: Transit on the Tollway

The Illinois Tollway’s board of directors recently approved Tomorrow’s Transportation Today, a $1.8 billion plan to relieve traffic congestion by investing in key Interstate to Interstate interchanges and creating dedicated Green Lanes that will encourage more Tollway commuters to consider carpooling, vanpool programs, and express bus services. Green Lanes combine the functions of high-occupancy toll lanes (HOT), high-occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV), and carpool lanes – all of which are helping uncork bottlenecks in states across the country by squeezing more capacity out of existing roadways through variable tolling. The investment includes $1.4 billion for interchange improvements, as well as $400 million to support new transit alternatives for Tollway commuters who don’t want to pay more to drive alone.

From L.A. to North Carolina, other U.S. regions have had success with similar programs. Seattle’s HOV/HOT lanes move the equivalent capacity of four regular lanes during rush hours. In Houston, more than 40,000 daily commuters use the express transit buses – up from virtually zero transit riders since HOV lanes were first introduced in 1979. North Carolinans who carpool, vanpool, or ride transit cut their commuting costs by approximately $3,000 each year. Both HOV lane users and non-users gave Los Angeles’ system an 88 percent public approval rating. By encouraging carpooling, increasing transit options, and improving connections between tollways and transit routes, commuters benefit from a wide menu of options to fulfill their transportation needs.

The Green Lanes also provide a new opportunity for Pace to help meet the region’s rising transit demands without taking on significant new capital expenses. Express bus service along the Tollway’s dedicated Green Lanes, coupled with new park-and-ride facilities and intermodal centers, will provide commuters with more reliable and accessible transit options and help reduce regional congestion. In coordination with Pace, the Regional Transportation Authority, and Chicago Metropolitan Agency

for Planning, the Illinois Tollway's Green Lanes Plan will help strengthen the connectivity between existing transit services and future regional transportation and land use improvements. As planners explore new alternatives to fight gridlock, making the most of existing infrastructure is an important part of a cost-effective system.

For Additional Information:

• Tomorrow’s Transportation Today: A Progressive Improvement Plan – Illinois Tollway Press Release
• Green Lanes Plan – Illinois Tollway
• Personal Benefits of HOV Lanes – North Carolina Department of Transportation

New Road Projects on Horizon

From Yesterday's Daily Herald.

Five road projects, some too complicated and expensive to have been realistically considered before, are on Lake County's fast track.

Transportation officials on Wednesday unveiled a list of road work projects to be paid for with increased sales tax revenue, authorized last year as part of a Regional Transportation Authority reform.

Nearly $11 million is being proposed for the required first stage of study for five major projects. The county board's public works and transportation committee supports the choices, which go to the county board next week for official approval.

The suggested projects are:

• $3.54 million for Route 83/Rollins Road/Canadian National Railroad/Hainesville Road intersections.
• $2.14 million for Route 45 at Millburn Road.
• $980,000 for Route 176/Fairfield Road.
• $1.92 million for Route 134/Fairfield Road/Metra railroad intersections.
• $2.15 million for Washington Street, Hainesville Road to Lake Street and Canadian National railroad crossing.

In each case, the money is being designated for preliminary engineering, also referred to as Phase 1 of a given project. That process takes about two years.

"The purpose of the Phase 1 study is to find out what's the best solution," said Marty Buehler, director of transportation. "We're looking for the long-term improvement."

The solution could be an overpass or underpass, which is much more involved than adding lanes or widening an intersection. The Route 83/Rollins project in Round Lake Beach, for example, would have a major impact on businesses.

County officials say the projects will include a significant amount of public involvement, such as a business task force for the Route 83/Rollins project.

The concerns would be different at Fairfield/Route 176, which has forest preserve property on all four corners. In that case, environmental impacts would be the main concern.

Whatever the decisions, the county is making a point of moving as quickly as possible to use its new source of revenue.

Collected since last summer, the sales tax is expected to provide the county with more than $29 million a year in new revenue - more than doubling its current road work budget.

"We wanted to put the money to work as quickly as possible so people see we mean business to get projects done," said Paula Trigg, director of planning and programming for the division of transportation.

The list presented Wednesday is not the first expenditure of the new sales tax funds. About $3 million already has designated as a local match for the reconstruction of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive from Sheridan Road to Green Bay Road, a $12 million project.

Last year, the county board voted to spend all the new sales tax money on road work, although other uses such as public safety projects also are allowable.

About 60 percent of the county funds are designated for state road projects that are considered perennial bottlenecks the Illinois Department of Transportation has not had the funding to pursue.

Adopt a Lake County Highway

Business, civic, social, youth and not-for-profit organizations looking to volunteer for the good of their community can adopt a highway from the Lake County Division of Transportation. The program allows groups to work together as a team, twice a year, to pick up litter on both sides of their adopted stretch of county highway. Groups develop teamwork, promote their organization and provide a valuable public service to the community. (My campaign for Senate has helped out at few roads throughout the district hence the picture)

Adopt-a-Highway is particularly suited to environmentally conscious organizations and citizens. The program provides an opportunity for these groups to make a personal contribution toward a cleaner environment. Adopt-a-Highway volunteers have removed litter from 259 sections of Lake County bike paths and highways. Thanks to their efforts, the organizations have improved the appearance of the county’s highway system. “With over 305 centerline miles of county highways, Division of Transportation highway workers need volunteer efforts of citizens and organizations to help keep our roadways clean,” said Director of Transportation/County Engineer Marty Buehler. “We’re extremely grateful for their efforts in the past and look forward to working with new groups in the future.”

The Lake County Division of Transportation provides participating groups with high-visibility vests, trash bags and safety information. Groups are recognized on roadway signs placed along their adopted stretch of highway. Current participants include groups such as the Winthrop Harbor Police Department, YMCA Camp Duncan and the Warren Dugout Club.

Applications for the Adopt-a-Highway program are available by calling the Lake County Division of Transportation at (847) 377-7400. Completed applications for the program should be sent to the Lake County Division of Transportation offices, 600 W. Winchester Road, Libertyville, IL 60048. Adopt-a-Highway applications for the fall program are due between August 1st and August 31st 2008. Participants must be at least ten years of age. Participants younger than 18 years of age must have adequate adult supervision.

For further information, please visit the Division of Transportation on the Lake County Web site, located at www.co.lake.il.us. The Lake County Division of Transportation serves county residents and visitors by, among other things, planning, constructing, maintaining and working to improve the county transportation infrastructure.

On the Road: Fighting Those High Fuel Prices

With the average cost of gasoline and diesel fuel at over $4 per gallon, businesses and their employees need to conserve energy. Higher gas prices have affected everyone—from fleet managers for large companies, to truckers delivering goods, to employees driving to work. If you can't afford alternative fuel or hybrid vehicles, you can still significantly improve vehicle fuel economy (easily up to 40%) with a few generally low-cost techniques. Here are some ideas for both your organization and your employees, some of which may surprise you.

Drive More Efficiently

Drive Sensibly. Aggressive driving (speeding, and rapidly accelerating or braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33% at highway speeds and by 5% around town. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you may save more than gas money. Fuel Economy Benefit: 5%–33%.

Observe the Speed Limit. While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.30 per gallon for gas. Observing the speed limit is also safer. Fuel Economy Benefit: 7%–23%.

Remove Excess Weight. Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2%. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight, and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones. Fuel Economy Benefit: 1%-2% per 100 lbs.

Avoid Excessive Idling. Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than cars with smaller engines.

Use Cruise Control. Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas.

Use Overdrive Gears. When you use overdrive gearing, your car's engine speed goes down. This saves gas and reduces engine wear.

Keep Vehicles in Shape

Keep Vehicle Engines Properly Tuned. Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4%, though results vary based on the kind of repair and how well it is done. Fixing a serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve your mileage by as much as 40%. Fuel Economy Benefit: 4%.

Check and Replace Air Filters Regularly. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car's gas mileage by as much as 10%. Your car's air filter keeps impurities from damaging the inside of your engine. Not only will replacing a dirty air filter save gas, it will protect your engine. Fuel Economy Benefit: up to 10%.

Keep Tires Properly Inflated. You can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3% by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.4% for every 1 psi drop in the pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer. Fuel Economy Benefit: up to 3%.

Organizational Issues

Commuting

• Allow flex-time when possible. Employees who can stagger their hours can spend less time sitting in traffic and idling during peak rush hour periods. Offer telecommuting (working from home) when it makes sense.
• Encourage carpooling or ride-sharing programs. These can help employees cut fuel usage by up to 50%. Public transportation, if available, is another good fuel saving option. Encourage participation by offering incentives or rewards.

Traveling. Avoid traveling by car or plane to meetings or training sessions whenever possible. Much of this type of work can be accomplished through conference calls, web conferencing, or other alternatives. While these technologies can't totally replace face-to-face contact, they can help cut significantly on fuel costs.

Fleet Management. Many commercial fleets are oversized for the jobs that they need to perform. Fleet managers should review their vehicle mix. Often, a mix of lighter vans and mid-sized vehicles can do the work now being done by bigger, less efficient trucks. Fleet managers should also take a look at pick-up and delivery schedules to look for opportunities to combine loads or otherwise save fuel.

Drive Only Fuel Efficient Vehicles. For company cars, personal vehicles, and rentals, look for only the most fuel efficient vehicles available. An excellent resource is the U.S. EPA Web site, FuelEconomy.gov, which includes side-by-side comparison of the fuel efficiency of different vehicles from current and past model years, as well as information on hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles.

Number 3 with a Bullet!

The folks at the Lake County Motorist Blog have named the village's website the 3rd best in Lake County for commuters! You can reach our website here. I am consistently amazed at Lake County Motorist and his blog, so in honor of his ranking I would say that his blog is number #2 in terms of blogs that cover transportation! No prizes for guessing which one is number one! But you can give me guesses as to why I used this picture! Comments are the place to guess!

Report on the 120 Bypass (Part 1 of 5)

Last week we held one of our regular 120 Bypass Corridor Planning Council (CPC) meetings of which I am the Chairman. Our consultants TranSystems are getting into the meat of the matter with traffic projections involving all the major scenarios.

NOTE: This is an elaborate post involving many 11 x 17 pdfs so I am going to space the posts out all this week, my recommendation is to download the pdf and print it out while you look at them because its much easier to compare the scenarios and make observations.

The first item of business is to examine todays (2005 numbers are the most recent) of what is called ADT (Average Daily Traffic) counts, these numbers are gathered by IDOT (Illinois Department of Transportation). The numbers you see are only the cars on the actual roadway so to when a road crosses the route you need to add both ADT's to determine the flow for that intersection.

Some more information, when a two lane road reaches 15,000 ADT it is considered seriously congested, numbers past 20,000 indicate saturation and you literally can't put that many more cars on the road, for example 120 between Alleghany and Hainesville Road is 22,900 ADT right now. That number will not go much higher because the road just can't handle any more. Same thing for a 4 lane road 30,000 is serious congestion and 35-40,000 is as high as you can go, existing roads like this in Lake County today are Grand Avenue in Gurnee which is at 51,700 in some places.

Here is the first map which is existing conditions in Lake County right now. You can see that starting from US Route 12 and running East the entire route 120 is over the seriously congested aspect, hence the need for the 120 bypass or improvements to existing 120! Some locations I want to look at repeatedly on these maps are as follows:

• Look at the number for 120 at 83, 17,700! With train tracks no less! We can all visualize the long backups almost to Hainesville road in the mornings and the reverse backup in the evenings.
• Interstate 94 has 113,000 ADT right now.
• Peterson Road has 9,400 ADT between 60 and Alleghany
• 60 has 14,200 just past Fremont Center.
• Fairfield has 10,500 at Gilmer.
• Washington has 15,800 at 83.

I have driven all these roads at various times and can visualize these numbers in terms of how long I waited to get through intersections as I am sure all of you can as well.

Now we get to the interesting stuff Scenario 1: No improvements to IL 120. CMAP (Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning) has done extensive studies of the traffic patterns in Chicagoland and the numbers are the ones that IDOT requires us to use to determine future need. They are based on what projected traffic would look like in 2030. 22 years from now. So Scenario 1 is if nothing changes, no improvements nothing!

One caveat on these scenarios, is that they have been adjusted to take in the planned road improvements over the next 22 years, so for example Peterson's eventual widening to 4 lanes is taken into account.

• Look at the number for 120 at 83 now, 17,700 in 2008 but in 2030 the number is 17,400 indicating that the stretch of road is as full as it can be right now. But look along 120 east and west of this intersection, congestion has built everywhere. Essentially the feel of traffic along the entire 120 roadway will be the same as the 120 and 83 intersection in 22 years.
  
• Interstate 94 has 113,000 ADT in 2008. The new number is 161,400 in 2030.
  
• Peterson Road has 9,400 ADT between 60 and Alleghany in 2008. With the widening the road is heavily congested at 25,500 ADT in 2030.
  
• 60 has 14,200 just past Fremont Center in 2008. Now the traffic flows onto Peterson and not down 60 because there is some nonsense off the map there as well towards Mundelien.
  
• Fairfield has 10,500 at Gilmer in 2008. The number here is 15,000 (serious congestion) in 2030.
  
• Washington has 15,800 at 83 in 2008. The number here is 19,100 in 2030.

What is happening is that 120 has reached saturation, and commuters are seeking other routes, loading up on Peterson, Washington and Rollins (24,300 to 35,400) to go East. Traffic is quite frankly a disaster everywhere in the county.

Lake County Motorist-- GREAT Blog!

I have been reading a great blog for some time now and I need to share it with you becuase of its topical nature and of course it's coverage of Lake County Traffic. Lake County Motorist is a blog about driving in Lake County, Illinois. The author is a relatively new Lake County resident, having lived here for two years. Here is what he says about his blog.

I’m now turning my sights to my new home county, because this place has a lot of traffic. Metra has become my best friend, but I still drive quite a bit more than I did while living in the city. Around here, I can use a little help finding the best routes, and roads are always under construction (which can sometimes be a good thing because we need the infrastructure). And if I “discover” a good route, I’ll share it - that is, if I can remember which roads I was on. I often find new routes while getting unbelievably lost, but that’s part of the adventure. Let’s talk about Lake County transportation.

I would add this to your favorites!

Passenger moons speed camera

I got this from one of my favorite sites Boing Boing, and since we all seem to be tense with my last couple posts this could be funny. I warn you its mildly graphic so you have been warned adult concepts! Road rage! You could visualize this happening in some Lake County commutes!

Illinois Works Coalition

Illinois' infrastructure is a vital asset that significantly contributes to our overall success. A strong state infrastructure fosters business growth, world-class schools and thriving communities.

Investment in infrastructure creates jobs and sets the stage for Illinois' continued economic leadership. However, it has been nine years since the Illinois General Assembly passed a capital bill.

Illinois Works is a $25 billion capital improvement program designed to make crucial investments in our schools, roads, bridges, airports and transit systems. Crucial investments that will improve our quality of life and create hundreds of thousands of jobs.

