Creating a better vision for transportation in Lake County

Originally published January 22, 2019. From the archive of our earlier website. Several of these ideas, including a rail grade separation at Routes 120 and 83, are part of our Fix Route 120 in place campaign today.

We are frequently asked, “What is a better plan for transportation in Lake County without the Rt. 53/120 extensions?”

Our goal is essentially for a multi-modal transportation plan that is modern, efficient, affordable, reduces our trip times, reduces the number of cars on the roads, preserves our critical environmental assets, enhances our communities, keeps our air, water and lands clean, reduces our carbon emissions and positions Lake County to be competitive in a 21st Century economy. It is a false choice to say we can have either economic development and congestion relief or protect our open spaces and communities. It is absolutely possible and is being done all around the country. We are working together with our coalition partners, the Lake County Board, our municipalities as well as state and federal government to achieve our goals.

Here are some specific ideas we have laid out in an ever-evolving list of possibilities:

• Model ordinances for sustainable community design in Lake County, including:
  • Complete Streets: walkable and bikable communities
  • Active Transportation policies
  • Transportation enterprise zones (including Transit Oriented Development)
  • Strategic routes linked to county urban centers
• Improvements for our current roads and infrastructure such as:
  • Widening, improving intersections and improving current roads (such as IL State Rts. 83, 120, 60, 45, 22, 12, 176 and 173 as well as major arterial roads like Midlothian Rd.)
  • More grade separations (separating train tracks from roads) such as at 120 & 83, Rt. 60 and Diamond Lake Road, Rt. 60 near Butterfield Rd., Gilmer and Old McHenry
  • Modernizing and improving transportation technology
  • Creative traffic flow enhancements like no left turns during certain hours
• Improved and increased public transit options, considering:
  • Increased access to public transit: on-demand ride services and other new technologies, including park-and-ride bus connections and bus connections from Metra stations to local commercial and office park centers
  • Extended options, operating times and increased routes
  • Improved facilities such as bus platforms, shelters and train stations
  • Electrification of all transit
  • Bus Rapid Transit
  • Increased train service, considering EJ&E commuter service, expanded North Central Metra service, routes extended up to Winthrop Harbor and Zion, electrified rail, Metra commuter service on the CN line in the southwestern part of the county, and full funding for Metra to complete long-overdue improvements to rail lines in Lake County
  • Support for non-vehicular modes of transportation
  • Support for policies to reduce single-occupancy vehicles
• Subsidizing on-demand ride services for those underserved by paratransit
• Regional, intermodal infrastructure improvements such as connections between modes of transit, bicycle infrastructure and walking paths
• Transportation Demand Management, considering incentives to live within 5 miles of work, incentives for ride-sharing and transit use, more telecommuting, and staggered shifts
• Creation of Transportation Corridors and Enterprise Zones, with greater impact fees on developments outside of transportation zones and limited transportation spending focused in constrained zones
• Increased access to vehicle charging stations

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