McHenry County Blog

The following are some observations on the traffic problems brought up by Metra’s proposal to purchase 17.3 acres on Country Club Road in Ridgefield for a new stop.

As a long-time resident of Crystal Lake, I am very familiar with the streets and intersections in question.

When I visit McHenry County College, I take Ridgefield Road to Tartan Drive, and have had many occasions to drive on Country Club and Hillside Roads.

It certainly would be nice to have a Metra station in Ridgefield.

There are a lot of people living between easy access to the downtown stations in Crystal Lake and Woodstock, and, with some paved walkways and ingenuity, students from the towns along the rail line could commute to MCC. It would be a good, green complement to the bicycle path from Oak Street to the College, currently under construction.

However, I am in complete agreement with Craig Steagall that locating the station on the north side of the tracks behind the 84/Alexander property would lead to a traffic fiasco.

The problem is that none of the roads in question, with the possible exception of Ridgefield Road, is the kind of artery that can handle the bursts of traffic following the arrival of a commuter train.

In recent years, I have observed a considerable increase in traffic, presumably to and from Bull Valley and the northeast part of Woodstock, taking Ridgefield Road to the rail crossing, then continuing on Country Club.

It appears that it can be a challenge even to make a right turn, toward Crystal Lake, out of Tartan Drive, let alone a left.

Because of the traffic coming from Woodstock headed for the Ridgefield rail crossing, I also have found it difficult to make a left turn off westbound Hillside onto Country Club.

In my opinion, the installation of a traffic light at the southern intersection of Rt. 14 and Ridgefield Rd. has facilitated this pattern. This would be especially true of southbound traffic, because before the light, it was risking one’s life to turn left from Ridgefield to 14.

I can’t imagine these already-overtaxed roads being able to handle the additional load of a Metra station.

I’m not even sure that siting the station in the “yellow circle” in Mr. Steagall’s diagram or elsewhere on the south side of the tracks would work.

In that case, yes, people could use both legs of Ridgefield Rd. to get to the station.

I presume there would be a traffic light at the northern junction of 14 and Ridgefield, by the Lutheran church. This would work fine for people coming from the southeast and west.

The problem of eastern access would remain, however.

There are a lot of people from Bull Valley and McHenry who would have to take the old, skinny Bull Valley roads and cross at the awkward Ridgefield crossing. Unless there is to be a terrific amount of restructuring of the eastern Ridgefield intersections (which, as Mr. Steagall has pointed out, would require tearing buildings down), I don’t see that problem going away.

But the south-side location would be better than the north-side one.

There’s a more fundamental issue here, though.

There is no way to get directly from northwest Crystal Lake to McHenry, as I have learned over many years. One can be excused for thinking its affluent residents want it to be hard to get through Bull Valley.

You can either go all the way over to Walkup or wind your way along roads like Cherry Valley and Bull Valley Roads, all posted with whimsically varying speed limits designed to generate speeding tickets. (They haven’t nailed me yet.)

The residents are inconvenienced too, of course, but so are the many people who might like to be able to drive to and from, say, MCC, to McHenry.

So it’s more than just a problem of the Metra station. To be sure, the station would make this a lot worse.

One last point:

A couple of years ago, I watched the sad unraveling of MCC’s Health, Wellness, Athletic Complex project, the one that was supposed to be financed through a minor league baseball team.

Putting aside the merits and demerits of that project for now, I find it curious that the two issues that killed it

• traffic and
• the Crystal Lake watershed

do not seem to have entered into this current discussion in any significant way.

Did those involved learn nothing from the attempt by the College to sneak something through without real planning and public scrutiny?

With the MCC experience in mind, I would be astounded if Crystal Lake cooperates with the north-of-the-tracks Metra station, unless the fix truly is in.

I hope that this issue stirs up some public concern.

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Anyone else have thoughts they would like to share? My email is way down to the right on this page.

Other articles that might be of interest (listed in reverse order of publication):

Saturday, 8-15-9 The Ridgefield Metra Deal

Friday, 8-14-9 Metra Votes to Purchase Ridgefield Station Site

Friday, 8-14-9 Craig Steagall Unleashes Broadside Against McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler over Metra State Land Purchase

Friday, 8-14-9 Metra Scheduled to Approve Former Flowerwood Land for Station in Ridgefield This Morning

Thursday, 8-13-9 $1.5 Million Being Paid for Ridgefield Metra Site Half-Owned by McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler

Thursday, 8-13-9 Metra Transparency Worse than McHenry County College’s

Wednesday, 8-12-9 Ridgefield Businessman Takes on McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler over Proposed Metra Station

Friday, 8-7-9 Musings on the Proposed Ridgefield Metra Station

Wednesday, 8-5-9 Alexander Lumber’s Move to Ridgefield, Proposed Metra Station Implications

That’s the reason for this

warning sign that the McHenry County Highway Department has put up near the Mormon Church on Walkup Avenue, which Crystal Lakers call the “McHenry Blacktop” and McHenry folks call the “Crystal Lake Blacktop.”