In the coming weeks and months, this site will be home to a statewide movement calling for the passage of Illinois Works during the spring legislative session.

We ask you to join with us and advocate for passage of Illinois Works. It's time to rebuild our infrastructure and put Illinois to work.

Mayors Transportation Committee Meeting

I attended a Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Transportation Committee last week and was able to listen to a couple proposals that the Metropolitan Planning Council is working on. One of them was the concept of congestion pricing on toll roads.

The concept being that if you pay a higher toll during peak hours, people are less likely to drive for frivolous things during those peak times. I have noticed that on days where some businesses have the day off, traffic is slightly less nasty, and the flow is smoother. Presidents day is one that comes to mind. However in some of the examples given people in LA could pay $9 for a trip down a toll road!

Rather then write endlessly about this here is a link to the Metropolitan Planning Council list of articles about congestion pricing. Later on this week I am going to write about some local road projects and some rail projects worth a long range look.

The Case for Capital: LCP / LCTA Investors Forum April 28

Transportation and its need for capital in Illinois will be the topic of the morning on Monday, April 28 at Lake County Partners (LCP) / Lake County Transportation Alliance (LCTA) Investors Forum. Beginning with a breakfast networking reception, the forum will be held from 7:30 - 10:00 a.m. at the University Center of Lake County in Grayslake.

Alleviation of transportation congestion and enhancement of mass transit are clearly two high priority goals on Lake County's economic development agenda.

Key note speakers include:
State Representative Julie Hamos, Chair of the Illinois Mass Transit Committee, who will speak about "The Need for Transit Capital" and State Representative Sidney Mathias, Vice Chair of the Illinois Mass Transit Committee, who will address "The Need for Highway and Bridge Capital." Hamos was the chief sponsor of the recently enacted mass transit legislation (HB 656).

U. S. Representatives Melissa Bean and Mark Kirk are also invited (not yet confirmed) to provide transportation updates from the federal perspective - an important one since billions of federal dollars for transportation capital projects are at stake awaiting state match.

State Senator Terry Link and State Representative JoAnn Osmond will present updates at the state level on transportation legislative issues of interest. At the county level, Lake County Board's Vice Chair Mike Talbett will discuss Lake County's transportation-related legislative program.

In addition, local and regional updates will be presented on a range of topics:

• Bill Gentes, Mayor of Round Lake, on progress of the Route 120 Corridor Planning Council. Gentes is chair of the Route 120 CPC.
• Kent Street, Village Manager for Deerfield, on progress of U. S. Route 41 Corridor Planning Group. Street chairs the Route 41 CPG.
• Catherine Starostovic, Grant Township Supervisor, will discuss paratransit opportunities in Lake County, including current progress and future plans. Starostovic is Chair of the Lake County Coordinated Transportation Services Committee (LCCTSC).
• Diane O'Keefe and Marty Buehler will present updates on capital funding priority projects at the state and county levels. O'Keefe is the Illinois Department of Transportation District One Engineer, and Buehler is the Lake County Department of Transportation Engineer.

Illinois State Representative Kathy Ryg will close the forum with an update on her Task Force's efforts to align the DCEO Northeast Region's Economic Development vision and agenda with Lake County's 52 communities and LCP. Other sponsors for the event include Lake Cook TMA, Lake County Municipal League, and Lake County.

Transit Innovations in Curitiba, Brazil

The city of Curitiba is home to almost 2 million people and is the cultural, political, and financial center in southern Brazil. It has faced many of the same dilemmas that plague transportation planners and policymakers in U.S. cities. In the 1960s, traffic congestion was ruining the livability of the city and harming the economy, but the city did not have enough money to build the kind of expensive, fixed-rail transit line that had become the norm in other large cities around the world. An innovative, low-cost solution was needed, or else Curitiba would stop growing and lose its status as the economic hub of the region.

Local planners, led by future mayor Jamie Lerner, tapped available resources to provide the best possible product for their residents. Rather than spend $16-24 million/mile for a light rail system or $100–200 million/mile for an underground subway, the city invested $6 million/mile to construct an extensive rapid- bus system. Planners took the comfort, speed, and frequency of an expensive subway and applied them to an above-ground, subway-like system using buses. They built tube bus stations and installed turnstiles for rapid boarding and fare collection along designated bus lanes. A conventional bus, with an 80-passenger capacity on an average street, could transport 1,000 passengers per day. Boarding tubes and bus right-of-way lanes allow Curitiba's buses to carry 4,000 passengers per day.

Curitiba's bus system has been a huge success, as the city has been transformed into a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly, environmentally conscious, and sustainable place. With buses arriving every 36 seconds to move passengers in and out of the city, Curitiba's 1,902 buses attract 2.3 million riders daily. Because there are so many transit users, fuel consumption in the city is 30 percent lower than in Brazil's other major metropolitan areas.

Lessons to Learn

Curitiba's convenience, cleanliness, and attractiveness of a public transportation system encourage people to leave their cars at home and take a bus. In Curitiba, for example, 85 percent of the population uses the system, as development around the stations also helps increase ridership. Transit users can easily access and enjoy nearby services and amenities including housing, restaurants, and stores. The city coordinated with land use and zoning departments to ensure that higher density residential units were allowed closer to the tube bus stations.

Chicago and other U.S. cities are considering new bus systems that borrow the best ideas from Curitiba. Mayor Richard Daley recently said, "All the money we're spending to remodel the El and the tunnel system… that is an enormous amount of money. You'll have to put it in [again] in another 20 years or 30 years. Some way, you have to look at some form of a bus system."

Curitiba and Chicago have similar population size, transit budget constraints, and roles as a cultural and economic hub. Whether it's re-striping current traffic lanes to accommodate a bus-only lane for rapid transit access or better interconnectivity between transportation modes, Chicago can learn from Curitiba's transit success.

More Information & Resources:

• The Road to Curitiba—New York Times
• Issues in Bus Rapid Transit: Curitiba—Public Transit
• The Curitiba Experience: Evolution of the Bus System—USDOT Federal transit Administration
• Curitiba's Urban Experiment—PBS Frontline World

Thanks to the Metropolitan Planning Council for the article.

Paving Cedar Lake Road Moved Forward

The Village has been able to get Lake County to resurface Cedar Lake Road from Hart to Park Road. The resurfacing was programed for 2012 but given the accelerated deterioration of the road this winter, we were able to get this $500,000 resurfacing project. There is also a $20 million dollar resurfacing project that will have bids opened this May as well on the horizon, so there will be some relief for some of the numbing trips over these roads!

Get Informed and Provide Input on Transportation

Transportation is a top strategic priority of the Lake County Board and the County recognizes that part of the solution has to be addressed in Springfield. The County is asking state leaders to approve a capital program that adequately funds all forms of state transportation. Citizens can let their voice be heard on this critical issue by sending an email message to their state legislators, Governor Blagojevich, and state legislative leaders encouraging them to dedicate funding for roads, bridges, and transit across Illinois. Visitors to the County Building in Waukegan can email their state leaders at a computer terminal set up in the lobby which links to www.FixOurRoadsNow.com.

A computer is also accessible in the lobby of the Lake County Division of Transportation in Libertyville. The www.FixOurRoadsNow.com website is sponsored by the Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association, whose mission is to protect, improve and promote the transportation design and construction industry in Illinois. After the user enters their contact information, the website determines who their representatives are, and allows them to personalize an email message.

Lets Talk Roads

Route 53! Is it the great white whale? Or is it the solution to all Lake Counties Traffic ills? I do know what it is, probably the single most polarizing issue in Lake County for the 20-30 years.

Anyone who drives a car through western Lake County can see that the old country roads are woefully inadequate to today's traffic-that wider, faster roads like the 53 extension are sorely needed. It's simple common sense-so why the big fuss?

The real opposition, the moneyed, vocal opposition, is coming from a different group: the NIMBYs. (NIMBY stands for "not in my back yard.")

In some ways, it's understandable. Given a choice, most everyone would prefer not to have a major thoroughfare running right by their neighborhood. If it were possible, we'd all like to live in the peace and quiet of a quaint nineteenth century village, while having all the modern conveniences at the same time. But, of course, that isn't possible. There are always tradeoffs.

Think about it: any highway that services a highly populated area is going to have to run close to someone. To those who live in proximity to the proposed route I say instead: let's work together, rather than against one another. The need for adequate roads is a fact of modern life, like the need for power lines, water mains, and rail lines. Rather than cooking up transparent "reasons" against 53 to hide NIMBY, why not make sure that anyone genuinely disadvantaged is fairly compensated, and that everything (like soundproofing walls, landscaping, wide roadway shoulders) are provided to minimize the impact of needed roads on those living nearby? That will create a "win-win" for everyone.

Having said all that I am not terribly optimistic that it will get done, while I and probably 95% of the Round Lake area support 53 we need to focus on doable projects like the 120 bypass. I would gladly lead and champion a realistic effort to build 53. However I am going to continue to push a project that I believe will happen-- the 120 bypass. I will of course advocate for 53 no matter where I am as an elected official, but we should also be pragmatic and focus on the doable.

That Route 53 Thinga-ma-jiggy Heats Up!

I got this email about a week ago from a person who could not have summed up the frustration for roads and Route 53 in particular. I am a strong supporter of 53, but have always thought that the window closed many years ago when we as a county could not get on the same page. The emailer asked me to answer and answer I will tomorrow. His email strongly outlines the level of frustration about transportation and the lack of it in Western Lake County and in Eastern McHenry

As a resident of neighboring Volo, I enjoy regularly visiting your blog and strongly agree with many of your viewpoints, in particular the need for the proposed Advocate Hospital, as well as the Route 120 bypass. With that said, I wanted to mention a couple of recent articles I read in the Chicago Tribune and Daily Herald. The articles stated that the Illinois Tollway Authority has officially authorized its staff (on Thurs,12/20/07) to prioritize its most critical proposed projects (now that 355 South Extension is complete), with the Route 53 extension specifically mentioned, along with the Prarie Parkway and Illiana Expressway. Here are the links: to the article in the Daily Herald and the Chicago Tribune.

Now, while I'm well aware of how long this project has been on the table, this seems like a great opportunity for local elected officials in Lake County who support the extension to get together with one uniform voice to finally push this forward. It seems that overwhelmingly the residents and villages of Lake County support the extension and this seems like as good as an opportunity as ever to attempt to move forward and become the next top priority project for the Illinois Tollway. In particular, when I reviewed the other projects on the table listed in the articles, the Route 53 extension actually seems like the most sensible/needed, with the strongest case for, with the longest standing proposal, and ironically, the one with the most support for it. Additionally, with the significant residential growth in Northern/Western Lake County over the past several years and a large percentage of those residents needing to commute south and/or east for work, it seems that a significant effort now has the potential to create quite a public buzz in favor of the extension. Further, doesn't the state already own virtually all/a good portion of the land needed to complete the extension (as marked by the FAP 342 signs)?

I'm also aware that there are one or two key villages (representing a very small percentage of the surrounding population) who have always strongly opposed the extension, but in reality, any project will always have some percentage of resistors to change, no matter how important it is to the overall surrounding communities affected. I believe the same was the case for the 355 south extension for some time. Additionally, I have seen a wide variety of elected officials (both Democrat and Republican) whose jurisdiction's are directly affected, as well as personally spoken to residents I work with who live in the immediate vicinity of the one or two key villages opposing, who strongly support the extension.

At your earliest convenience, if you could let me know your thoughts on these recent articles and any possibilities that you think may exist now that haven't over the past several years, that would be great. As you've probably noticed, I'm very passionate, yet frustrated about the decades of delays for this extension. It's one of the most overwhelmingly obvious proposed extension projects needing completion that I'm aware of and would like to see it fianlly happen. Lastly, I realize funding has been brought up as a big issue (understandably), however, where did the $700-$800 million come from to enable the I-355 extension to be constructed (within a few years time no less)?

120 Project Status Update

Recently I got an update from Transcom and the Lake County Department of Transportation on the status of the Illinois Route 120 Corridor Feasibility Study. We have a variety of task forces working on the project and this is an approximation of where we are.

Public Information Task Force

• Public Information Task Force leading the majority of the work with assistance from Lake County Partners Potential Task Force meeting to be scheduled for November

Environmental & Stormwater Impact Task Force

• Initial data collection completed including GIS from all task forces Data reviewed and base maps created Field visits by TranSystems and Roux scheduled for October 23 to evaluate sensitive environmental resources.

Land Use, Economic Development & Municipal Impact Task Force

• Reviewing data collection and task force studies Field visits by TranSystems and Lakota with Task Force Chair Dennis Sandquist scheduled for October 19 to discuss land use studies

Technical Task Force

• Received traffic data from County
  
• Requested traffic data from IDOT
  
• Traffic counts for the eastern portion of the corridor completed prior to IL 120 at I-94 construction began
  
• Traffic counts for the western portion of the corridor began after the completion of the Fairfield / Gilmer interchange and to be completed by October 18
  
• Met with CMAP regarding CMAP preparing regional traffic models for various scenarios
• Existing 2030 projected with LCTIP IL 53 expressway option and with IL 120 Bypass
  
• 2030 projected with LCTIP IL 53 arterial option and with IL 120 Bypass 2030 projected without IL 53 and with IL 120 Bypass
  
• 2030 projected without IL 53 and without IL 120 Bypass CMAP has completed the existing model and one of the four projected models and estimates completion of the final three projected models by the end of November
  

• TranSystems has begun creating sub-regional traffic models based on CMAP regional traffic models calibrated to provided traffic data and counts
  
• Character of Road studies to move forward after further traffic, land use, and financing studies
  
• Placement of Road studies to move forward after further character of road and environmental studies

LA Can't Drive

I came across this website in one of my late night surfing trips and thought it was quite funny. I know many of us can identify with whats going on here. I think that LA is a bit more extreme then some of the goofiness we see here in Lake County. Careful there is some salty language on here

Taping of Comcast Newsmakers

Earlier this week I taped a Comcast Newsmakers show which is a daily five-minute interview segment which airs at :24 and :54 minutes past the hour on CNN Headline News sponsored by Comcast. It was a lot of fun and a nice opportunity to talk up your community and the issues surrounding it. The show is hosted by veteran, award winning news anchor Paul Lisnek. Who definitely made me feel good about the whole process.

Naturally I talked about three things, transportation, hospitals and economic development, with a little bit about this blog thrown in for good measure. The whole process was quite efficent and the 5 minutes went by quickly as well.

Many thanks to Gwendolyn McNutt, Comcast Community Affairs Manager, Paul Lisnek for making me feel comfortable and Frank Deuel, Comcast Government Affairs Manager for being helpful as well.

I am not sure when they air, but when I find out I will let you all know! You get to some fun things as a Mayor and this was certainly one of them!

