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* HJR23 supports building, via a public/private partnership, two additional express toll lanes in each direction on Interstate 55 between I-294 and I-90/94, and one additional express toll lane in each direction from I-355 to I-294. It zipped through a committee 15-0.
* From the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150…
SUPPORT HJR23 I-55 MANAGED LANES
THE NEED
I-55 has faced severe congestion for many years.
• Daily traffic has grown over 250% since 1980 between I-355 and I-294, 130% between I-294 and IL 171, and 94% between IL 171 and Cicero.
• Average weekday travel times have shown travel speeds consistently around 30 MPH for several hours each day on portions of I-55 both northbound and southbound.
• Historical data has shown that travel times on I-55 can exceed 60 minutes during peak hours in both directions; under congested conditions, travel times can almost triple.While I-55 already experiences congestion, it is only expected to get worse as the southwestern suburbs continue to see significant growth.
• Population in Will County is expected to grow 67% between 2010 and 2040 and employment is expected to grow 110%, contributing to commuting demands on I-55 and further degradation of travel and reliability.
• Overall, daily traffic is estimated to increase between 33% and 74% along I-55 by the year 2040.
• The percent of truck traffic on I-55 ranges from 10% to 14% overall, accounting for 6-13% of
traffic during peak hours; these figures are only expected to grow.THE BENEFIT
CMAP currently has the I-55 managed lanes project listed in their long-range plan.
It would include the addition of managed lanes within the existing median of I-55 between I-90/94 and I- 355. The corridor would include Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).
The I-55 managed lanes project ranks as one of the best expressway projects in the Chicago region to reduce congestion, improve access to jobs, and create a safer transportation system.
• It is estimated to provide amongst the best traffic congestion improvements of any project in the region by 2050; it ranks 1st in reducing Chicago region congestion, compared to all other proposed expressway projects considered by CMAP.
• It will improve travel speeds by 12% on the general purpose lanes in each direction.
• It will improve job accessibility by 47,800.
• It will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 34.1 metric tons per day.
• It will increase regional economic activity by $79 million as a result of improved travel times
leading to enhanced business-to-business interaction and access to a larger labor pool.SOURCES
CMAP’s long-range plan - ON TO 2050
* NRDC…
Adding lanes to our state’s highways would increase greenhouse gas emissions, undermining the state’s goals to protect our climate. Highway expansions also put already overburdened environmental justice communities that live alongside them at risk.
In the fever dream of a film, Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner hears a whisper in a cornfield: “If you build it, he will come.” Well, that’s basically what happens when we add lanes to a highway—instead of reducing commute times and easing congestion, more people end up on the roads. Study after study show that highway expansions entice more people to drive and don’t reduce congestion in the long-term. Instead, they increase the overall number of miles people are traveling using vehicles, leaving communities with dirtier air.
Neighborhoods on the Southwest Side of Chicago, bisected by I-55, already face some of the worst air pollution in the country. What’s more, these communities were not meaningfully engaged or consulted on this project that would directly impact their lives, and the environmental analysis for this project is years old and arguably obsolete.
Increased highway capacity will lead to more harmful emissions in an area already overburdened by high asthma rates and other chronic health problems, doubling down on the shameful history of prioritizing harmful transportation infrastructure over the health and safety of communities of color living nearby.
State leaders should be working to reduce the amount of vehicular traffic generating harmful air pollution, not expand it.
…Adding… Another analysis from the Metropolitan Planning Council and several environmental/transportation groups…
The I-55 Expansion Would Increase Pollution and Make Vulnerable People Sick
● Residents of neighborhoods on the Southwest Side of Chicago face some of the greatest impacts of pollution in the country. Expanding highway capacity will incentivize more driving and more harmful emissions in an area already burdened by high asthma rates and other chronic health problems1.
● New lanes on I-55 – even managed lanes – will double down on the shameful history of prioritizing harmful transportation infrastructure over the health and safety of communities of color living nearby.The I-55 Expansion Would Worsen Climate Change and Environmental Injustice
● This project will increase carbon pollution, directly contradicting Illinois’ commitment to achieving the Paris Climate Agreement2 targets.