The end of December, I wrote about how this road looked like the ones in Bull Valley.

The McHenry County folks patched it, but the pot holes have apparently come back with a vengeance.

This road, that is.

Some call it Walkup Avenue, others the McHenry Blacktop.

McHenry folks may call it the Crystal Lake Blacktop.

And, yesterday, I heard it called Walkup Road.

Whatever one calls it, this portion of the road is rivaling the worst road in the Village of Bull Valley.

Bull Valley is noted for its b-b-umpy roads.

The photo on top shows a hurriedly shot picture taken in the middle of the McHenry Blacktop in front of the Mormon Church.

Traffic was a bit too heavy to be doing something like this in the middle of the road.

Going out of town at the end of Veterans Acres, people are traveling slow enough to try to dodge the potholes.

Coming into Crystal Lake, if drivers don’t know of the bumps in the road, they just plunge off the good part of the highway that is good into two potholes.

There is not problem hearing when their wheels bottom out.

I called the County Transportation Department and found Maintenance Superintendent Mark DeVries.

“We have two crews out and Walkup is on their schedule,” he told me. (We always have one crew out,” he added later.)

“That’s probably the worst stretch,” he suggested.

I asked about when that small part of Walkup would be repaved.

“There’s a project for Walkup Road, the whole road, for widening and turn signals and turn lanes, but they may stage it,” DeVries told me. He’s not really the one to ask about such matters.

Yesterday McHenry County Highway crews were repairing Bay Road, Main Street west going out of town, “right down by the bridge,” besides the McHenry Blacktop near in front of the Crystal Lake LDS Church.

I asked DeVries how he learned about problems on county boards and was surprised to learn that members of the public rarely call. The snowplow guys (of whom I am a fan) turn identify many.

So, if a pothole on a county road is bothering you, give DeVries a call 815-334-4960.

All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

This road, that is.

Some call it Walkup Avenue, others the McHenry Blacktop.

McHenry folks may call it the Crystal Lake Blacktop.

And, yesterday, I heard it called Walkup Road.

Whatever one calls it, this portion of the road is rivaling the worst road in the Village of Bull Valley.

Bull Valley is noted for its b-b-umpy roads.

The photo on top shows a hurriedly shot picture taken in the middle of the McHenry Blacktop in front of the Mormon Church.

Traffic was a bit too heavy to be doing something like this in the middle of the road.

Going out of town at the end of Veterans Acres, people are traveling slow enough to try to dodge the potholes.

Coming into Crystal Lake, if drivers don’t know of the bumps in the road, they just plunge off the good part of the highway that is good into two potholes.

There is not problem hearing when their wheels bottom out.

I called the County Transportation Department and found Maintenance Superintendent Mark DeVries.

“We have two crews out and Walkup is on their schedule,” he told me. (We always have one crew out,” he added later.)

“That’s probably the worst stretch,” he suggested.

I asked about when that small part of Walkup would be repaved.

“There’s a project for Walkup Road, the whole road, for widening and turn signals and turn lanes, but they may stage it,” DeVries told me. He’s not really the one to ask about such matters.

Yesterday McHenry County Highway crews were repairing Bay Road, Main Street west going out of town, “right down by the bridge,” besides the McHenry Blacktop near in front of the Crystal Lake LDS Church.

I asked DeVries how he learned about problems on county boards and was surprised to learn that members of the public rarely call. The snowplow guys (of whom I am a fan) turn identify many.

So, if a pothole on a county road is bothering you, give DeVries a call 815-334-4960.

All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

As I was reflecting on the desire of the McHenry County Board’s Management Services Committee’s desire to symbolize the area on the new seal it is considering, I got two thoughts.

Why not just use the symbol of horror conjured up by the Bull Valley Courier about what will be built on the Ann Kaiser farm, if the farm were not annexed to Bull Valley Village?

Clearly Bull Valley is not like the rest of McHenry County. It has the worst roads of any municipality and it doesn’t have any subdivisions that look like the picture above, which I think is no where in McHenry County.

Somewhat close to what some people in Bull Valley fear enough to trespass and steal signs placed with permission on private property is this shot of Lake in the Hills from Randall Road.

Maybe the county board can figure out how to put a typical subdivision and or traffic lights with red light cameras on one of the quadrants its committee seems fore destined to create.

It seems to me that Dick Tracy would be a lot less controversial.

As I was reflecting on the desire of the McHenry County Board’s Management Services Committee’s desire to symbolize the area on the new seal it is considering, I got two thoughts.

Why not just use the symbol of horror conjured up by the Bull Valley Courier about what will be built on the Ann Kaiser farm, if the farm were not annexed to Bull Valley Village?

Clearly Bull Valley is not like the rest of McHenry County. It has the worst roads of any municipality and it doesn’t have any subdivisions that look like the picture above, which I think is no where in McHenry County.

Somewhat close to what some people in Bull Valley fear enough to trespass and steal signs placed with permission on private property is this shot of Lake in the Hills from Randall Road.

Maybe the county board can figure out how to put a typical subdivision and or traffic lights with red light cameras on one of the quadrants its committee seems fore destined to create.