Fairfield and Gilmer Open

Here is a press release from Lake County on this wonderful news! I will be curious to see if the opening will relieve the backups into 176. Logic says yes, but when is a commute logical!

The Lake County Division of Transportation will open the remaining leg of the new Fairfield and Gilmer Road interchange, near the Village of Wauconda, to all traffic beginning at 6:00 A.M. on Saturday, September 15. The intersection has been completely closed to traffic since May in order to permit the County's contractor to reconstruct this intersection as an interchange with Gilmer Road elevated over Fairfield Road. Construction of this $9.2 million improvement was started in 2006. It is the first grade-separated interchange to be constructed on the County Highway system.

Fairfield Road, the west leg of Gilmer Road and the connecting ramp were opened to traffic on August 15th. The east leg of Gilmer Road and the bridge on Gilmer Road are now complete and the entire project will open to traffic as scheduled on Saturday.

This interchange improvement replaces the previous heavily congested four-way stop sign intersection with a grade-separated design. Beginning Saturday, the improvement will carry traffic along Gilmer Road on an overpass crossing Fairfield Road. Traffic passing through the intersection on either Gilmer or Fairfield Road will flow freely without having to slow or stop as would be necessary with a conventional traffic signal. A connecting ramp has been constructed between the north leg of Fairfield Road and the west leg of Gilmer Road to allow traffic to travel between Gilmer Road and Fairfield Road.

"I wish to thank motorists for their patience during this construction effort," said Marty Buehler, Director of Transportation for Lake County. "This is a significant improvement for highway users in southwest Lake County and I know that everyone involved with this project has worked very hard to open it to traffic on-time."

In addition to the improvements to the Gilmer and Fairfield Road interchange, Lake County has installed traffic signals at the intersection of Fairfield Road and Bonner Road. This traffic signal replaced the multi-way stop signs which were installed to facilitate traffic movements during the Fairfield Road closure detour. Information concerning this project can be found on the Lake County Division of Transportation website at www.co.lake.il.us/dot.

Cameras on Traffic Lights-- Is it Big Brother? Or Something Entirely Different!

I had a great question from a loyal reader Caroline M who asked me about the cameras in the traffic lights at Amarias and Cedar Lake just north of 60. Its not a system that we control but it’s part of Lake County Department of Transportation relatively new transportation management system called Passage—Intelligent Transportation System.

It allows managers at the HQ in Libertyville to monitor traffic throughout the county. All new intersections will have cameras installed on them, and I think there are numerous retrofits going on of other intersections as well. They also use telemetry installed in the roads and other cameras to determine road conditions and adjust timings of lights.

They have a marvelous website here that has real time traffic information for Lake County, I have been using the site for awhile, and am embarrassed that I have not blogged about it before becuase for awhile I was able to decide to drive the "back roads" or Route 12, when Fairfield and Gilmer were blocked!

Big News! Fairfield is Opening Tommorrow!

The Fairfield and Gilmer road project is nearly finished! Tomorrow the 15th the road will open completely for Fairfield and parts of Gilmer road as well, however some work will continue until the middle of September. Excellent news, and if you want to see a picture of my most recent post on the subject go here!

Fairfield and Gilmer Update

I went past the barricades at Fairfield and 60 last Sunday to see what was going on at the Gilmer intersection. Looked great, and more importantly nearly done!

Road Construction Update

Townline Road-- The project consists of widening Townline Road from Cedar Lake Road west to Bacon Road to a three lane cross section, installing storm sewer and constructing a bike path. The construction work will include hot-mix asphalt roadway construction, curb and gutter installation, bike path construction, storm sewer construction, ditch grading, and parkway restoration.

The construction of Townline Road started this week. (see picture at right) The Contractor began earth excavation and storm sewer installation this week. Curb and gutter installation is scheduled for the week of July 16th and asphalt installation is scheduled for the week beginning July 30th. The project is anticipated to be complete in mid August.

Cedar Lake Road-- Cedar Lake Road, Stage 1 is a Lake County Division of Transportation project that is nearing the end of construction. The work performed on Cedar Lake Road is expected to be complete by July 18th with Cedar Lake Road scheduled to be open at this time. North of the intersection of Bacon Road and Cedar Lake Road, Bacon Road will become a cul-de-sac. Bacon Road at Cedar Lake Road is expected to be closed permanently on July 18th and at this time the cul-de-sac will be constructed.

Fairfield and Gilmer-- The project is a few weeks ahead of schedule at last report from the County becuase of the lack of rain although it has rained more recently so we can only hope!

Some Road Relief in Sight? Lets Hope So!

Tonight is a 120 Byapss Corridor Planning Council meeting at the Round Lake Police and Public Works Facility on Townline Road, we will finally have a consultant (pending board ratification) and the next few meetings we will be getting into the meat of the project! To that end I want to talk about transportation and funding. While I am not a 100% supporter of all this coalition is proposing I think alot of the ideas proposed here bear study. I bolded one section that is quite interesting. I have some comments and information at the bottom of the article.

The Transportation for Illinois Coalition (TFIC), a diverse group of statewide and regional business, labor, industry, not-for-profit and governmental organizations, calculates the State’s transportation infrastructure needs an additional $5 billion per year over the next five years. This can be achieved with an approximate $2 billion revenue increase through bonding with a multi-year payment schedule and pay-as-you-go financing.

“Transportation funding has not gotten its needed attention,” said Michael T. Carrigan, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO and TFIC co-chair. “Transportation is the resource on which everything else depends and putting off investment for even one more year is not an option. Every day sends our already deteriorating network into further disrepair, undermining our ability to pay for other vital government programs and ultimately putting Illinois’ economy, jobs and families at risk. The Governor and General Assembly must act now.”

New funds are critically needed to reverse years of decline and neglected maintenance in our
transportation networks, as well as, to finance expansion, modernization, and congestion relief. It is necessary to increase the taxes and fees dedicated to constructing and maintaining transportation networks from time to time because the funding sources do not keep up with inflation or the rising cost of building materials. Increased investment in our transportation networks is required to sustain commerce and promote job growth in Illinois, while making travel easier and improving the quality of life for everyone.

The Coalition also recommends increasing the sales tax that is levied within the six county RTA region to sustain public transit operations in Northeastern Illinois. The Transportation for Illinois Coalition supports for expansion of gaming in Illinois and recommends $500 million dollars of the new revenue generated from the gaming industry be dedicated annually to infrastructure funding for public transit systems. The Coalition further recommends that additional revenue generated from the gaming industry be used to halt diversions from the state road fund that are currently being used to finance governmental purposes other than investing in improving highway infrastructure.

“It is time that our legislators move forward with a bill that adequately funds Illinois’ transportation infrastructure,” said Doug Whitley, president of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and TFIC co-chair. “We are the nation’s transportation hub and our entire economy is built on this infrastructure. It is imperative that we protect and advance this vital asset. TFIC is prepared to support new levies from appropriate sources to fund the needed investment.”

Except for a modest $200 million increase for mass transit, which falls short of the $2 billion a year in increased funding RTA needs, the Governor's proposed capital budget for FY2008 does not include increased funding for infrastructure improvements or new capital funding for airports, rail passenger improvements or the CREATE rail freight congestion program. Further, his proposed capital program only calls for $1.875 billion for highways, a cut of $100 million from this year's level.

Illinois’ last comprehensive transportation funding program was Illinois FIRST, enacted in 1999. The remaining funds under Illinois FIRST were disbursed three years ago. Since 2003, state capital spending for highways and transit has been cut by more than 60 percent ($1.2 billion a year), and the number of miles of state highways repaired and improved each year has dropped from about 1,200 in 2003 to a proposed 360 for 2007.

Without adequate funding, Illinois transportation systems are quickly grinding to a halt. Thousands of miles of highways, roads and bridges are in disrepair, bottlenecked rail lines in northeastern Illinois are affecting regional and national commerce and aging public transit systems, as well as ever worsening congestion on urban and suburban roads, are frustrating commuters.

TFIC is dedicated to working with the General Assembly to ensure the passage this year of a comprehensive transportation infrastructure bill that is sufficient to address the needs of highways, bridges, local roads, freight rail grade separations to relieve urban congestion, inter-city passenger rail, public transit, paratransit and local airport. It is imperative to assure adequate state funds exist to supplement federal dollars allocated for many of the state’s transportation projects.

TFIC is a diverse group of statewide and regional business, labor, industry, not-for-profit and governmental organizations that have joined together in a united and focused effort to support a strong transportation alliance for Illinois. The Coalition takes a comprehensive approach and seeks to speak with one voice for all of Illinois when it comes to transportation funding needs at the federal and state level. This comprehensive approach involves all modes of transportation, including rail, air, water, highways and mass transit.

For more information about TFIC, visit www.TFICIllinois.org.

Note: The bolded text in the article above referes to Senate Bill 572 which has an ammendment in the house which says on page 40 of the ammended bill:

One-third of those taxes collected in DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties under Section 4.03 shall be distributed by the Authority to those counties based on collections of the tax within each county. The County Board of each county shall use amounts it receives from the Authority to fund operating and capital costs of public transportation services or facilities or to fund other transportation purposes, including road, bridge, public safety, and transit purposes intended to improve mobility or reduce congestion in the county and to advance the goals and objectives set out in the Strategic Plan of the Authority.

Okay what does that mean in plain english, if this bill passes and is signed by the Governor. Lake County could potentailly recieve $29 million a year in transportation funding in addtion to what it gets now!

Don't get your hopes up becuause this bill has some nasty little other features that may not pass or may be stricken, but all in all if it does pass, its a sizeable chuck of change for county roads!

The Extended Cedar Lake Road Takes Shape

The extension of Cedar Lake road northwards from where it splits into Bacon is moving along quite swiftly. This picture is at Meadow Lane looking north.

During the construction the process of improving Townline Road will also take place as well. After this process takes place, there will be a "pause" and the extension will then take its next move all the way up to 120, completing the project with signals at Cedar Lake Road and 120, and signals at Cedar Lake and Townline.

Thanks to Lakewood Homes building the first stretch of Cedar Lake Road from 60 and most importantly the improvement of the intersection there, we will have this project completed 4-5 year ahead of when it fell on the Lake County master plan. While it takes a long time anyway this way, the original plan had it being completed in 2012-13 in one fell swoop. I am quite proud of the village's ability to move this project forward quicker then it was supposed to be done.

Breaking News-- My Commute was Normal!

Can you believe it? I still can't! I left at my normal time and drove down Fish Lake Road until Gilmer then drove along Gilmer until Callahan, and then on to Old Gilmer, right on to Gossell to Fairfield, where traffic was backed up from 176 to Bonner, which is sort of longer then usual, but not noticably longer. I arrived at my office in Arlington Heights at my normal time plus 4 minutes!

I am sure many of you may have differnt versions of your commute, feel free to share them in the comments! Be interesting reading to be sure!

NOTE: The comment is correct Allanson was wrong it was Callahan!

More on Gilmer and Fairfield Road Closure Information

The Lake County Department of Transportation has a nice flyer that shows the project and has some more details about the project here. The highlights from the flyer are below

When the project is completed, Gilmer Road will pass over Fairfield Road, allowing free flowing traffic movement at all times. A connector road between the north leg of Fairfield and the west leg of Gilmer will accommodate turning vehicles.

The intersection closure is necessary in order to complete the majority of the construction work in one season. Lake County has scheduled this closure during the summer months, when school is out of session, and is requiring the contractor to work an accelerated and strict schedule in an effort to limit the impact to motorists.

In addition I took the artist's rendering from the flyer and its above showing what's going on when its finished.

Fairfield and Gilmer Road Intersection to Close this Summer

This is a painful post to write since I commute this way to my day job! Here is a great link to the project web page at Lake County Department of Transportation

Lake County travelers who use Fairfield and Gilmer roads near the Village of Wauconda are likely familiar with the traffic jams at this intersection. The Lake County Division of Transportation (DOT) is embarking on an intersection reconstruction project that will ease congestion in this area long-term. However, Lake County asks for residents’ patience during the short-term.

DOT will close the intersection of Fairfield and Gilmer Roads, near the Village of Wauconda, from May 15 through September 15. In an effort to limit the impact on motorists, Lake County is doing this project during the summer months, when school is out of session, and requiring the contractor to work an accelerated and strict schedule. DOT will place supplemental signage near the intersection to raise awareness in advance of the commencement of the project. DOT staff will also hand-deliver informational flyers to motorists in the days leading up to the closure. “Extraordinary measures have been taken on this project to limit the impact on motorists that use this intersection,” Marty Buehler, Lake County Director of Transportation/County Engineer said. “Every effort is being made to complete this construction as quickly as possible so that users can enjoy the benefits of the completed improvement.”

When the project is complete, this intersection will be an overpass allowing Gilmer Road to pass over Fairfield Road. Traffic passing through the intersection will flow freely without having to slow or stop at the intersection as would be necessary with a conventional traffic signal. A connecting road will be constructed between the north leg of Fairfield Road and the west leg of Gilmer Road to allow traffic to travel between Gilmer Road and Fairfield Road.

The intersection will be closed until August 15. Beginning on August 15, Fairfield Road, the west leg of Gilmer Road and the connecting road will be open to traffic. The east leg of Gilmer Road will open to traffic on September 15. Motorists can visit www.lakegov.info/roadwork to learn more about this project, view maps, updates, and detour information.

There will be two detour routes for this project; the Fairfield Road detour will be Illinois Route 60, to Illinois Route 120, Belvidere Road, to U.S. Route 12, Rand Road, to Bonner Road (see map above). The Gilmer Road detour will be Illinois Route 120, Belvidere Road, to Illinois Route 60, to Illinois Route 176.

Townline Closures

Townline Road between Bacon Road and the future Cedar Lake Road is scheduled for construction in late summer of 2007. Currently, Townline Road is a two-lane rural roadway with gravel shoulders and no median.

After construction, Townline Road will be a two-lane urban roadway with curb and gutter and a painted median. A left-turn lane from westbound Townline Road to southbound Bacon Road will be added as well as turn lanes at the intersection of Townline Road and Cedar Lake Road once the Cedar Lake Road project has been completed.

A bike path will be built on the south side of Townline Road to extend the current bike path west and all private driveways and parkways will be restored to their preconstruction state. The estimated cost of construction for this project is $765,000.

Village Road Improvements

It's budget time again in the village, and as part of my preparation I was struck by our road improvement programs over the last few years. As I looked at what we are budgeting for this year. I took a look back at what we have done in the last 6 years we have spent over $5.1 million dollars on road improvements from CDBG funds, MFT funds (special census helps here) and a couple of grants to improve our most needy streets.

At the beginning of my time in office 6 years ago I sat down with the village engineers and directed them to do a comprehensive look at all our street issues and evaluate our streets from worse to best We then planned out a program to focus our money on them in that order. I am proud to say that the trustees and I have stuck to this program through thick and thin.

Most of these roads and streets are in the older sections of town so I was able to get a hold of a map that shows where the road improvements have been done. The center of the map is roughly the train station. I have the map available as a PDF if you want to look at it in a little more detail.