● This project would set back Chicago and Illinois’ progress towards addressing a long history of civil rights violations from harmful land use, zoning and transportation infrastructure decisions that have decimated communities of color.The I-55 Expansion Would Add More Cars and Leave Us With Congested Roads
● Study after study has shown we can’t build our way out of congestion. Adding new highway lanes results in more driving due to the urban planning principle of “induced demand,” and new roadway capacity will inevitably be filled within a few years.
● This project would add an estimated 80 lane-miles to I-55, which could generate the equivalent of more than 50,000 added vehicles a year to our roads.Communities Were Not Consulted On the I-55 Highway Expansion and Its Environmental Analysis Is Obsolete
● Environmental analysis for this project, including its assumptions about health and climate impacts, is several years old and obsolete.
● Neighborhoods affected by this project have not been appropriately consulted or engaged in discussions of a project that will critically impact their lives.The I-55 Highway Expansion Is Expensive; Other Projects Offer More Job Opportunities
● Highway construction costs have gone up 50% in two years due to major inflation in cost of materials.5 Even if this were built via a public-private partnership, very high tolls would be needed – similar projects’ tolls have exceeded $40 per trip at times6.
● Investments in public transit and highway maintenance produce more jobs per dollar than highway expansion.The I-55 Highw ay Expansion Is a Repackaged Bruce Rauner Priority
Former Gov. Rauner tried throughout his term to authorize the expansion of I-55. The General Assembly stood firm and refused to sign off on an expensive project that will harm our environment and communities. They should do it again.
* The Question: Build the lanes or no? Please make sure to explain your answer. Thanks.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 11:42 am
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Build the lanes. The enviros are never satisfied and are subject to tunnel vision on issues. This being a prime example.
Comment by James Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 11:46 am
I say build it. Even though the NRDC has a very good point. But until we federally put more funds into rail (high speed or other), bike trails etc., infrastructure for vehicles is needed. Hopefully in my lifetime we’ll see a truly revolutionary investment in high speed and commuter rail. But until then…
Comment by Tony DeKalb Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 11:52 am
Two Words: Public Transportation.
More lanes solves nothing, it just results in more traffic, and then, more congestion.
Comment by That Guy Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 11:53 am
No. Increases in lanes will only increase traffic until the level of congestion reaches the previous level which caused the “need” for more expressway lanes. This is not to say that I am not sympathetic to NRDC’s press release (coming to the nuisance, the number of affluent neighborhoods off of expressways, etc.).
Comment by Nuke The Whales Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 11:58 am
No, do not encourage people to live 25 miles from their jobs.
Comment by A Well-Regulated Commenter Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:01 pm
No. Build out the public transit rail system
Comment by Pot calling kettle Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:03 pm
Build the lanes. Shorten commute times not only for those who choose to use the lanes and pay, but for the rest of nonpayers due to less density in the free lanes. Create jobs and build the tax base.
Comment by Lincoln Lad Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:05 pm
Build the lanes. I think we can agree that traffic is not going to go down from current levels, so at a minimum, additional lanes cuts down travel time. In reality though, there will be more cars and more people using 55, and more trains and bike paths are unlikely to change that.
A lot of people who work in the city live in the suburbs. As our man 2Pac once said, “that’s just the way it is.”
Comment by Uncle Merkin Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:10 pm
No, this won’t relieve traffic and certainly won’t reduce emissions. Also no to the public/private partnership, infrastructure decisions shouldn’t be made with profit motive as a factor.
Like others above have said let’s expand public transportation, and dissolve CMAP while we’re at it.
Comment by Excitable Boy Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:11 pm
No. No “Lexus Lanes.” Periodically the Tribune runs stories about the “Lexus Lanes” in the DC Metro area, the ones with “dynamic pricing” … .
Comment by Anyone Remember Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:14 pm
Have they done a new traffic analysis since the pandemic shifted so many downtown jobs to work-from-home?
Also:
• It will improve job accessibility by 47,800.
That, uh…that isn’t a thing.
