The end of Joseph Busto’s excellent Northwest Herald article on what McHenry County government is thinking about doing at the intersection of Randall and Algonquin Roads follows:
Randall Road construction in 2012.
“The current average delay during peak hours at Randall and Algonquin is 126 seconds.
“If no action is taken, the average delay is estimated to be 460 seconds in 2030.
“Going with a conventional intersection with six through-lanes would bring the delay to 93 seconds. A CFI [continuous flow intersection] would provide a 38-second delay.
“Travel on Randall Road from County Line to Ackman:
- In 2030, during an afternoon peak hour, it would take 26 minutes to travel the corridor with a conventional intersection at Randall and Algonquin.
- It would take 8 minutes with a CFI.”
If those driving on Randall Road had to make the decision, what do you think it would be?
Countervailing pressure, however, is being placed by Lake in the Hills officials and businesses, who argue that sales tax receipts will diminish appreciably if the current is not just enlarged in the traditional way.
Innovation, County highway officials point out results in a better chance for Federal financial assistance.
The NWH also has a poll on whether you like the continuous flow intersection down a bit on the right hand side of its web page.
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When I was McHenry County Treasurer in the late 1960’s, I wrote the checks to buy the land that is now Randall Road in Lake in the Hills.
Looking north on Randall with a Continuous Flow Intersection.
At that time Randall ended at Algonquin Road. Northbound traffic had to drive east and go north through old Lake in the Hills to Miller Road.
Lake in the Hills had virtually no sales tax then. So far, the results are about one=third like them, one-third don’t and a third are undecided.
Proposed access points for a Continuous Flow Intersection at Randall and Algonquin Roads.
There are ratings on the efficiency of intersections.
To no one’s surprise, Randall and Algonquin’s is an “F.”
What is truly a shame is that this may have been preventable.
When Randall Road was built to bypass old Lake in the Hills, there was absolutely nothing in the area but corn fields.
Could have better planning prevented the intersection’s failure
I didn’t realize you were that old, Cal.
“When I was McHenry County Treasurer in the late 1060′s”
Oops, lol. Looking good for being roughly 940 yrs old.
There are several continuos flow intersections in the metro Phoenix area and they work great.
I guess Some people don’t understand them and prefer to sit waiting at a red light and would vote against them.
One I use regularly takes traffic off I-17 and merges traffic onto (cross traffic six lanes)which is busier than Randall rd. it works great.
My only caveat is we don’t have SNOW.
Merging from lanes could be interesting on ice.
Oops. Typo.
Now it’s fixed.
Thanks.
All that a CFI at Randall and Algonquin Roads will do is push traffic faster to the traffic lights north and south of Algonquin Road, where drivers will sit and sit and sit. I believe that the time savings are greatly over-estimated.
Add back the delays at the “new” lights added as part of the CFI design.
And then add the delays from all the head-on crashes at the intersection and the rear-enders at all the lights.
A new intersection will affect more than just traffic.
What is the likely effect on the businesses near that intersection?
Will this reduce their parking or make it more difficult to get into or out of their lots?
Is this new intersection likely to reduce sales and property taxes?
I don’t know the answers, but if I were on the County board, these are questions I would be asking.
Now Gus is an expert on traffic engineering???
McHenry County officials should take a look at Randall Road, especially going south from Route 20.
Kane County didn’t allow dozens of curb cuts along every foot of the roadway.
It was just plain stupidity to allow the existing driveways so close to an intersection like Randall & Alqonquin and others in that area.
This intersection is the epitome of Illinois: “could have been avoided with better planning”.
Nah — it’ll never get THAT bad.
Have no fear, just add more lanes!
Let’s keep issuing building permits to businesses and strip malls that practically sit on the road, that way solving traffic issues will be someone else’s headache.
If you’re going to kill businesses anyway, then make it an overpass and throw in off-ramps for good measure. Fewer lights, no continuous flow Taj Mahal/boondoggle.
Make Randall Road a freeway and do it right the second time – people are already going 65 mph on it anyway.
What ?? Hit the nail firmly on the head. I remember when the road was originally designed. It was limited access with frontage access. NO LITH had to stomp their feet and hold their breath if the. County didn’t allow more curb cuts for access.
Mchenry co only needs to look at Winnebago county for direction. When they build a road if is a minimum of four lanes divided and frontage roads. Rockford can bark all it wants but the main purpose is traffic moving. Drive Perryville from rte 20 bypass to rte 173. Speed limit is 45 and traffic moves because ever strip mall or business is NOT allowed a curb cut.
Here in mchenry co we build two lNe roads when traffic projection say four are needed. Then five years later we add two more lanes. (Rakow) Oh no nimby shouts… “If you build it they will come”. Idiots……they come anyway and then we upset the apple cart to redo what should have been done right originally.
CFI works well but people like GUS don’t understand future movement and planning. Don’t plan for today , plan for tomorrow.
The county must stop yeilding to these towns and their self serving agendas. Look what giving in caused on Randall.