120 Corridor Planning Council Last Night

Last night was a 120 corridor Planning Council Meeting, I am not going to write about the discussion of bylaw changes and discussions on how to get the Request for Proposal funding (RFP) moving, but I am going to include the copy of a letter that I wrote in my capacity as Chair of the 120 CPC to the Daily Herald and other area newspapers last week. This letter was published in the Daily Herald on Monday the 6th.

Get involved with Route 120 planning
The need for improved east-west corridors through Lake County becomes crystal clear as more than 500,000 motorists sit in traffic each day in a county that'’s one of the fastest growing in the state.
In particular, Route 120 from Green Bay Road in Waukegan in the east to the McHenry County line in the west, was identified as the number one priority at last year'’s Lake County Transportation Summit; part of a bipartisan effort to combine Lake County'’s 12 votes in Springfield to more effectively deal with transportation issues.
While the Lake County and Illinois Departments of Transportation pinpointed Route 120 as a critical traffic bottleneck, hundreds of residents also have expressed their concern by speaking at public forums and by posting Web site comments.
A state grant to begin feasibility planning for improving the corridor has recently been approved. The targeted area traverses Waukegan, Libertyville, Gurnee, Wauconda, Mundelein, Hainesville, Round Lake, Round Lake Park, Volo and Grayslake. In addition, we have obtained $2 million in federal funding for engineering.
While support for the Route 120 corridor has been overwhelming, some questions still exist that should be addressed.
First: the Route 120 corridor has no connection to plans for the extension of Route 53 --— an issue that has been shelved in Springfield for lack of a budget and has had a polarizing effect on residents. That said, highways can'’t be built in a vacuum. Existing Route 53 rights-of-way will be considered in the planning of Route 120 in order to save time and taxpayer dollars, and plans must incorporate north-south connections along Route 120, whether or not Route 53 is built. And while all sorts of options are being studied, the possibilities of roundabouts and other ways to speed traffic flow must be considered only in the context of future growth.
Second: although feasibility studies have not yet begun, residents have weighed in with assumptions and dire predictions about the effects of the corridor on area homeowners and visiting wildlife. While the exact location of Route 120 has not been determined, every effort will be made to ensure that the corridor is planned with care and an eye to protecting the quality of life as well as our precious natural resources.
To get the facts about the Route 120 planning and implementation process, we urge you to get involved. Meetings of the Route 120 Corridor Planning Council are open to the public; the dates are posted regularly in this newspaper and on the Web site, www.120now.com.
There, you''ll also find detailed information about the Route 120 corridor. Let's act now to ease traffic congestion and make Lake County a more enjoyable place to live and work.

Sincerely
Bill Gentes
Mayor of Round Lake
Chair, 120 Corridor Planning Council
Member, Executive Committee Lake County Transportation Alliance

Gilmer and Fairfield Construction Update

Significant, long-awaited road improvement underway Work begins on Fairfield and Gilmer Road interchange improvement in southwest Lake County.

The four-way stop sign at the intersection of Fairfield Road and Gilmer Road in the Wauconda area has been the scene of long traffic back-ups during the morning and evening rush hours, and significant residential and commercial development occurring in Wauconda, Volo and McHenry County will only add to the current congestion problem.

Improvements to the intersection that will bring some relief are set to begin with the award of a $9.2 million construction contract to Berger Excavating Contractors, Inc. of Wauconda, according to the Lake County Division of Transportation.

Upon completion in late 2007, the improvement will carry traffic on Gilmer Road on an overpass crossing Fairfield Road. Traffic passing through the intersection on either Gilmer or Fairfield Road will flow freely without having to slow or stop as would be necessary with a conventional traffic signal.

"This is an innovative approach that will help motorists that are currently contending with a great deal of congestion at that location," said Diana O'Kelly, Chair of the Lake County Board Public Works and Transportation Committee. "We are very anxious to complete this improvement and make it available to our residents."

Utility relocation work has been underway for the past several months with road construction starting this fall. Temporary widening of Fairfield Road is necessary to construct a retaining wall this fall and winter on the east-side of the road.

Major traffic impacts due to a three month closure of the intersection will occur beginning in May 2007. The road closure is necessary to allow for excavation work and the construction of a bridge overpass on Gilmer Road.

Lake County structured the construction contract so that the intersection closure would occur over the summer months when school is out of session. The contractor will be required to work an accelerated schedule, including night and weekend work, and will assume the risk of weather-related impacts. Significant financial charges will be assessed daily against the contractor if the road is not opened on schedule.

"We have taken extraordinary measures on this project to ensure that we can limit the impact on motorists," said Marty Buehler, County Director of Transportation/County Engineer. "A project of this size will be a challenge for the commuters in the southwest part of Lake County during rush hour and we are doing what we can to get the project completed quickly".

Hopefully Help is on the Way for 60 and Peterson

Lake County has applied for a permit with the Illinois Department of Transportation to construct left turn lanes on Illinois Route 60 at Peterson Road. There is currently one lane in each direction at that location on Route 60 and it is shared by both left turners and drivers continuing straight through the intersection. One driver making a left turn can hold-up traffic for an entire cycle of the traffic signal.

Lake County is proposing to do the minimum amount of work necessary to add the turn lanes and modify the traffic signal equipment. The work is planned for this fall to help motorists that will need to utilize Illinois Route 60 as an alternate route during construction of the intersection at Fairfield Road and Gilmer Road in 2007.

Results from the Transportation summit

You don't have to rely on my imperfect note keeping at the LCTA Transportation summit last week for the results anymore, because I have a copy linked to this post here. I glanced at them and I was pretty close on all the important ones.

I have a busy day today, speaking today in Rockford, dropping by the Valley Lakes festival, and one other block party. As well as squeezing two soccer games in on TV, thank god for VCR's!

Traffic Woes Coming

I was not going to post today because I was running late this morning, but as I drove to work and sat in traffic I noticed the sign indicating traffic information could be found at www.lakegov.info so when I got to work I went to the site and looked up the project at Fairfield and Gilmer (the one I was sitting at when I saw the sign) interesting site.

This intersection will contain a tunnel when they are done! Imagine that, 4 way stop sign to a tunnel, that's quite the jump in service level! Anyway what I could not find was when the road will shut down because a few months ago I read an article about the date of the shut down, and planned to blog on it, but got sidetracked. I will now be on a mission to find the information and post it here. I have some thoughts on how those of us who commute down Fairfield can avoid the mess as we go South on the 53-less county roads!

Route 53 Editorial

NOTE: This editorial was in yesterday's Daliy Herald and I thought was quite interesting and worth repeating. When I get some more time I am going to discuss this issue in a little more depth.

Public interest in Route 53 extension will not fade A little advice for both sides in the Route 53 extension debate, which has recently resurfaced among Lake County leaders:

Proponents would do well to avoid getting excited about any possibility of this project getting done in the near future. Why? Because the odds against such a development remain overwhelming.

Skeptics and outright opponents, meanwhile, would do well to realize that unless 53 is extended northward eventually, the idea will not simply fade. Why? Because Route 53 as now configured is the very definition of an unfinished project, a glaring impediment to moving north-south traffic effectively through northwest Cook and western Lake counties.

Route 53’s extension has been stalled for decades, blocked for a variety of reasons — some more legitimate than others, none as compelling as the reasons to build it. But its relegation to a dusty “someday in the distant future” file was further assured when the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, citing a lack of consensus among Lake County leaders, left it conspicuously off of its major redevelopment plan announced in 2004.

That’s about the time that Lake County leaders, stung by the criticism of their absent leadership on transportation issues, initiated a laudable drive to prioritize manageable and realistic proposals and to stand united in completing those projects. This process, culminated by an annual transportation summit, has spurred progress on such badly needed projects as a Route 120 bypass and the widening of Route 45. No one involved in this process expected 53 to appear on the agenda. With the toll authority rejecting it and the state having no money for freeways, there was no point wasting time even discussing such a large and expensive undertaking.

But Lake County residents, who know a traffic snarling point when they see it, mentioned Route 53 during public comment periods preceding last week’s annual summit. These public comments came just as state Sen. Jeff Schoenberg began talking about selling or leasing the tollway system. That idea — half-baked though it may be — has spawned hearings, serious debate and, of course, visions of a gold mine to be devoted on a long list of state needs, from pension funding to highway building.

Reasons abound to view a sale or lease skeptically, which does not mean that an administration and legislature desperate for cash won’t implement it anyway after the fall election. Even if they do, though, competing demands will be so intense that there is no good reason to expect that any or enough revenue would be earmarked for Route 53. Hence, the advice for proponents to keep near-term expectations low, very low.

The staunchest critics of the Route 53 extension fear the mere existence of tollway lease talk will breathe new life into an idea they want to kill. But the idea will not die because the extension offers benefits far too obvious. Some opponents argue environmental concerns, which could be addressed. Some argue that an extension would crowd traffic onto arterial roads throughout Lake County, as if scattering most of that traffic throughout Lake County and moving some of it on toward Wisconsin more effectively would be more onerous than the current 53 configuration dumping all of its traffic onto such roads as Dundee, Lake Cook and Routes 12 and 83.

A more legitimate concern is raised by those who worry that injecting Route 53 into the summit process now could siphon time, energy and attention from affordable and doable improvements to arterial roads and innovations that will improve traffic flow now. That would be an unfortunate result. But there’s no serious sign of that occurring. Yes, a majority of participants in last week’s summit voiced support for extending 53, but only on the explicit conditions that it not drain money from smaller projects on the drawing board that no serious planning be done unless, somehow, sufficient money shows up.

Under those conditions, why not reaffirm long-term interest in 53?

Letter to the Editor in Todays Daily Herald

NOTE: This appeared in the letters to the editor in todays Daily Herald. I would love to hear some feedback on the comments section. More then likely I will respond with a counter letter refuting some of the obvious inaccuracies.

Act now to block Route 53, again

Recent events should raise the fears of concerned Lake County residents that recent efforts to “improve” Route 120 have been a ruse to revive the moribund Route 53 extension.

The current plan for Route 120 is essentially the east-west segment of that failed effort. The Route 53 plan failed because it did not address the transportation patterns of the impacted areas of our county very well, and was outrageously expensive.

For decades, the battle over Route 53 has sapped the money and efforts that could have been used to progressively improve the key arterial roads in our county. That is what transportation experts have repeatedly concluded needs to be improved to handle the current and expected traffic flows. Put simply, wasted efforts to force Route 53 through Lake County are why the county’s roads are in the mess they are in now.

At the Sept. 20 transportation summit, your elected officials got the opportunity to “vote” to put Route 53 back on the county’s transportation agenda. This year’s “vote” had the same odor as last year’s rigged vote. The 2005 summit organizers put Route 120 as the lone project in one of five categories, allowing the proponents of a six lane superhighway to make the claim that there was “consensus” that the project should be funded.

Several concerned Lake County residents have been keeping tabs on the Corridor Planning Council as they clumsily disregarded Illinois’ Open Meetings Act requirements such as announcing meeting subjects and locations in advance. CPC leader Bill Gentes even announced that the recent $2 million grant obtained through the efforts of Rep. Melissa Bean would be used to fund Stage 1 Engineering for his pet plan. But doesn’t this skip the legally mandated Feasibility Study and Environmental Impact Statement?

They may seem inconvenient when you are convinced that your plan is the only desirable one, or perhaps when you think nobody is watching.

Or maybe they would highlight the fact that a boulevard alternative proposed by leading planners would handle expected the traffic flow at a lower cost, and without destroying some environmental treasures, and creating a concrete barricade across affected neighborhoods.

Now their true plan is out of the closet. The people who want a plan that will genuinely benefit the area’s current and future residents will now have to swing into damage control.

The momentum that had been started is in danger of grinding into the gridlock of the false choice of Route 53 or nothing.

Contact your municipal, township, county, and state representatives now and tell them that we are tired of this stalemate. Tell them to take 53 off the table now, before the damage multiplies. Your legislators may be red-faced as they realize they were duped, or worse, that their scam has been exposed. But better that they are embarrassed than us all having to endure another 15 or more years of stagnant investment into our transportation infrastructure.

Ted Lazakis
Long Grove

Full Report on the Transportation Summit

Last night was the second annual Lake County Transportation Association Transportation Summit, this year many more elected people attended and many more audience members were there as well. There were roughly 60 elected officials voting. The voting was boiled down to 4 buckets and 2 advisory votes. Follow this link for the ballot. I would also caution you that the project ranking does not prohibit choices that finish lower then first to receive funding; in fact in some cases all projects can receive funding. What we are doing is telling our state representatives what our priorities are in ranking order. I was impressed last year many people had no real concerted idea about what was going on, this year everyone was fully dialed in!

Bucket One-- Projects Ready for Preliminary Engineering
There were 12 projects in this bucket, those that would receive a realistic chance of receiving funding were those that finished in the top six. My vote was for (FW) which was for the Route 60, stretching from Fairfield to 176. This project easily finished in the top 6, although not first, HG did which is Lake Cook to Route 45. I would put the results here, but they divided the projects into 2 brackets and then took the top 10 and re-voted, I was not fast enough with my pen to get all the percentages.

Bucket Two—Projects Ready for Design Engineering
There were only 4 projects ready for this phase the results were easier to capture. My vote was for GE.
33% GF—US 45 from 60 to 21
26% GE—IL60/83 South of 176 to the EJ&E Railroad
25% GC—IL 131 Wisconsin State Line to Sunset Ave
16% GD—Milburn Bypass

Bucket Three—Projects Ready for Construction
This was the good one we had 5 candidates, my vote was for GL, my rationale was this areas traffic flow will improve traffic downstream on 45 and 60
73% GN—US 21 South of IL Route 120 to IL Route 137
12% GL—US 45 Washington to 120
8% GG—IL 83 Wisconsin state line to Petitie Lake Road
3% GJ—US 45 132 to Rollins Road
3% GK US 45 Rollins to Washington

Bucket Four—Regional Corridor Projects
Last year this was the 120 Corridor bypass vote, this year it was US 41 from Delany Road to Lake Cook. My vote was strongly agree.
45%--Strongly Agree
31%--Agree
11%--Neutral
5%--Disagree
8%--Strongly Disagree

Advisory Ballot-- Enhanced Public Transit Service
The next things on the ballot were both advisory votes the first was for Enhanced Public Transit Service. All of these things are quite needed, the one I supported the highest was reverse commuting. The five items on the ballot that we talked about were as follows. The voting moved so quickly that I could not make heads or tails out of my notes this morning.
1. Comprehensive Para-transit
2. Connectivity Rail-Bus/Multi Modal Hubs
3. Express Service Rail-Bus
4. Rail Extensions
5. Reverse Commute.

