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Citizens to Protect Quality of Life Through Better Transportation

Lake County Roads
GRIDLOCKED

At the turn of the last century, Lake County was a lightly populated, rural countryside with few main roads. Even long after automobiles became thedominant mode of transportation, the County's few, quaint, country roads handled traffic demands with ease. That is no longer the case.

County Roads As In 1920's

In recent years, rapidly growing transportation demands have overwhelmed Lake County's antiquated and obsolete road system. The population of Lake County has grown by more than 40% over the past two decades. Employment increased 61 percent from 1980 to 1995. The amount of travel on Lake County roads has climbed by 56 percent since 1990. Road construction has not, however, kept pace. Road widening is up only 15% since 1990 and the overall travel capacity on County roads has been increased only by a meager 5 percent over the past 20 years. With a few notable exceptions, motorists in Lake County are still driving on essentially the same layout of arterial roads as existed in the 1920's.

Transportation Crisis

As a result, we are now in the midst of a transportation crisis. Congested road mileage in Lake County has increased an astonishing 237% since 1990. One-third of Lake County's major roadways are already seriously congested. Traffic is expected to continue to increase and Lake County's roads will reach critical congestion levels by 2020. County-wide gridlock looms on the horizon.

Citizens To Protect Quality of Life Through Better Transportation, founded in 1998, is an organization committed to supporting meaningful solutions for Lake County's worsening traffic congestion crisis. Our organization is dedicated to promoting efforts to enhance quality of life, to reduce the costs and burdens of travel, and to improve the business environment in Lake County.

Route 53 Best Solution

We congratulate the Lake County Transportation Improvement Project for its unprecedented, comprehensive evaluation of the County's transportation system. Although the LCTIP will not release a final report until at least next spring, the substantial data already developed by the Project demonstrates clearly that Route 53 is the best available alternative to address our transportation crisis. Our organization supports the extension of Route 53 because, according to the LCTIP's preliminary reports, extending Route 53:

• Will cost far less to build - $830 million versus more than $1.1 billion;
• Will provide a substantial beneficial reduction in traffic congestion, resulting in many more uncongested lane miles and better travel time improvements;
• Will result in: 1) far fewer displacing societal impacts and less disruption, 2) displacing of fewer than one-half the number of structures, 3) displacing one-fourth the number of business units and, 4) displacing only a tiny fraction of the amount of parking as compared to the alternative plan; Will have a beneficial impact on safety, with seven times the reduction in forecast accident rates as compared to the alternative;
• Will not result in a material or disparate environmental impact (each of the alternatives would impact fewer than 20 out of 36,000 acres of forest preserves and parks, and fewer than 100 out of 30,000 acres of wetlands in the County) and any wetlands impact, moreover, would be "mitigated" in accordance with existing law by construction of 1.5 acres of new wetlands for every acre disturbed;
• Will not cause a significant increase in County population, resulting in only about 9,500 moreresidents than the alternative would bring; and can be completed without decades of frustration and costs resulting from endless miles of construction delays in connection with arterial expansion projects throughout the County.
• Will do a better job of relieving traffic congestion on county maintained roads and could make possible a decrease in County spending on roads.

Solid Support for Route 53

There also is a demonstrable, substantial and growing consensus of support for the extension of Route 53:

• Of the nearly 4,000 public comments received by the Project, fully 80% supported the extension of Route 53, while only 1% supported the alternative, arterial expansion plan;
• At least 42 communities in the LCTIP study area, representing nearly 750,000 residents, are on record as supporting the Route 53 extension (twenty-four communities have passed resolutions of support, the Barrington Area Council of Governments, with seven villages as members, and the Northwest Municipal Conference, with 49 villages and townships as members, at least 14 of which are located within the study region, also have passed resolutions of support);
• The Lake County Board and the Cook County Board of Commissioners have each passed resolutions of support for extending Route 53;
• A large and growing number of business organizations also have endorsed the Route 53 extension, including the Lake County Farm Bureau, nearly 20 Chambers of Commerce, the Northern Illinois Business Political Action Committee, the Lake County Partners, and the TMA of Lake-Cook.

Minute Vocal Opposition

There remain a few opponents, including two small communities, who are committed to preventing desperately needed transportation improvements for Lake County. Although meager in number, these opponents are determined to impose their will and they have created several organizations with impressive sounding names to advance their agenda. They are well-funded and noisy and they will seize upon every opportunity to obstruct efforts to achieve transportation improvements. One of their lead organizations already has taken the extremist position that no new roadway capacity should be constructed in Lake County, period. Despite what they say, those groups are not out to help the people and businesses of Lake County. Nor do they detract in a material way from the real consensus of support in the County.

Citizens To Protect Quality Of Life Through Better Transportation believes that a meaningful solution for the County's gridlock mustbe implemented now, before it is too late, to prevent County-wide gridlock. Together, we must continue to fight for completion of these desperately needed roadway improvements as part of a comprehensive solution to Lake County's transportation crisis. Your support and active assistance are critical to this effort.

Here Is What You Can Do To Help

1. Print out, complete and sign a copy of the statement of support below and mail it to us at: P.O. Box 7529, Libertyville, Illinois 60048;
2. Provide copies to your friends, neighbors and relatives and encourage them to complete, sign and send us their own statement of support;
3. If they have not already done so, demand that your local municipal officials pass a resolution in support of the extension of Route 53;
4. Also ask your local school board to pass a resolution in support of the extension of Route 53 because school busses which are caught in gridlock traffic are imperiling the safety of your children and are costing you money;
5. Demand that your County Board representative support the extension of Route 53; and
6. Please send $10, or whatever amount you can afford, to ensure our ability to continue supporting efforts to achieve meaningful transportation improvements for Lake County and for the region.

Thank You For Your Support