Comment by The Truth Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:17 pm
Pace has been running express bus along that corridor for several years. Transit alone is not a solution here.
https://www.pacebus.com/sites/default/files/2021-05/PaceRts850_851_855_20210607_0.pdf
Comment by Dance Band on the Titanic Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:18 pm
New highway lanes never reduces traffic. If you want to spend money on projects that actually reduce traffic (and have the side benefit of being environmentally beneficial) improve mass transit and rail throughout the area.
Comment by Homebody Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:20 pm
Of course widen the highway, it’s long over due
This is a no brainer because there is already room because of the rapid transit train that was never built
I am 100% in favor of anything that benefits Oswego
Comment by Lucky Pierre Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:24 pm
===New highway lanes never reduces traffic. If you want to spend money on projects that actually reduce traffic (and have the side benefit of being environmentally beneficial) improve mass transit and rail throughout the area.===
This. The new lanes won’t solve traffic problems that are caused by bottlenecks. Thumbs down.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:24 pm
Absolutely build the lanes. Love this idea. And with respect to my enviro colleagues, they always tell only half the story. They claim it’s about reducing emissions but every place they do a road diet and eliminate traffic lanes including the BRT downtown, they actually increase traffic congestion and increase emissions. Studies about road diets show this but they hope nobody notices. Enough with the war on cars. Yes, build these lanes.
Comment by New Day Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:25 pm
=No “Lexus Lanes.” Periodically the Tribune runs stories about the “Lexus Lanes” in the DC Metro area, the ones with “dynamic pricing”=
Build them. I love the express toll lanes in the DC/Baltimore area. I use them when its “affordable” and avoid it when not. Otherwise, it’s a nice revenue stream on drivers that make individual decisions on how they want to drive.
Comment by CLJ Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:26 pm
While we’re at it, can we institute mandatory imprisonment for people who hover in the left lane on highways instead of using it for passing as they are supposed to. J/k
Comment by New Day Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:27 pm
Build it - the traffic gridlock on I-55 is terrible the additional lanes will help. Plus highway projects are perhaps the most bi-partisan type of spending IL pols can approve.
Comment by Donnie Elgin Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:29 pm
GovJunk folly. Tollway authority sez says does not work.
Comment by ANNON'IN Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:29 pm
No. Could achieve the same or better benefits with dynamic pricing toll lanes on ALL of these big arterial highways; using the revenues to improve signals, transit, and more efficient development at transportation nodes.
Comment by Phineas Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:29 pm
Build the lanes it is already needed. I wish they could have separate lanes for trucks on all highways
Comment by DuPage Said Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:30 pm
Many in Illinois can see, today, haze obscuring sunny skies. That haze is coming from Canada wildfires. This haze, thousands of miles away from the fire source, seems more frequent in recent years. Do not recall this happening years ago. Adding greenhouse gases seems like a terrible idea now. The federal infrastructure and state climate law puts Illinois on a greener path, maybe focus more on building cleaner transportation.
But the jobs and building lanes to move more people and goods, that is great. Yes on building lanes, but with concurrent movement toward cleaner energy.
Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:32 pm
== This is a no brainer because there is already room because of the rapid transit train that was never built ==
Or, here is a crazy idea: build the train.
Comment by Homebody Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:38 pm
“… it’s a nice revenue stream on drivers that make individual decisions on how they want to drive.”
That smacks of Marie Antoinette. When the “Lexus Lane” fare is 10 times normal, let them sit in traffic with the rest of the peasants.
Comment by Anyone Remember Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:42 pm
Nope. Do not enlarge I 55.
Bite the bullet, plan for better public trans. Where do want to be 20 years from now? Take steps today to help us get there.
Comment by Ashland Adam Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:43 pm
This would directly impact me, and I say you must build the lanes. Traffic from the Southwest Suburbs to downtown is an abomination. What should be a 40 minute drive ends up taking anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours.
And before anyone gets their blood pressure up, yes I take public transportation 90-95% of the time. There are just some days that I have to drive because I need to travel to another part of the County for work later on in the day and public transportation would not make sense.
In any event, it should not ever take 2 hours to get downtown from my house. I live approximately 20 miles from downtown.
Comment by Hannibal Lecter Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:45 pm
===crazy idea: build the train===
There already is a Metra line, but it runs only a few times in the morning (inbound) and then in the afternoon (outbound).