Advisory Ballot—Route 53
The last advisory was the level of support for Route 53. I voted for strongly agree, considering that we had 60 people voting in the room and the mayors and the township supervisors, and county board members who are “traditionally” anti-53 there were 12 anti 53 votes and 42 pro votes. Overall I was quite pleased with the way this vote went, obviously I would have preferred 100% unanimity, but a consensus of nearly 70% has emerged in my mind.
61%--Strongly Agree
8%--Agree
3%--Neutral
6%--Disagree
21%--Strongly Disagree

Two caveats were added before the vote on 53, which were 53 will not be pursues and the expense of improvements to existing arterials, and 53 will only be pursued if other funding (i.e. toll way privatization) becomes available.

Late Night at the Transportation Summit

I will be blogging a wee bit more today about the results of last night's summit at lunch or so. Long night, with an early rise equals short blog post. The Daily Herald has some nice coverage here.

Lake County Transportation Summit Reminder

September 20, 2006
Lake County Transportation Summit
College of Lake County, Room C-005 (Auditorium)
19351 W. Washington Street Grayslake, IL 60030-1198
6:30 - 9:00 pm
Only Lake County's Local Elected Officials Will Vote Mayors or designated Alderman/Trustee County Board Members Township Supervisor or Township Highway Commissioner.

I have the complete ballot here, any feedback is appreciated as to my votes, I am all ears!

Regional Housing Assessment

NOTE: This was a post from last October which while I was rereading the blog (shamelessly for ideas on what to write this morning) I thought that this illustrates some of the issues facing the county with transportation.

A few weeks ago I attended the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. There were numerous presentations that gave some big picture looks at the six county Chicagoland Area. One of the talks was on a Regional Housing Needs Assessment for the region. I got the presenter to send me the slide show, so I could present it to the Village Board because I thought it was important for them to have this overview in the back of their minds. I gave the presentation a few meetings ago to them and the public as well.

However there were some very telling slides that explain exactly what we are facing in the terms of "where we live" and "where we work" and to me this illustrates the need for transportation improvements which in turn will/should lure employers closer which will then reduce congestion even more.

The first slide below shows the housing increase from 1990-2000 taken from Census records. Round Lake is not as colorful since a vast majority of our growth has taken place since the 2000 census. However the Round Lake Area did grow thanks to Round Lake Beach. You can clearly see the area on the graph below.

The next image (below) is where the jobs are in 2000. You can see that they are either along the 294, Lake Cook corridors or downtown. As an observation the Baxter facility on Wilson and 120 does not even register and they have 2,300 plus jobs there.

If you then take the two pictures and graph them over each other, you get a look at the Housing vs. Jobs mismatch for the decade of the 90's

What does this mean to us? It's something that any resident intuitively understands while commuting or trying to drive anywhere during rush hours. However I think it illustrates the need for the 120 bypass and traffic improvements in the area. The construction of the 120 bypass will attract more business/jobs to the area which will reduce our commutes and ease congestion. However large employers are not coming to our area if they don't have road improvements, so its a catch 22 type of situation. Which is why the next 2-3 years are so important as we try to get the Route 120 bypass off the drawing board and on to the ground.

The Cedar Lake Road Extension

This is an old article from last year, but since I attended a meeting of the Lakewood Orchard HOA last night where the Cedar Lake Road extension was a topic of discussion I thought I would reprint it.

I was asked an excellent question by a Prairewalk Resident named Doug Pentek that I decided to respond to here since I am sure many people have the same questions.

The answer requires a full discussion of the Cedar Lake Road Extension and the plans Round Lake has made for the extension and the plans Lake County are making for it. So thanks to John Gutknecht for the updated map!

First however an overview.

When I took office 4 years ago one of the primary commute methods to Route 60 from Round Lake was 120 to Bacon to 60. Anyone who has lived here longer then 3 years recalls that actually the South end of Bacon was actually more dangerous then the North end. When Lakewood homes was in a first draft stage of the their development we were able to insist that Lakewood homes build the extension of Cedar Lake Road to its present point (#3 of the photo above) from Route 60.

Lake County has on its books the extension of Cedar Lake Road north from 60 all the way to 120. (that's the heavy black line on the map) However money is tight, the project is expensive and referendums for more transportation funds keep failing. So the project is going to be done in stages.

Stage 1 which is the 60 to Bacon Road portion right now is done, only some connection work to the Stage 2 and the cul de sac of Bacon (#5 on the photo)

Stage 2 I am pleased to say will extend north to Townline Road (#2 on the photo) and bids will be going out in October of this year, construction will start in the spring of 2007 and finish in the Fall of 2007. The village is going to improve its portion of Townline Road to Bacon to handle the traffic flow westwards from the T intersection and in front of our new Police and Public Works Facility (#6 on the photo). In attain the village required Neumann Homes and Concord Homes to provide funding to improve and enhance Townline Road East of the intersection all the way to Curran.

Stage 3 is scheduled to be bid out in 2008 and finished in 2009. This is clearly a shame but is a direct consequence of the two failed traffic referendums in the county in the last two years. However when it gets done a traffic light will be built at Townline and Cedar Lake (#2 on the photo), and at 120 and Cedar Lake (#1 on the photo).

So once this all get accomplished Bacon Road will be a cul-de sac on the South End about where it merges with Cedar Lake now (#5 on the photo). There has also been some discussion on making it a dead end on the North End as well.

However to finally get to Mr Pentek's question the state has looked at putting a light at Bacon and 120 and is currently doing a tentative survey of it, but my guess is since within 5 years the need for it will have vanished I am thinking it will not get done. My only advice is don't drive that way, I avoid those intersections if I can.

$2 Million for the 120 Bypass

We got some good news yesterday from our Congresswomen Melissa Bean on the 120 bypass. She was able to get the 120 CPC $2 million for the Phase 1 study in the form of a fiscal year 2007 Federal earmark. The picture is from the press conference where Congresswomen Bean announced the earmark. In the picture I am talking a little about what the congresswomen has done for transportation in the 8th district. She has delivered $30 million for her district which encompasses parts of 4 counties, but $16 million of it has been here in Lake County! There was a nice crowd of Mayors, County Board Members, media and the general public! The Daily Herald had an article about it here, and the News Sun covered it here.

Road Improvements Along 120 and Curran

I have seen some interesting comments about holding developers accountable for traffic issues. Coincidently I got some pictures of the road improvements that we insited on from Pulte and Centerville as a result of their residential and commercial projects. Centerville assumed responsibility for management of the roadwork project. The roadwork was essentially completed on Friday with the final installation of landscaping and grass mat.

I would like to make a couple of comments about past developments that I was involved with and the traffic issues that we held developers accountable for. As a general rule of thumb traffic improvements rank in the top 3 issues we want to address from a potential developer.

• Lakewood Homes-- They were required to do away with Bacon Road, and build from scratch the intersection, the extension of Cedar Lake northwards from 60 and then dedicate the remaining right away for the Cedar Lake Road extension. Off the top of my head Lakewood forked over in excess of $5 million dollars for traffic improvements from 800 homes.
• Madrona Homes-- In some respects we are not seeing the benefit from the traffic improvements from them yet, but hopefully the foresight the village had to make them set aside the 300 foot right away for the 120 bypass comes to fruition. In addtion we also set aside right away for the Cedar Lake Road extension from 120 to Townline Road. In partnership with Neuman Homes at Prairie Walk they also were required to improve Townline road which is a free benefit to District 46's "sometime" new school. I have no idea how much money the right away is, but its substantial based on roughly 800 homes.
  

I do wish that more could be done to route 60 specifically the light at 60 and Petersen. I did get a copy of the Lake County Transportation Plan for 2006-2011, and intersection improvements are slated for 2008. If the counties traffic refererendum had passed the intersection and many other needed improvements would be here much sooner.

Train Station Improvements

One of the goals of my administration has been to improve our Metra station. We have been able to get funding for improvements to the Long Lake Metra Station via a CMAQ grant recently. Hopefully we will be adding over 200 spaces to that station along with a walking path connecting it to Valley Lakes.

We also applied for funding, and got it, via the federal government's Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century provides money for state Transportation Enhancement Programs (ITEP in Illinois). The idea is to enhance transportation systems while building more livable communities and improving the quality of life. NOTE: For the life of me I can't recall how much money we got, its way to early in the morning for that type of thinking!

Davis Clark our Director of Public Works and our Engineering department recently met with IDOT to kick-off the ITEP funded Metra Corridor Beautification and Pedestrian Access project that we recently received funding for.

The scope of work we are comptemplating is as follows:

• Concrete bin and foundation removal.
• Embankment replacement and general grading & leveling and seed the site north of the tracks.
• Extension of paver sidewalk north of the tracks along the west side of Cedar Lake Road.
• Construct an ornamental fence along, and parallel to, the north side of the tracks to prohibit pedestrians crossing at a non-controlled section of the tracks.
• Provide tree and shrub landscaping along the north side of the tracks and possibly additional street lights if necessary.
  

In accordance with the terms of the ITEP fund, the Village can be reimbursed for 80% of the cost for Phase II engineering for the project. However, the village may opt to pay 100% of the engineering which would provide more Federal dollars toward construction and also eliminate the need for an additional agreement to be processed allowing engineering to begin in a more timely fashion. So as you can see the village board has some say on how we proceed and at what speed.

I have a very preliminary concept plan here which might be tough to see but it gives you and idea of what we are thinking about. Please email me at bgentes@eroundlake.com for a copy.

Newspaper Coverage of the Elected Official's Transportation Meeting.

Wednesday night was the elected official meeting at the College of Lake County and there was a lively discussion about priorities for state funding. I can tell you that I spoke up on a couple of areas. Route 60 in general, and 60 & Peterson in particular were the main ones I emphasied.

There was also a lively discussion on transit, where my central points revolved around more parking and double tracking which would give us the ability to run express trains to Chicago on Metra. That would cut an estimated 15 minutes from the 75 minute commute downtown.

In attain under future projects there was a "lively" discussion about Route 53 and its possibility of happening if the state leases or privatized the tollway. Big "if" there however! Of the 800 comments we received from the public comment portion of this process over 20% were about a highway (53) that does not exist. I think its important to at least address the project and get in line if money is to be handed out!

The Daily Herald wrote about the meeting here.

Transportation Day Yesterday, or so it seemed!

I attended three meetings today. Two relating to transportation and the other for the Lake County Municipal league. The major one was the Lake County Transportation Alliance's Elected Official's meeting. We discussed the ballot for the September Transportation summit quite energetically. I was one of the more vocal Mayors along with the Mayors of Buffalo Grove, Gurnee, and Waucounda. The highlight was the discussion of route 53, it seems that the public forums held around the county about traffic issues had roughly 800 formal comments. Over 20% of the comments centered around 53, a road that does not exist. The upshot is that elected officials will vote in September at the summit on 53 in some form. (Not sure what right now!).

The other meeting was of the Lake County Municipal league where I was elected as a Director. Oh boy! More things and meetings to go to! Actually I think this is a very worthwhile organization and am grateful that my peers thought enough of me to ask and then nominate me to be on the Board of Directors.

120 Public Forum is This Wednesday in Hainesville

On Wednesday, May 31st, the Route 120 Corridor Planning Council (CPC) will be hosting a Public Open House from 4 to 7 pm at the Hainesville Village Hall (100 N. Hainesville Rd., Hainesville, IL).

Come find out more about the Route 120 CPC, the study area, and why the council was founded. You will also have an opportunity to review the environmental, transportation, and land use constraints and opportunities mapped to date and speak with Route 120 CPC members regarding the presented information.

Please stop by walk through, and above all, give your comments, this is what it's all about!

In addtion there is the new website at www.120now.com check it out and bookmark it. Since it will be ever evolving!

Route 60 and Petersen Intersection Improvements in 2008

I got an excellent email from a Round Lake resident named Sandy Albers about the intersection of Route 60 and Petersen Road. She asked a variety of questions about some other things, but the question about Route 60 and Petersen comes up a lot so I thought it would be an excellent topic for the blog.

Traffic and lane improvements are coming to the intersection with lane improvements with left turn lanes!

To good to be true? So what's the catch? Not until 2008. Route 60 is a state highway and Petersen is a county road so the two entities are co-managing the project which will cost roughly $6.1 million dollars.

Lake County has a very comprehensive plan to improve highways throughout the county. However it boils down to money as always. I can't say it enough that the failure of the transportation referendum last year stretched out so many needed highway improvements was a huge setback for commuters and businesses throughout the county.

Lake County has a very informative website here covering all sorts of projects and timelines with maps for its 5 year 2005-2010 plan. There are all sorts of maps and information which are well worth your time.

To see a complete 102 page PDF of all highway projects in the county use this link. (60 and Peterson is on page 65 and 66)

Public Forums for Transportation Improvement Projects Scheduled

A series of public forums have been scheduled to gather information as to which transportation improvement projects residents and business leaders would like to see receive high priority funding status.

Information from the hearings will be used to prepare a ballot for the second annual Lake County Transportation Summit, scheduled for September, when local elected officials will vote on prioritizing state highway widening and public transportation projects.

Public forums have been scheduled for the following dates and locations:

• Tuesday, May 23, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Antioch Township Hall, 1625 Deep Lake Rd., Lake Villa Wednesday,
• May 24, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Warren Township Hall, 500 N. O'Plaine Road, Gurnee Thursday,
• May 25, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., at Deerfield High School, 1959 N. Waukegan Rd., Deerfield Saturday,
• June 3, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Wauconda Township Hall on West Bonner Rd., Wauconda. Wednesday,
• June 7, from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. College of Lake County, C-003, 19351 Washington St., Grayslake. Tuesday,
• June 13, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the W.W. Grainger Auditorium, 100 Grainger Parkway, Lake Forest.
  

The 2006 Transportation summit, scheduled for Sept. 20 and sponsored by the Lake County Transportation Alliance, Lake County, the Transportation Management Association of Lake Cook and the College of Lake County, will use input from the public forums to help develop Lake County's 2007 transportation consensus agenda. For more information, visit the Lake County Division of Transportation Web site.

120 and the Rotary!

Yesterday morning I was up early giving a speech to the Libertyville Sunrise Rotary at Lambs Farm, about the 120 bypass and the 120 Corridor Planning Council. There were about 75 members present and I was quite impressed by the level of commitment and dedication of the members. There was a lively give and take about the pressing need for transportation improvements of all kinds throughout the county. I also saw Mayor Tim Perry of Grayslake and Mayor Jeff Hager of Libertyville as well.

It was interesting to hear the feedback from the mostly Eastern side of the county people to traffic improvement in the western end of the county. The business people certainly understood the need to get people to work more efficiently and the ability to compete with Wisconsin and Cook County for businesses and jobs!

The New Cedar Lake Road

The Cedar Lake Road Extension and the plans Round Lake has made for the extension and the plans Lake County are making for it. So using the USGS mapping service and a service called Terraserver I was able to find a 2002 aerial picture of the area. Using my limited graphics experience I labeled 7 key areas in the plan.



First however an overview.