It seems to me that Dick Tracy would be a lot less controversial.

Townships are truly the forgotten layer of local government.

They are rarely in the news.

While I did write about the splendid machine that Greenwood Township Road Commissioner Roger May uses to apply asphalt, I can’t remember any other stories, except about the upcoming election. (More pictures of the invention at the link.)

Dorr Township is one of five townships—the first largest in McHenry County—where the Republican Party has decided to hold a primary election, instead of a party caucus.

Most of it is in Woodstock, but it contains a good bit of Bull Valley and the northeastern corner of Crystal Lake.

I think it’s a good decision to allow voters to pick who should be their candidates.

The alternative is often a small group of precinct committeemen, although the township central committee can pretty much set any rules they desire. They can made the decision themselves or allow voters to participate.

One set of rules had the precinct committeemen getting all the votes cast in his precinct’s primary, except the ones who showed up in person.

Not a lot of public participation in such a scheme.

In any event people contesting in the Dorr Township primary election will be seeking the offices of supervisor, road commissioner, assessor, clerk and four township trustees.

For those interested, salaries next year in Dorr Township appear below:

• Supervisor – $36,454
• Highway Commissioner – $64,604
• Assessor – $60,777
• Clerk – $7,907
• Trustees – $105 per meeting

Salaries for all but the trustees will increase 3% a year over the four year term. The township pays 100% of the insurance premium for the assessor and road commissioner and 50% for the supervisor and clerk. The supervisor, assessor and road commissioner get IMRF pension contributions; the clerk and trustees do not.

And, while I don’t know the current salaries, it appears by the odd number of cents (which I have rounded up above) for all but the trustees that some percentage increase was applied to the current salaries.

If you missed my original article about why people might want to run for township office, you can find it here.

I would think township trustee would be a good place for a Young Republican to get started in elective politics.

Townships are truly the forgotten layer of local government.

They are rarely in the news.

While I did write about the splendid machine that Greenwood Township Road Commissioner Roger May uses to apply asphalt, I can’t remember any other stories, except about the upcoming election. (More pictures of the invention at the link.)

Dorr Township is one of five townships—the first largest in McHenry County—where the Republican Party has decided to hold a primary election, instead of a party caucus.

Most of it is in Woodstock, but it contains a good bit of Bull Valley and the northeastern corner of Crystal Lake.

I think it’s a good decision to allow voters to pick who should be their candidates.

The alternative is often a small group of precinct committeemen, although the township central committee can pretty much set any rules they desire. They can made the decision themselves or allow voters to participate.

One set of rules had the precinct committeemen getting all the votes cast in his precinct’s primary, except the ones who showed up in person.

Not a lot of public participation in such a scheme.

In any event people contesting in the Dorr Township primary election will be seeking the offices of supervisor, road commissioner, assessor, clerk and four township trustees.

For those interested, salaries next year in Dorr Township appear below:

• Supervisor – $36,454
• Highway Commissioner – $64,604
• Assessor – $60,777
• Clerk – $7,907
• Trustees – $105 per meeting

Salaries for all but the trustees will increase 3% a year over the four year term. The township pays 100% of the insurance premium for the assessor and road commissioner and 50% for the supervisor and clerk. The supervisor, assessor and road commissioner get IMRF pension contributions; the clerk and trustees do not.

And, while I don’t know the current salaries, it appears by the odd number of cents (which I have rounded up above) for all but the trustees that some percentage increase was applied to the current salaries.

If you missed my original article about why people might want to run for township office, you can find it here.

I would think township trustee would be a good place for a Young Republican to get started in elective politics.

This was taken in Woodstock at Farm & Fleet’s parking lot.

I was there buying 4×4 sign stakes for the

Caution!
B-b-bumpy
road ahead
www.BullValley-RoadsorLawyers

You remember, the stakes many of which were stolen by upstanding citizens of Bull Valley.

Before the election.

The Subaru Outback belongs to a supporter of the victor in the Presidential Sweepstakes.

So many bumper stickers.

So little time.

On the left is an off-center oval one from Moveon.org urging,

Next is one saying simply,

In the middle is one advising

Children should be seen
and heard and
believed

It’s designed to look like a kid drew it.

On the right hand side of the bumper is the message

Different People. Different Beliefs. One Faith.
Unitarian Universalists
The Uncommon Denomination
uua.org

This was taken in Woodstock at Farm & Fleet’s parking lot.

I was there buying 4×4 sign stakes for the

Caution!
B-b-bumpy
road ahead
www.BullValley-RoadsorLawyers

You remember, the stakes many of which were stolen by upstanding citizens of Bull Valley.

Before the election.

The Subaru Outback belongs to a supporter of the victor in the Presidential Sweepstakes.

So many bumper stickers.

So little time.

On the left is an off-center oval one from Moveon.org urging,

Next is one saying simply,

In the middle is one advising

Children should be seen
and heard and
believed

It’s designed to look like a kid drew it.

On the right hand side of the bumper is the message

Different People. Different Beliefs. One Faith.
Unitarian Universalists
The Uncommon Denomination
uua.org