The recent revelation by the Obama Administration that gas prices are rising is gratifying because now it realizes that many Americans are getting gouged at the pump.
It is likely to force people to stop driving as much and opt for public transportation or spend more time at home watching public access TV – which includes such things as replays of Village Board meetings. The crisis is worse than you think.
If, however, folks drive less, that means there will be fewer cars on the road, less congestion and therefore less of a need for major road projects – like the extension of Rt. 53.
That’s probably not going to happen, so plans for the extension of Rt. 53 will continue. Unfortunately.
The battle over the extension of Rt. 53 will be to area politicians what the proposed cross town expressway was to Richard J. Daley – yes Richard J. Daley. It was an idea that was supposed to eradicate what ailed city traffic. Now, years later, there is still traffic in the city and no cross-town expressway.
Rt. 53 could be on the same course. There’s no doubt that congestion along north/south corridors in Lake County, especially along routes 12 and 14 is horrific because of the development in the county. That should not come as a surprise, however, because the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission saw the growth patterns in Lake County.
The problems, as I see it, with the planned extension of Rt. 53 are two-fold. First, and in my mind, foremost, while the extension will ease backups, especially at Lake-Cook Road, it appears that backups will just be moved north to Rt. 120. Granted, the project calls for massive improvements to
Rt. 120 that appears to be the only east-west corridor that be improved. Traffic on east-west roads in Lake County, with few exceptions, is extremely congested, which means by extending Rt. 53, there will likely be greater traffic on those roadways. A comprehensive plan for Rt. 53 should include improvements to those roads that will provide access to what will become a major roadway.
Routes 22, 45/ 60, 176 and 137 need improvements. All of those roads deal with heavy traffic, and if the economy ever improves, will likely see a continuation of the suburban sprawl to the north and northwest.
Another needed aspect of the proposed Rt. 53 extension is accommodations for car pools and public transportation. High occupancy lanes, for cars with two or more passengers and bus-only lanes would reduce dependency on natural resources and possibly maintain an environmental balance with Lake County. In a perfect world, a light rail system could be included, one which would link the outlying suburbs with commuter rail or buses.
The size of the extension is also a point of debate. Given the nature of Lake County, a four-lane project (two lanes in each direction) augmented by a landscaped median is often seen as a possibility – picture Lake Shore Drive. A standard six-lane highway would probably draw the most ire of folks in Lake County, not only from an aesthetic standpoint, but cost as well.
If the county continues to grow as it has, six lanes may, at some point, become necessary. Until then, however, the cost difference between a four- and six-lane road should be earmarked for improvements of the access roads to and from an extended Rt. 53.
The last thing anyone wants is to replace a headache with an upset stomach.
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