When I took office 4 years ago one of the primary commute methods to Route 60 from Round Lake was 120 to Bacon to 60. Anyone who has lived here longer then 3 years recalls that actually the South end of Bacon was actually more dangerous then the North end. When Lakewood homes was in a first draft stage of the their development we were able to insist that Lakewood homes build the extension of Cedar Lake Road to its present point (#3 of the photo above) from Route 60.

Lake County has on its books the extension of Cedar Lake Road north from 60 all the way to 120. (that's the heavy black line on the map) However money is tight, the project is expensive and referendums for more transportation funds keep failing. So the project is going to be done in stages.

Stage 1 which is the 60 to Bacon Road portion right now is done, only some connection work to the Stage 2 and the cul de sac of Bacon (#5 on the photo)

Stage 2 I am pleased to say will extend north to Townline Road (#2 on the photo) and bids went out in October 2005, construction will start in the spring of 2006 and finish in the Fall of 2006. The village is going to improve its portion of Townline Road to Bacon to handle the traffic flow westwards from the T intersection and in front of our new Police and Public Works Facility (#6 on the photo). In attain the village required Neumann Homes and Concord Homes to provide funding to improve and enhance Townline Road East of the intersection all the way to Curran.

Stage 3 is scheduled to be bid out in 2009 and finished in 2010. This is clearly a shame but is a direct consequence of the two failed traffic referendums in the county in the last two years. However when it gets done a traffic light will be built at Townline and Cedar Lake (#2 on the photo), and at 120 and Cedar Lake (#1 on the photo).

So once this all get accomplished Bacon Road will be a cul-de sac on the South End about where it merges with Cedar Lake now (#5 on the photo). There has also been some discussion on making it a dead end on the North End as well.

Last Night I Attended a Team Lake County-- Economic Development Summit

Last night I went with Dale Multerer, Trustee Sherry Perkowitz, and Trustee Jerry Shaw to the one of the excellent programs that Lake County Partners puts on for economic development. We heard from Dr. John Lewis a Associate Vice President with Northern Illinois universities Regional Development Institute on the results of the second annual "Cost of Doing Business in Illinois"” survey, which revealed good news for Illinois in terms of productivity and cost attractiveness and uncovered some challenges in the manufacturing arena, as well.

We then also heard from Kristi Lafleur the Chief of Staff for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity on what Illinois is doing to retain and attract business to the state. Plus she talked about some of the issues that Dr. Lewis brought up and how the state is moving to meet them.

So what does this mean to Round Lake? Well I was struck by how some of the issues that confront us out here in our southwest quadrant are symptomatic across the state as well, transportation, land use and infrastructure. You only have to pick up the paper and see that Abbott has bought over 500 acres in Kenosha county Wisconsin to see that these issues of transportation and the lack of, the difficultly in reaching infrastructure can be damaging to the state county and regions economy. Because I can guarantee you that Abbott did not buy that property to build a summer cottage.

The Day of Meetings!

It seems like every once in awhile there is a day where all I do is have meetings! Yesterday was such a day. I had a morning meeting at the hall ironing out some issues, then it was off to a meeting with Dick Hilton Director of Lake Counties GIS Department (maps!). For those of you unaware of what the county has for free go to this website right now! There are some really interesting things you can do there. The picture at the left is of the land where Great America currently is! Somewhat changed I would say.

From there it was a dash to the Lake County Department of Transportation where I attended as a spectator the set-up meeting of the 120 Corridor Planning Council's Steering Committee. It was interesting to hear some of the experts thoughts on the 120 process!

Then tonight it was Stormwater Management, I am the municipal representative of the Fox Watershed all with the county representative and County Board member Bonnie Thompson Carter. There are 12 members from the 4 watersheds, its quite interesting at times but quite dull at others. No comments on which it was tonight however!

Lake County Municipal League Legislative Initiative

The crafting of public policy has been compared to making sausage (thats what is going on in the picture by the way), the implication being that the process may not be quite as attractive as the end result and not necessarily to be witnessed by the faint of heart.
Anyway, Round Lake is a Member of the Lake County Municipal League which is a Council of Government (COG) formed under the Illinois Intergovernmental Cooperation Act.
Its members include cities and villages within Lake County as well as the Lake County organization that represents unincorporated areas. The League enables member municipalities to better fulfill their mission through legislative action, training and information sharing.
Municipalities are subject to a wide range of costly state and federal mandates and our civic responsibilities require resources and tools that are only obtainable through the legislative process. In order to deliver vital services to our constituents, the League has developed a Legislative Initiative that outlines and explains its legislative priorities for the upcoming year. The purpose of the initiative is to raise awareness of the challenges Lake County faces with regard to transportation and our fiduciary responsibilities to the taxpayer.
The League works with a variety of municipal organizations including other COGs, the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and the Illinois Municipal League. Our Legislative Committee meets regularly, monitoring the progress of important initiatives. This years legislative committee was Thomas G. Adams Mayor Village of Green Oaks (Chair) Terese Douglass Trustee Village of Grayslake Michael J. Ellis Village Manager Village of Grayslake and Bambridge Peterson Village Administrator of Round Lake.

Executive Summary
Lake County has 644,356 constituents, representing just over 5% of the population of the State of Illinois. In addition to being a large population center, the County serves as a major seat of commerce and is home to a number of large global conglomerates such as Abbott Laboratories and Motorola. There are 367,930 registered voters and 320,367 employees in Lake County. Over $1.5 billion in property taxes were collected in 2004.
To support the future prosperity of our member communities, the League has established the following 2006 legislative goals that recognize the importance of controlling the taxpayer’s burden, enhancing economic development opportunities and improving our quality of life:

• Obtaining funding for certain unanimously endorsed Lake County consensus transportation initiatives. Improve the pension funding process, with special attention to controlling the impact on taxpayers.
  
• Secure legislation for certain administrative reforms regarding motor fuel tax funds that will cut costs for both the State of Illinois and local governments.
  
• Restore dedicated funds to their intended purposes and previous funding levels.
  
• Include school districts in the discussions of the Local Government Consolidation Commission.

Sponsorship of needed initiatives and support of our proposals as listed in the 2006 Lake County Municipal League Legislative Initiative will be greatly appreciated. So when you see a statelegislatorr tell them about these issues.

For those of you with an intense interest in the document, I will email you a PDF of it. Since I know I mentioned schools, loyal reader Tim L. will be asking for it I ought to just send it to him now! Lets see if he gets down this far on the article!

Lively Day on the Comments Section of the Blog

There were some interesting comments on yesterdays post about the 120 Bypass Corridor Planning Council and my comments as chairman. I mentioned 3 phrases Consensus, East-West Transportation Solution and Optimism that I thought are going to be key to getting the 120 bypass built. I also used the word inevitable, for a variety of reasons. I believe this word to be an accurate reflection of this project. With the growth over the entire county we need projects like this to accommodate the projected 2030 flows of traffic. If something is not done to address the problems with traffic and the lack of east-west transportation in the county we will suffer, with increased commuting time, less jobs nearby, less companies locating in Lake County, and a general slowing of all economic indicators and progress throughout the county. So for that reason I do think its inevitable that the 120 bypass will be built. We as residents eventually would force elected officals to take action.

Your elected federal, state, muncipal and county officals have gotton on board and are working together to move this forward. However the only way to get this done is hard work, and spending time ironing out the details making this the best project it can be. I believe that we as a community need to sit in the front seat, preferably in the drivers seat rather then in the back seat and wait for others to accomplish it for us.

Its Alive! The 120 Corridor Planning Council is Live!

The organizing meeting for the 120 Corridor Planning Council was tonight. I hosted it at the new Police and Public Works facility. It was very well attended, with the Mayors of Grayslake, Round Lake, Round Lake Park, Hainesville, Gurnee, Waucounda and Mundelein all attending or having representatives there. In addition County Board Chair Suzi Schmidt and the other 4 board members were there as well. The communities of Park City, Volo and Waukegan were unable to have there mayors attend. There were about 30 people in the audience.

The meeting was mostly all organizational with the adoption of bylaws and election of officers. I was elected Chairman, with County Board Member Diana O'Kelly as Vice Chair (she is the Chair of the county boards transportation committee and is an excellent fit), and Mayor Tim Perry of Grayslake was elected Treasurer.

I am very excited about the whole process and over time and it will take time, we are going build this needed transportation improvement. Of course I made some remarks which I will post below, with some edits for clarity.

I want to thank everyone on the council for there confidence in me. When I was thinking about what to say, there were three phrases that jumped out at me

• The first was "“Consensus" --—10 Municipalities and a substantial part of the county board leadership are here today and back the eventual construction of this needed traffic improvement. This is truly impressive and shows the importance we attach to transportation improvements.
• Second is the "East-West Transportation Solution"”-- this project is about exactly that, East-West, not North-South and specifically not 53.
• Third is "Optimism" the Route 120 bypass will get built, I doubt all of us would be sitting here, and staring ahead at a project of this magnitude and timeline if it were not because we are optimistic about the inevitability of this project taking place.
  
• There are many different ideas on how the road should end up. All of these ideas will and should be evaluated by our committee structure and the best solution will emerge. I think we can all promise that they will be heard and evaluated.

Obviously there will be much more happening in the future and of course you will be hearing quite a bit about it when those things happen!

A Driving Hurry! To fix our traffic problems!

Today is a busy one for me, at 10 I am attending a board meeting for the Lake County Transportation Alliance (LCTA) where I am on the executive committee, then in the evening is the initial organizing meeting for the 120 Bypass Corridor Council. More on that in Thursdays post I would imagine. By the way I have had 33 posts that have the word transportation in it in the last few months....gee I wonder why?

Some background on the Lake County Transportation Alliance
How many times have we heard from State Officials that there is no perceived agreement on priority transportation projects in Lake County? We lose out on funding to other counties that have an organized, single voice advocating for transportation improvements.

As you may recall, the transportation projects voted on at the Transportation Summit were either identified during the seven public hearings conducted by Lake County in the Fall of 2004 and or developed from the 10-year Lake County Road Improvement Plan or during the first Lake County Elected Officials'’ Meeting convened on July 13, 2005 by State Senator Terry Link, State Rep. Kathy Ryg, Lake County Board Chair Suzi Schmidt, Lake County Chair of the Public Works and Transportation Committee Diana O'Kelly, and Mayor Elliott Hartstein of Buffalo Grove.

In order to keep Lake County's transportation needs in front of our legislators, we've set up a new organization to spearhead transportation advocacy. This new membership organization is called the LCTA and among other things, LCTA will develop an Annual Action Plan, work with State and Federal Officials to support them in their efforts to secure transportation funding, and convene an Annual Transportation Summit to develop the next year'’s Consensus Transportation Agenda.

Despite LCTA's very recent establishment, we've already begun taking action. We've already provided Governor Blagojevich and Illinois DOT'’s Executive Director, Tim Martin with a letter detailing Lake County's FY 2007 Transportation Agenda. The signatories include State Senator Terry Link, State Rep. JoAnn Osmond, Lake County Board Chair Suzi Schmidt, and LCTA Chair JoAnn Eckmann.

LCTA is forming the Route 120 Corridor Planning Council to advocate for the Route 120 Bypass, the top regional transportation planning priority identified at the Summit. Twelve communities and the County are on board working cooperatively to pursue a $340,000 Illinois Tomorrow Planning Grant.

The Regional Picture for Lake County

The Economic Development arm of the county is a highly effective organization that has slowly been positioning the county to solve many of the underlying problems with our economic base. This organization called Lake County Partners recently retained Deloitte & Touche Consulting to segment its business attraction and retention markets based on the Lake County's strengths and weakness (labor force, site, building availability, cost of doing business, quality of life, business climate, etc.).

• A large concentration of Lake County's resident worker force lives in the northwest quadrant (North of Rte. 60 to the Wisconsin Line, west of Route 21 to the McHenry County line) of the county; they go to work in the southeast quadrant of the county.
• 90 to 95% of these communities' EAV is residential based; the fastest growing non-residential uses in this area are retail and personal services, which pay at the lower end of the wage and salary scale.
• 60% of Lake County's existing businesses require only a high school degree for entry level positions; therefore, Lake County is a net importer of these entry level workers.
• 70,000 Lake County residents with a BA degree or higher exit Lake County daily for work because there are not jobs requiring their skills or knowledge in Lake County so we are a net exporter of knowledge workers;
• There is a dearth of large improved shovel-ready sites for new professional office and industrial locations;
• The greatest opportunity to develop shovel-ready sites is in the central portion of the northwest quadrant;
• The prime barrier to these sites being developed is the lack of a transportation infrastructure that would allow companies to cost effectively move components and workers in and out of the area.

• Deloitte & Touche, and the 120+ Lake County public and private business leaders were involved in the process and they identified bio/pharma corporate headquarters, R&D and professional back-office operations; medical diagnostic equipment/services headquarters, R&D and professional back-office support operations; Professional, Technical, IT, FIRE and Logistical Services' divisional/corporate headquarters and back office support operations as Lake County's target industries.
• These industries are projected to grow faster than the projected average growth rate for all industries, for the next 10 years.
• Deloitte & Touche cautioned Lake County's public and private leadership that its long-term economic future was tied to its ability to redress its transportation system deficiencies and the lack of shovel ready sites.
• The State of Wisconsin and Southeast Wisconsin have targeted the same industries that Deloitte & Touche identified as Lake County's growth industries. They have re-structured their incentive programs to attract these industries and are in the process of finalizing the development of Prairies Wood corporate Park, a 500+ acre improved business park at the Rte 165 Exit of I-94 less than 3 minutes off the Interstate, where companies can efficiently transport raw materials, components, finished goods and labor into and out of the area.
• During peak commute periods; from the Gurnee and Grand Ave. I-94 on-ramp it can take a Lake County resident commuting to his or her job in the Route 137, 60, 22 and Lake Cook corridors 45 to 60 minutes to get to their desk; by heading north from the same on-ramp, those same Lake County residents can be at their desk in the new Prairie Wood Corporate Park at the I-94, Rte 165 off ramp, in 15 minutes.
  

These are some interesting facts about the county but a lot of them revolve around traffic improvements, which I believe is the single biggest issue in this county today.

Lake County Transportation Alliance Elected Officials Meeting Last Night

Last night I attended the Lake County Transportation Alliance Elected officials meeting with about 50 other Lake County Elected officials. It was interesting as we talked about the progress we have made since the transportation summit held back in September. I have a slide show available of about 670kb so if anyone is interested in seeing the outline feel free to email me at bgentes@eroundlake.com and I will be happy to send it to you. I will be writing a little bit more about some of the outcomes and things that have been going on "transportation-wise".

Regional Planning Board Started for Chicagoland 6 County Area

The Regional Planning Board was created through legislation that unanimously passed both houses of the Illinois General Assembly and was signed into law by Gov. Rod Blagojevich on August 8, 2005. The RPB will combine the previously separate transportation and land-use planning agencies for northeastern Illinois into a single entity designed to protect natural resources and minimize traffic congestion as the seven-county region plans for the 21st Century and beyond.