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:47 pm
Well don’t build it because if I lived around there it would not be good more traffic and congestion. Seems like some how a better train system would be more useful.
Comment by clec dcn Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:50 pm
No.
A better option would be something similar to 90/94 with mass transit between the outbound and inbound lanes.
More lanes will not solve traffic problems.
As an aside, CMAP has been notoriously and hilariously wrong about population estimates for this area. Back in 2010, I think they had projected plainfield would be 115k by 2025 and 160k people by 2030. Today in 2023, it’s about 42k.
CMAP is best used for general projections, not specific projections. As in will there be above average growth for an area compared to its neighbors, average, or below average. But to use the CMAP projections to specifically back up a plan for specific infrastructure projects down the road, no pun intended, is not a good use of the CMAP data.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:54 pm
Build free lanes, make public trans better. PPP are generally not appropriate…why allow someone to make a profit off a government function? Just adds to the public’s cost.
Comment by Jibba Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 12:57 pm
There is also the Orange line which runs parallel to the Stevenson less than two miles south and runs every 20 minutes or so.
The 6 mile Red Line extension is estimated to cost 3.6 billion and given the inability of the CTA to run it’s current schedule on time and keep it’s passengers safe if clean cars it is a crazy idea to build another train line
Comment by Lucky Pierre Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:03 pm
If we’re not gonna use the median for light tail of some kind then Build The Lanes.
73 minutes to get from downtown to 355 yesterday. At 3PM.
Comment by Concerned Observer Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:04 pm
*light rail
Comment by Concerned Observer Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:05 pm
Of course the road building Union is going to want to build more roads. If the problem is increased demand for commuters, then invest in bus rapid transit, commuter lanes, and Metra solutions that are cheaper and get the job done better.
Comment by Just Me 2 Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:05 pm
The Ports of Illinois and Indiana deliver goods and materials that use truck transport on highways and rail to distribute these goods.
In Illinois, we have Metra at Union Station and the Ogilvie Transportation Center, CTA trains and buses to move passengers. Public transportation can eliminate some aspects of using highway systems.
Meanwhile, the state of Indiana sits on its hands in terms of developing public transportation in the state to alleviate congested roads and highways.
Comment by Rudy’s teeth Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:06 pm
Now that Governor Rauner is no longer in office and can’t get credit for a win, Democrats can safely get behind this common sense project and no one will accuse them of pursuing the project to benefit their “wealthy friends.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-bruce-rauner-stevenson-toll-lanes-met-20170327-story.html
Comment by Lucky Pierre Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:09 pm
The existing Metra Heritage Corridor line serves the same corridor as the I-55 proposal. But the HC line only runs SIX daily trains on weekdays. All trains into Chicago from Willow Springs leave before 7:45am! We need more trains, but track upgrades are needed to run more trains. Why would we not upgrade the tracks and run more trains — more jobs are available from transit projects vs highway expansion projects, AND no issues with induced demand or people paying expensive tolls to pollute communities living near the highway. Could also invest in getting more people from their homes to BSNF or HC stops or CTA Orange line stops. Before building SIX more lanes, why not run more than six trains?
Comment by Run More Trains Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:13 pm
==There already is a Metra line, but it runs only a few times in the morning (inbound) and then in the afternoon (outbound).==
I used to ride the Heritage Corridor there for about 5 years. It is horrible. Only 3 train in in the morning and three trains out in the evening. No weekend service. Only five stops between Joliet and Union Station. It was constantly delayed because of freight trains blocking the tracks. Spend some money on improving that train line.
Comment by Nathan Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:20 pm
I would vote in favor of adding lanes, but perhaps we should consider incentivizing car pooling and/or EV usage by creating dedicated lanes.
Comment by Pundent Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:26 pm
One, expanding highways doesn’t reduce congestion. When you build more lanes, more people drive and fill them up. https://www.governing.com/now/why-the-concept-of-induced-demand-is-a-hard-sell. There are always these big promises with these projects that they’ll solve congestion, and then a few years later, those promises always turn out to be wrong, and we’re right back where we started. Then another project comes along and it’s the same song and dance again.
