This is from Harvard’s Pat Kennedy:
Stop the Randall Road Project
During a discussion on the proposed Randall Road Project, at the February 4 meeting of the McHenry County Board,
“Ms. Miller said the DOT (Division of Transportation) follows a CSS approach for their projects per policy and although stakeholder involvement is important, ultimately the County and the DOT that will be responsible for the decisions regarding any and all aspects of the project.”
That leads me to assume that the people who would pay for this project, the Tax Payers, as well as those most nearly affected by it, Lake in the Hills and the businesses along that stretch of Randall Road, really matter very little to Ms. Miller, or the DOT for that matter.A view of the Crystal Lake American Flag from Lake in the Hills on a clear day.
With so many areas of County roads that desperately need work, why is there such a strong push to spend what would end up being more than $135 million of our tax dollars on this Randall Road Project?
The vast majority of us who live in this county never drive through that area, but we will most certainly be paying for it.
Even when there was a small population increase in the county, there was no corresponding increase in traffic on this stretch of road.
Time to stop this misuse of Our Tax Dollars.Stop the Randall Road Project.
Call your County Board members and tell them to stop.
This is one of the dumbest projects I’ve ever seen!
Forget the fact that it is based on McHenry County growing like it’s the 1980s again, while we haven’t seen that kind of growth in 25 years and, in fact, have been declining in population since 2008 (source: Census Bureau).
Forget the fact that the cost is $38 million per mile, which is four to five times the national average cost per mile (Source: American Road & Transportation Builders Association).
Forget the fact that the cost is $1,200 per family ($135 million divided by 109,000 families; source: Census Bureau).
Focus on the actual project, which is frontage roads.
Now, if you want to get from Wal-Mart, which is in one mall, and go to, say, Trader Joe’s, which is in another mall, do you drive down Randall Road? No! You use the parking lots!
And if the County spends $135 million to devastate access to the malls, tear up Randall Road for two years (have you tried to drive down 31 at 176 lately?), and then puts in frontage roads, WILL YOU USE THE FRONTAGE ROADS TO GO FROM MALL TO MALL?
No, you’ll STILL use the parking lots, because it’s quicker and easier.
In other words, the whole project, even if it were based on sound numbers, and even if it were reasonably priced STILL WOULDN’T CUT TRAFFIC ON RANDALL ROAD BY ONE CAR.
I’ve lived here since 1989. Twenty-five years ago it took me 30 minutes to get to I-90. Ten years ago it took me 30 minutes. Today it takes me 30 minutes. In fact, McDOT’s own numbers show that over the last ten years there has been ZERO increase in traffic on Randall Road.
So the frontage roads won’t decrease traffic on Randall Road.
And they won’t cut your wait time to turn left at Algonquin Road, either. So if that’s what aggravates you the most about traffic on Randall Road, just realize — its frontage roads they want to spend the money on, and frontage roads wont’ cut your wait time to turn left by one second.
But the project WILL raise your taxes, WILL cost LITH millions of dollars in sales taxes and WILL cost hundreds of local people jobs when stores close or cut staff.
Palatine / Willow Road in Arlington Heights & Wheeling added Palatine Frontage Road over 20 years ago.
You can see it on Google Maps.
Also the Village of Wheeling decreased commuter time on Dundee Road over 10 years ago by coordinating the traffic signals.
Re: “why is there such a strong push to spend what would end up being more than $135 million of our tax dollars on this Randall Road Project? ”
Simple – it is called the lobbying power of the Operating Engineers Union and the political contributions of companies in the road building business.