The new agency will combine the Chicago Area Transportation Study (CATS) and the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC). CATS has been the federally designated metropolitan planning organization since 1955, and NIPC has been the region'’s comprehensive planning agency since 1957.

The Lake County Representative is Elliot Hartstein Mayor of Buffalo Grove. He is quite energetic and will be an excellent representative for our county.

Article in Saturdays's Daily Herald

Rt. 120 bypass will be built, mayor assures

By Jason King
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Saturday, November 05, 2005

Two central Lake County mayors hope to capitalize on an emerging consensus to improve Route 120.

Round Lake Mayor Bill Gentes and Grayslake Mayor Tim Perry are leading an effort to create a corridor planning council for the road. They say it would do much of the groundwork for the desired improvements.

“The first phase of a road program is called the ‘phase one engineering.’ It maps out the corridor, gets the logistics out of the way. It’s a big picture look, if you will,” Gentes said. “That’s what we want to accomplish.”

In September, during a transportation summit staged by the Lake County Partners, work on the Route 120 bypass emerged as the main desired regional road improvement.

Perry said there’s a good reason for that.

“Grayslake and Round Lake are the most directly impacted. But it’s not just those residents getting bogged down in traffic, it’s the entire county,” he said. “It impacts every business in central Lake County, as well as the rest of the county.”

Gentes said the planning council ideally would consist of leaders from 11 communities along Route 120 and the proposed bypass, along with the five county board members whose districts include the road.

The bypass would be a four-lane divided highway running about 7.5 miles between Wilson and Almond roads south of Route 120. Cost estimates range up to $500 million.

Gentes said each municipality would pony up $5,000 to get the effort rolling and be expected to make its professional staff available for the project.

Most of the municipalities contacted have indicated they’d join the council, Gentes said.

“If we come up with every community on the corridor, every county board member and we’re all saying ‘yes’ and present it to our legislators and banged the public relations drum, it would be very difficult for the state to not put that very high on the priority list,” he said.

Perry said the need for improving Route 120 is too important for decision-makers to ignore.

“Transportation is the No. 1 impediment to the expansion of the local economy and our nonresidential tax base,” he said. “If business users identify that they can’t move goods, services, employees or customers through the area, they could make the decision to hopscotch over Lake County.”

Gentes said he expects the council to begin its work in January, with an eye toward presenting its information to the Illinois Department of Transportation and local legislators next fall.

“I think all of us speaking together in one voice will cause Lake County to get our fair share (of transportation funding),” he said. “The Route 120 bypass will be built.”

Congestion (and I don't mean the flu!) 2005 with a dollop of Housing!

A few weeks ago I attended the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. There were numerous presentations that gave some big picture looks at the six county Chicagoland Area. One of the talks was on a Regional Housing Needs Assessment for the region. I got the presenter to send me the slide show, so I could present it to the Village Board because I thought it was important for them to have this overview in the back of their minds. I gave the presentation a few meetings ago to them and the public as well.

However there were some very telling slides that explain exactly what we are facing in the terms of "where we live" and "where we work" and to me this illustrates the need for transportation improvements which in turn will/should lure employers closer which will then reduce congestion even more.

The first slide below shows the housing increase from 1990-2000 taken from Census records. Round Lake is not as colorful since a vast majority of our growth has taken place since the 2000 census. However the Round Lake Area did grow thanks to Round Lake Beach. You can clearly see the area on the graph below.

The next image (below) is where the jobs are in 2000. You can see that they are either along the 294, Lake Cook corridors or downtown. As an observation the Baxter facility on Wilson and 120 does not even register and they have 2,300 plus jobs there.

If you then take the two pictures and graph them over each other, you get a look at the Housing vs. Jobs mismatch for the decade of the 90's

What does this mean to us? It's something that any resident intuitively understands while commuting or trying to drive anywhere during rush hours. However I think it illustrates the need for the 120 bypass and traffic improvements in the area. The construction of the 120 bypass will attract more business/jobs to the area which will reduce our commutes and ease congestion. However large employers are not coming to our area if they don't have road improvements, so its a catch 22 type of situation. Which is why the next 2-3 years are so important as we try to get the Route 120 bypass off the drawing board and on to the ground.

Observations and Clarifications on Traffic Improvements in the Area.

I have noticed a variety of comments to some of my posts on the 120 bypass and decided that rather then answering them piecemeal I would answer them in one larger post.

Since the day I moved here I have been keenly aware of the need for some form of major traffic relief and minor traffic relief as well. The original idea and concept I read about was the route 53 extension. The right of ways and the plans had been bought and studied for nearly 50 years, municipal support was and still is overwhelming. The political realities of the last 20 years in this county have precluded any concerted effort to get the route 53 extension here. Its useless to point fingers and have recriminations now. I don't think the Route 53 bypass will get done in my lifetime. But it is wonderful to have 98% of the county on board with the 120 bypass now!

As many of you know this county for some reason voted down two transportation referendums in the last few years that would have provided over $100 million dollars of infrastructure improvements to the county. I believe this referendum could have gone a long way to improving traffic flow in the county. However it failed and more then likely the county board will never put it on the ballot again because they will be on the next few ballots, but that's politics!

I won't go into the recent transportation summit issues because I have already covered it here and here. However I would like to outline what the village has done for traffic inside its borders.

Cedar Lake Road Extension (article here)
When the village was considering the Lakewood homes annexation we recognized that traffic would be a major issue so we insisted that Lakewood build one third of the counties proposed extension of Cedar Lake south from 120 to 60. This would do away with the ultra dangerous intersection of 60 and Bacon. The Cedar Lake Road extension project is being phased and ultimately will provide a huge traffic relief to North and South commutes. The cost to the taxpayer and the village was zero, Lakewood paid for all the intersection improvements at 60 and Cedar Lake, and the improvements all along the mile long stretch of road.

Traffic Intersection at 60 and Fairfield
We worked closely with the county and state on this project. Even though it was not in the village we were able to illustrate the needs and wishes of our residents. Its certainly a lot better then a 4 way stop sign that it was.

Traffic Intersection at Wilson and 134
Again we worked with the state and county to illustrate the needs for traffic flow management here.

Intersection Improvements at Fairfield and 134
With the new commercial area at this corner (CVS corner) we were able to make the developer improve the turn lanes and make traffic flow smoother through the area. The intersection already had a light but enhanced turn lanes and signals make it easier to manage.

Signalized Intersection at 134 and Cedar Lake
This is one where we made a mistake, the board voted to not allow the state to develop a light there. Then Trustee Kohlmeyer convinced a majority of her colleagues that it would adversely affect some of the businesses in the area. I think we made a mistake here, but that's why we elect people to decide things.

Intersection of Fairfield and Nippersink
When the Valley Lakes PUD was completed in 1997 it had a $400,000 fund set aside for intersection improvements as they related to the Valley Lakes development. When there were a variety of accidents and a fatality at this intersection the board unanimously voted to seek a partnership with Avon Township, Lake County and ourselves to put up a temporary traffic light two-three years in advance of the counties programmed construction of such an intersection and use the $400,000 as our share of the proceeds for the construction.

We recognized that a business was on the corner of the SW side and we attempted to work closely with them and the property ownership to plan the transition including offering planning assistance to move the bins out of the right of way where they currently exist.

This has suddenly become a political hot potato so I won't go into the details, but we will get it done and this intersection will have all the needed intersection improvements which will improve the flow of traffic.

Signals at Rosedale and Cedar Lake Road
We have been able to get funding from the state for a traffic signal at this busy intersection that serves the Round Lake High School. I don't have all the details as to when it will be installed but we will update when I have more information.

The 120 Bypass
This plan stretches from Wildwood and 120 where existing Route 120 narrows to 2 lanes, to Wilson Road near Baxter. The plan flows south of existing 120 and will go over train tracks and avoid the choke points in Grayslake, it will then angle up and through Madrona homes where we have a 300 foot corridor planned for it. There are 4 exits and entrances, Route 45, Allegheny, Fairfield and Wilson. If you want to visualize what it will look like it should be similar to the stretch of highway between 94 and Hunt Club Road on current Route 120.

I am sure I am forgetting some of the improvements but my fingers are getting tired so I will blog and addendum at some later point.

120 Corridor with Townline and Wildspring on the side!

I have received numerous questions regarding the path of the 120 corridor as it runs through our town. Particularly its path through Madrona Homes. This link to a PDF on the village website which also details the construction timelines for the Wildspring and Townline road improvements has the actual 120 bypass corridor marked out as it passes through Madrona.

Eventually we will get a picture from our engineers that shows the actual route as it moves across the county so you can get a handle on exactly how vital this project is to transportation and job creation here in the Round Lake Area, but sadly I could not find anything on my laptop this morning that fills the bill.

I would also point out that the village actively reviewed Madrona Homes marketing materials at numerous times over the last few years and had mystery residents "shop" the models to make sure that Madrona was accurately portraying what may happen in the future to that large grassy corridor behind some residents homes. I do realize that there will be people who are unaware or will claim they are unaware of what was happening behind them! We did try to make it as open as possible.

Report on the Transportation summit

We took a big step forward with the Transportation summit yesterday! There were about 130 attendees and a very bipartisan spirit of cooperation. The good news was and is, that the 120 bypass has emerged as the "big" project that we are all going to support.

However we heard that the road forward is going to be tough, the average 4 lane cross section of highway is $12 to 15 million dollars per mile. I would name names of the people that I saw but this entry would get way to long. The best news was 11 of the 12 members of the Lake County state delegation were on hand!
There are some articles that cover it better then I do here Daily Herald and Chicago Tribune. The picture above is (L to R) State Representative Kathy Ryg, Joanne Osmond, Mayor Ila Bauer and Lake County Board President Suzi Schmidt.

Today is the Transportation Summit Day!

Why is Lake County always in last place when it comes to securing Federal, State and Tollway $$'s for the construction of major Highway/Transportation Infrastructure capacity additions and/or enhancements? Because as a community of business, governmental and civic leaders, we have been unable to speak with one voice on highway add-lanes projects with our Congressional, State General Assembly, County Board and Municipal Leaders, unlike other Chicago Metropolitan Counties. Our goal at tomorrow's Transportation Summit , which will be held at the College of Lake County's Auditorium from 8:00 AM to Noon, is to change that.

Highlights will be participation from the State's Transportation Infrastructure Leadership, General Assembly Leadership, County Board Leadership and Municipal Leadership in tomorrow's Summit; all you have to do is show up and let your vote be counted. At the end of tomorrow's session, we will present a unified Transportation Agenda to Lake County's Legislators - our Congressional reps, General Assembly Leadership, County Board Leadership and Municipal Leadership, that they can work together on to secure funding in the Spring/Fall 2006 Session - 4 Projects (one needing construction monies, one needing engineering design/right of way acquisition funding, one needing planning monies and one regional project needing planning/consensus building monies) .

Our goal is to hold a Joint Transportation Goal Setting Summit Annually, but it all starts tomorrow and we need you to show up and vote so our governmental leaders understand your concerns about moving goods, materials and employees in and out of Lake County.

Attendees will be Lake County business and community leaders, as well as Lake County residents in business and professional associations that share your interest in effecting meaningful transportation improvements in Lake County. It will be a long, incremental journey to attain transportation congestion relief, unfortunately it is the nature of the beast. We have to start somewhere and I encourage you to be part of our efforts to kick-start the journey tomorrow. Thanks!

120 Coverage in the Chicago Tribune

Got some coverage in Today's Chicago Tribune on the 120 bypass issue. Front page of the Metro section.

Illinois 120 bypass plan could be a team effort Traffic woes prompt countywide summit

By Robert Channick, Special to the Tribune
Published September 13, 2005

A decades-old plan to alleviate east-west traffic may soon hit the fast lane if the efforts of some Lake County officials are successful.

Grayslake and Round Lake simultaneously approved resolutions last week supporting construction of a new four-lane road, joining the County Board and other municipalities along the bottlenecked corridor that back the project. Officials hope to use a countywide transportation summit Thursday to build momentum for an Illinois Highway 120 bypass from Waukegan to Volo.

"There's no transportation east and west in this county that isn't a two-lane road," said Round Lake Mayor Bill Gentes. "Traffic is choked up here. We're all getting to this point where enough is enough, we have to do something, and the 120 bypass is clearly the thing we need to do."

Narrowing to two lanes just west of the Tri-State Tollway, Illinois 120 traffic often grinds to a halt for miles in both directions during rush hour, due in part to booming residential development along the once-bucolic central Lake County route, according to Gentes.

Gentes and Grayslake Mayor Tim Perry say they expect to have 60 letters of support in hand before the summit, scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon at the College of Lake County in Grayslake.

More than 3,000 business and government leaders have been invited to the event, which is designed to prioritize county road projects to accelerate funding and construction.

Representatives of the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority are also scheduled to participate, and local officials hope they will respond to a unified message.

"One of the problems we were hearing from the funding sources at the state level, the tollway and the federal level was that we never presented them with projects that had the backing of the community and the region," said state Rep. Kathy Ryg (D-Vernon Hills). "We really were missing out on the funding for our roadway improvements because of our lack of consensus."

Born in the wake of the county's failed April sales-tax increase for a laundry list of road improvements, the summit has a goal of voting on three or four targeted projects annually, according to organizers.

"In order to get projects of regional significance, you've really got to form a consensus," said David Young, president of Lake County Partners, the not-for-profit economic development corporation that planned the summit. "The Highway 120 bypass appears to be emerging as the next big regional project."

An offshoot of the proposed Illinois Highway 53 extension, which stalled several years ago over the objections of several communities along the north-south route, the bypass would likely jut south near Wildwood and reconnect with Illinois 120 on the western end of the county. Support has been widespread, according to officials.

"It is nice to see communities that may not look like they're immediately impacted by a road project come on board with it," Perry said. "I think that speaks volumes about how everybody understands the nightmare that is traffic congestion in Lake County."

Expected to cost more than $100 million, the project should not require additional tax dollars, backers say.

"We anticipate this being paid for out of existing tax dollars," Perry said. "We get back pennies on the dollar for what we already pay in, with a disproportionate amount being spent Downstate. It would be nice to see a few more dollars flow back to the area."

While the bypass is expected to accommodate traffic demands for the year 2030, proponents hope to have it running a couple of decades sooner. Importantly, much of the right of way for the new road has been obtained, according to officials.

"In Grayslake and Round Lake, we have developments that have been around for years that have this giant 300-foot strip right through the middle of them, where the 120 bypass is coming," Gentes said.

South of the Grayslake Metra station, the upscale Village Station Townhomes feature a long row of back porches that look out over the open fields from which they sprouted. On village planning maps, however, the bean crop would eventually yield to the designated bypass at the center of a 900-acre mixed-use development.

"People who think they have an enormous back yard now, in the future may not," Gentes said.

