U.S. Senators and Postmaster General May Settle Algonquin Bypass Conflict

The boundary between what the state owns for the Route 31 Algonquin Bypass and the Algonquin Post Office.

Here’s an update from Bradford W. Meador, Manager, Property Management, Great Lakes Facilities Service Office, on what’s happening with the disagreement between the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Postal System about the taking of parking spaces from the Algonquin Post Office to construct the Route 31 Bypass around Downtown Algonquin:

“The issues discussed in my last email still remain unresolved.

“The recent meeting a couple weeks ago between

  • the U S Postal Service officials,
  • IDOT officials and
  • staff members of Senator Durbin’s and Kirk’s offices

did not resolve anything.

“I am advised that the issue has been elevated to the Post Master General (PMG) of the Postal Service for further discussion between the Senators’ offices and the PMG.

“The Postal Service has been advising IDOT since 1995 that their plan doesn’t work for the Algonquin, IL MPO site but to no avail.

“IDOT has moved ahead with their concept to provide the bypass as it accommodates their design.

“My observation is that in light of the many issues currently being presented to Congress for the future of the Postal Service there may be some compromises to accommodate many agendas.”

In answer to a question, Meador added,

“Algonquin and the surrounding area will continue to grow.

“The need for land area to add parking for the postal vehicles and the employees’ cars is needed.

“IDOT is taking land area that would preclude that ability.

“The current parking needs can be met with some design changes but it is the long term concern that is an issue for the postal service in addition to ingress/egress on Route 62.”

= = = = =
The other report on IDOT’s problems obtaining right-of-way can be found here.


Comments

U.S. Senators and Postmaster General May Settle Algonquin Bypass Conflict — 6 Comments

  1. Consider: This project has been in discussion/planning mode for the better part of 30 years, while the people who drive through this intersection continue to deal with excruciating delays.

    Now we find out that the Post Office is upset because they want a bigger parking lot for more postal trucks, even though the Post Office is practically insolvent since technology is passing them by.

  2. For repeated underperformance and overcharging for poor service, the US Postal Service should not be dictating anything.

    Step #1, they never seem interested in modifying their hours to accommate the public

    No wonder the parking poses a problrm (if that’s even true)

    We need this bypass far more than post offices.

    Email, + Fed X, UPS offer convenience, courtesy, and assurance of prompt delivery; not so with USPS

  3. If you look at the contents of the email carefully, you will see objection was made “since 1996.”

    Actually, it was not until after the 1996 election that a McHenry County Board-appointed Task Force was named to figure out what to do to improve traffic in Downtown Algonquin, so Mr. Meador may be off a year.

    Commenter one is off by half his timeline. A western bypass was not under discussion in 1982. County officials and the Northwest Herald were fixated on a second bridge that would cross at Haegers Bend and meet Route 31 near the new Walmart.

  4. “County officials and the Northwest Herald were fixated on a second bridge”

    Wow…. makes sense to me since most traffic seens to be going North and East from Routes 31 & 62.

  5. The USPS needs more parking for their trucks so they can hire more evil mail ladies (I swear mine hates me because we actually get mail and she needs to get out of her truck every so often).

    My wife used to send many packages among her friends that live all around the country, but has limited her spending with every price increase by the USPS.

    I pay all my bills through auto-payments or direct to the town now.

    Our household used to spend anywhere from $50 – $100 per month, but now spends maybe $10 per month.

    UPS and FedEx have included tracking, better prices for packages, are more friendly, and don’t damage or break contents (love the footprints and cigarette burns on stuff USPS).

    Their poor service and always increasing prices is driving customers away quickly so they will most likely not need more parking space.

    I think that the employees are shielded by the union and do not care to make the customer happy.

    Ever go into the post office and try to make conversation with one of the robots in line?

    It is painful!

    Go to the Bulk Mail Unit and they avoid eye contact with you so they could ignore you and say “oh I didn’t see you standing there”…yeah sure, even though you walked 4 feet in front of me a few times.

    I guess your eyes were closed the whole time huh? 🙂

  6. The county selected the engineering firm and it discovered that most of the traffic at the intersection was east-west. That’s undoubtedly because of the immense growth in Lake in the Hills and Algonquin.

    No more than a 2-lane bridge could be justified at Haegers Bend at least 20-years out (and maybe the time line was even longer).

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