I am attending the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Today and Tomorrow

I have been looking forward to this event for some time. The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus is sponsoring a retreat entitled "“I Have A Town to Run. Why Should I Care About the Region?"” To give you a quick overview of the program I have distilled the agenda to its basics for you here.

Welcoming Remarks
The Honorable Richard M. Daley

"“New Realities for Chicagoland"
Bruce Katz Vice President and Director Metropolitan Policy The Brookings Institution

Governing As A 21st Century Mayor: The Times They Are A Changing
Paul M. Green, Director, School of Policy Studies
Arthur Rubloff Professor of Policy Studies Roosevelt University
Political Analyst, WGN Radio

Exercising the Region'’s Political Clout
Washington and Springfield Insiders will discuss how the region'’s Mayors can collectively affect federal and state policy on key municipal issues.

The Caucus Priority Issues: Why You Should Care
Several prominent regional leaders will discuss the value of Mayors working together to resolve issues that affect the region'’s overall quality of life. Topics will include clean air, education reform, housing and regional land use and transportation planning.

Tales from the Trenches
Three of the region'’s longer-serving Mayors will provide light hearted perspectives on why they believe in collaborating at the regional level and how it has benefited them as elected officials.

Issuing A Challenge: Get Involved
John McCarron, Urban Affairs Writer and Adjunct Professor,
Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism

The retreat is underwritten by the MacArthur Foundation

The Drive for the 120 Bypass Heats Up

Tim Perry the Mayor of Grayslake and I have taken the steps of asking all taxing bodies in Lake County to pass the following resolution in support of the 120 bypass in preparation for the upcoming transportation summit here in Lake County. We sent a letter signed by both of us explaining our feelings and including the resolution below for them to pass. We have received overwhelming support as resolution after resolution has been passed and been mailed to our offices.

We believe that a result of the upcoming transportation summit will be the united front from municipalities, the county and state officials to make the 120 bypass the number one issue for the county to get accomplished in the next few years.

RESOLUTION SUPPORTING
THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW ROUTE 120 HIGHWAY
BETWEEN McHENRY COUNTY AND THE CITY OF WAUKEGAN

WHEREAS, Central Lake County and McHenry County are, and will continue to, experience growing traffic congestion, and

WHEREAS, a major cause of congestion is lack of road capacity on Illinois Route 120, and

WHEREAS, this Illinois Route 120 congestion in increased traffic congestion, severely impacts the travel for the transport of our student body at School District 127, and

WHEREAS, this Illinois Route 120 congestion results in increased traffic congestion throughout the Lake County road network as traffic seeks alternative routes, and

WHEREAS, this Illinois Route 120 congestion and the resulting congestion throughout the Lake County road network adversely limits road access in McHenry County, and

WHEREAS, these conditions severely and adversely impact the quality of life of the residents of Lake and McHenry counties and the regions'’ travelers who use the area'’s road network, and

WHEREAS, these conditions harm existing businesses and hamper the creation of new businesses in northeastern Illinois, thereby reducing economic activity and job creation, and

WHEREAS, based on forecasted population growth, these existing conditions will grow substantially worse in the next 20 years, further harming our quality of life and the area'’s economy,

State of the State via the Illinois Chamber of Commerce

I get tons of mail, letters, magazines and other stuff every day. While I make a good faith effort to read or at least scan everything that resides in my inbox. I sometimes find things that are useful in a broader sense. Here are some things that the President of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce Doug Whitley wrote in his most recent e-blast to his members.

PLEASE NOTE: I am bolding the times he refers to the statewide need for
A) transportation and B) education.

• Employment statistics in the first half of 2005 have provided proof that Illinois has finally started to experience the economic recovery that began emerging two years ago in other parts of the nation.
• The most important long-term challenge for our state is creating jobs and nurturing prosperity for Illinois’ citizens. A strong economy goes a long way towards resolving many civic, social and political issues that challenge our communities.
• A fundamental premise to sustained economic growth is recognizing capital investments are neither limited to nor captive of state boundaries. Investors and employers have choices that may not include Illinois unless they have confidence Illinois offers a competitive return on investment.To grow the Illinois economy, policy makers must be attentive to improving key elements that affect the cost of doing business: labor, energy, transportation, taxation, regulation and access to capital.
• Workforce development is critical. One of Illinois’ most appealing economic strengths has long been a work ethic that contributes to higher worker productivity than in other locales.
• A knowledge-based economy requires investment in education and an intellectual environment that welcomes entrepreneurial-spirited individuals. Vibrant economies encourage risk-takers and help new ventures become successful.
• Illinois is home to several high quality research institutions from Argonne Laboratory to the University of Illinois. These institutions are prized engines that can help propel the state’s economy through basic research and commercializing results from their work.
• We truly invest in Illinois if we encourage research and development activities, honor patent filings, praise science prize-winners, and continually focus on graduating a better educated population. The intellectual talent Illinois educates, retains and attracts will be a differentiating factor in our future economic success.
• Another cornerstone of Illinois’ economy is our central location in the nation. Highways, waterways, airways and railroads contribute greatly to our economy. During the last decade warehousing and logistics companies were among the state’s fastest growing employers.
• Businesses located in Illinois are well positioned to serve a huge portion of the North American market place in a timely manner. Chicago’s O’Hare Airport is a gateway to the world’s markets. Whether it is for people or goods, Illinois terminals are conveniently accessible for the exchange of inter-modal transportation services.
• Preeminence in transportation depends on continued investment in infrastructure improvements to assure speedy and efficient mobility of people, commodities, goods and services. Congestion threatens our economy because it is the greatest deterrent to Illinois’ future as a transportation hub.
• Illinois is a great exporter. We export grain, energy, machinery and services. What we must not export is human capital. To grow jobs we need to invest in education and infrastructure, promote industries where we have strategic advantages and establish a pro-business climate that nurtures entrepreneurial businesses so they will invest and grow in Illinois. It is in our common interest to make Illinois the home of successful and profitable employers.

Eleven bullet points and 9 of them mention education and or transportation.

Reminder to taxpayers: second installment of property taxes due September 6

Lake County residents should be aware that the second installment of their real estate taxes is due Tuesday, September 6. By Illinois State Statute, any payment received after the due date must include a 1.5% penalty. Please note, homeowners will not receive a mailed notice for the second installment. Payment options include payment via U.S. Mail, in person at most Lake County banks and in person at the Lake County Treasurer's Office, 18 N. County Street, Waukegan. Those paying at a bank must have an original or copy of their tax bill. Taxpayers may also make payments online by credit card at this site. There is a convenience fee charged by the credit card company for those paying online.

Two drop-boxes are also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for property tax payments. Those using either of the drop-boxes must pay via check and should include their tax bill stub in a sealed envelope. One drop-box is located at the northeast entrance of the Lake County Courthouse and Administrative Complex, 18 N. County Street, Waukegan. The second drop-box is at the Lake County Division of Transportation, 600 W. Winchester Road, Libertyville, a half block west of Milwaukee Avenue. Follow the Division of Transportation sign, and then look for "Collectors Drop Box"sign.

For the convenience of those residents paying at the Treasurer's Office, the office will have additional hours on Saturday, September 3, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon and on Tuesday, September 6, from 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM. Regular office hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

For more information, contact Lake County Treasurer Robert Skidmore's office by phone at (847) 377-2323 or visit the Treasurer's website at www.co.lake.il.us/treasurer.

CMAQ Grant and the Long Lake Station

Yesterday's passage of the large federal transportation bill should be bringing a few million dollars to the Village of Round Lake. We applied for a CMAQ grant (the Congestion mitigation Air Quality grant) two years ago in a partnership with Lake County, Grant Township and Metra. Unfortunately the first go round of the request for funding Metra decided at the last minute not to include this project in the funding (conveniently forgetting to tell myself and Lake County Board Member Bonnie Thompson Carter until after the submittal date infuriating the two of us!). The second go round was much more successful after Bonnie and I "encouraged" Metra to prioritize the project.

The thinking and basic facts behind the application for the grant was as follows:

1. The Long Lake Metra Station (number 2 on the map above) has roughly 40 parking spots, and residents were complaining about cars being parked on the grass(number 3 on the map above) and illegally along Long Lake Drive.
2. The intersection of Long Lake Drive and 134 (number 4 on the map above) is very dangerous, in fact a few years ago thier was a fatality there.
3. Valley Lakes Neighborhood 13 was located across the street (number 1 on the map above). This was a single family neighborhood platted for 28 homes in the Valley Lakes PUD.

The concept we came up with was for Metra to purchase neighborhood 13 from Pritzer (Valley Lakes Development company owners) and create a parking lot for the station across the street from the station, replacing the 28 homes scheduled to be built at some point on the site. In addtioin the station would be remodeled and improved on. There would be a spot where we could have some small retail for the station as well. In attain the intersection would also get a traffic signal to facilitate people crossing the street from the parking lot safely.

From the village's perspective this is a nice concept which provides us with some positives.

• A reduction of 28 houses.
• Increased parking for Metra inside the village limits, and the revenue for that parking.
• A path from Valley Lakes to the station for any residents who commute via Metra.
• A traffic signal improving traffic flow all along the 134 corridor from Wilson into our downtown.
• Added retail for the area and our bottomline.

Over the next few days we will get a better handle on the status of the funding and the possibility of making the project a reality. Numerous things hinge on the varibles out of our control, these varibles were made increasingly diffucult by missing the first go round of CMAQ funding last year.

Transportation Meeting Last Night

Last night State Representative Kathy Ryg hosted a transportation forum for elected officials at the Libertyville high school. There was a nice turnout of about 60 people, numerous state reps and senators, Lake County board members, mayors and township officials.

We heard presentations from Lake County, the Illinois Tollway Authority and the Illinois Department of Transportation. Mayor Elliott Hartstein led the discussion from the mayors perspective, Diana O'Kelly from the Lake County Board talked from the Township's perspective, Suzi Schmidt the Lake County Board Chair talked from the counties perspective, and Senator Terry Link talked about the state issues.

• Some of the major discussion points were the 120 bypass, Route 83, Route 60 and Route 41.
• An equal and fair redistribution of the Motor Fuel Tax (MFT)
• September 16th is a Transportation summit hosted by Lake County Partners where some consensus will hopefully emerge on which project or projects will have consensus.

Overall it was interesting to hear different viewpoints and ideas for solving problems. Hopefully we will start seeing results on getting some highways built in the county and in the Round Lake Area.

The Cedar Lake Road Extension

I was asked an excellent question by a Prairewalk Resident named Doug Pentek that I decided to respond to here since I am sure many people have the same questions.

The question was about the need for a stop light at Bacon and 120 and could we expect one?

The answer requires a full discussion of the Cedar Lake Road Extension and the plans Round Lake has made for the extension and the plans Lake County are making for it. So using the USGS mapping service and a service called Terraserver I was able to find a 2002 aerial picture of the area. Using my limited graphics experience I labeled 7 key areas in the plan.

First however an overview.

When I took office 4 years ago one of the primary commute methods to Route 60 from Round Lake was 120 to Bacon to 60. Anyone who has lived here longer then 3 years recalls that actually the South end of Bacon was actually more dangerous then the North end. When Lakewood homes was in a first draft stage of the their development we were able to insist that Lakewood homes build the extension of Cedar Lake Road to its present point (#3 of the photo above) from Route 60.

Lake County has on its books the extension of Cedar Lake Road north from 60 all the way to 120. (that's the heavy black line on the map) However money is tight, the project is expensive and referendums for more transportation funds keep failing. So the project is going to be done in stages.

Stage 1 which is the 60 to Bacon Road portion right now is done, only some connection work to the Stage 2 and the cul de sac of Bacon (#5 on the photo)

Stage 2 I am pleased to say will extend north to Townline Road (#2 on the photo) and bids will be going out in October of this year, construction will start in the spring of 2006 and finish in the Fall of 2006. The village is going to improve its portion of Townline Road to Bacon to handle the traffic flow westwards from the T intersection and in front of our new Police and Public Works Facility (#6 on the photo). In attain the village required Neumann Homes and Concord Homes to provide funding to improve and enhance Townline Road East of the intersection all the way to Curran.

Stage 3 is scheduled to be bid out in 2009 and finished in 2010. This is clearly a shame but is a direct consequence of the two failed traffic referendums in the county in the last two years. However when it gets done a traffic light will be built at Townline and Cedar Lake (#2 on the photo), and at 120 and Cedar Lake (#1 on the photo).

So once this all get accomplished Bacon Road will be a cul-de sac on the South End about where it merges with Cedar Lake now (#5 on the photo). There has also been some discussion on making it a dead end on the North End as well.

However to finally get to Mr Pentek's question the state has looked at putting a light at Bacon and 120 and is currently doing a tentative survey of it, but my guess is since within 5 years the need for it will have vanished I am thinking it will not get done. My only advice is don't drive that way, I avoid those intersections if I can.

The Blog is out there and loving it!

Matt Pera of the Round Lake News discovered the blog last week and ran an article on the front page of the paper about it. Obviously I knew he knew because he interviewed me about it early this week. I won't go into all the details about why I am doing a blog (Read about it on this page) because I have already done that.

BLOG NOTE: I am having trouble posting pictures at the moment so we will have to rely on words rather then pictures. I plan to post a picture of Kramer from Seinfeld for this post at some point. I am trying to get some clever high quality pictures with each post. Hopefully that have some "ultra clever meaning" hidden meaning. I will add pictures to each post this weekend after the fact once the IT issue is fixed!

I am monitoring the count of people who come visit the blog and the first two weeks it was roughly 10-15 a day. The third week it jumped to 20-25, and then this week right up to 40. Today thanks to Matt I am over 55 and counting. I have two polls currently running one asking you if I am nuts for doing this (90% plus say yes), the second more serious poll asks a question about three major issues affecting Round Lake (Transportation, Schools and Shopping). Transportation leads the way at the moment.

Transportation Woes in the County

The second failure of the Lake County Traffic Referendum (No's -53% Yes's 47%) was disappointing to say the least. The proposal would have allowed the county to bond for $100 million + dollars for highway improvement. Among the projects lost based on the failure was the widening of 60 from Diamond Lake up to and past Round Lake.

Looking at a few of the Round Lake Precincts (Round Lake's 10 precincts favored the referendum roughly 68% to 32%) we can see the broad support out here in western lake county for traffic improvements. But unfortunately the further east you go in the county the less the support becomes, since that's where all the counties traffic dollars have been spent over the years and of course that area has the tri state running through it as well.

The sad fact is that because half of the county board members are up for election in the next electoral cycle we will not see the traffic referendum on the ballot again in the foreseeable future. The board members do not want to have their names appear on the ballot with a tax increase for something that is desperately needed.

Todays' Daily Herald has an article on the traffic issue here in Lake County that I strongly suggest you go read. It gives a little of the background on the issue and what some elected officials (me and others) and others are doing this summer. Hopefully we can finally get moving in the right direction!