Two, population growth is minimal-to-declining in the southwest Chicago suburbs. Half as many people are going downtown post-COVID as they were a couple years ago. It’s a very weird time to expand highways designed to take more southwest suburbanites downtown.
Comment by Real Talk Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:28 pm
With all the out migration the politicians are claiming how can this be possible
Comment by Hemi345 Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:28 pm
Build the lanes.
As a long-time Metra rider on a line with a decent number of trains, I respect the ‘improve Metra’ attitude. However, I suspect most people driving have reasons for driving that Metra can not address with even somewhat enhanced service. The reason people don’t ride Metra isn’t because they can’t get from their homes to the station (but yet can drive to the city). Parking at all the Metra stations on my line has improved significantly post-COVID. Finding a spot is not the challenge it used to be.
When I drive into the office, it is usually because I have something else going on that requires me to be someplace outside the loop. Yes, I could take the CTA to those locations or even Metra then take them back to the loop and catch a train, but sometimes a car is much more convenient.
Will County has grown significantly and will continue to do so as the ‘affordability belt’ moves south and west. Part of that growth seems to be the growth of warehousing, yes there can be a whole discussion about that as well, but it has led to what appears to be increased truck traffic on 55 and all the Metra improvements in the world are not going to fix that.
Sometimes you need to add road capacity.
Comment by OneMan Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:28 pm
Back are the days of Pape Phillips
Comment by Hemi345 Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:29 pm
==It would include the addition of managed lanes within the existing median of I-55 between I-90/94 and I-355.==
For those unfamiliar, this stretch of I-55 has very wide left shoulders, built to accommodate the Pace express buses that run between downtown and the suburbs. That’s your first tolled lane. Your second tolled lane will be the existing and currently free left lane. So drivers will actually be losing one free lane of traffic in each direction from these “added” lanes.
I-55 traffic is lousy in no small part because it is a major trucking corridor. You know who’s going to be least likely to pay extra to drive on it? Trucking companies and independent truckers operating on even smaller margins.
Blago tried this bait-and-switch with his “green lanes” proposal for the existing Illinois Tollway system, where you’d pay extra for the privilege of driving in the left lane. Rauner floated the I-55 idea twice: First offering one lane for sale to a P3, then two, and found zero takers both times.
The only relief this would bring to Chicagoans would be for those select few seeking a new outlet for corruption and graft.
Comment by Roadrager Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:33 pm
Sounds more like a Local 150 jobs benefit program to me….
Comment by Joe Schmoe Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:34 pm
==Meanwhile, the state of Indiana sits on its hands in terms of developing public transportation in the state to alleviate congested roads and highways.==
Credit where due: The operators of the South Shore Line are in the middle of a massive project to increase service and capacity through northwest Indiana, adding a second track east of Gary and building a new branch to run north-south through Lake County.
https://mysouthshoreline.com/nictd/special-projects/
Comment by Roadrager Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:38 pm
I-55 work is needed, but what will prevent another Daley-style parking-meter fiasco? Why not have the Tollway build the lanes and keep the tolls for future system upgrades? Or - why not have the unions fund the project, with tolls going to the union pension funds? Better to have the $$$ from the tolls stay in Illinois than flow to foreign oligarchs, sheiks, and investors.
Comment by Ares Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:45 pm
By LP’s logic, the traffic and accidents currently on I-55, mean it’s crazy to build more lanes.
When was the last time you rode the CTA? How about Metra? You speak with such authority, I assume it is quite frequent.
Comment by supplied_demand Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:46 pm
- Roadrager - Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:38 pm:
But won’t they think of the poor cars and the drivers who want to sit in traffic?
Comment by Google Is Your Friend Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:47 pm
The problem with the METRA Heritage Corridor is that it runs on CN freight lines, and feeds to overcrowded (as to track capabilities) Union Station. Short on condemning trackage, which would take years, METRA has to “dance to CN’s tune and timetables”.
Comment by Ares Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:52 pm
Traffic is a gas: it will expand to take up any amount of space we give it. Adding lanes inevitably ends up with similar levels of congestion we have today, because it induces new driving trips to be made. The goal of our transportation network should be to move the highest number of people and goods as efficiently as possible, and the highest throughput speeds on our expressways is far below 55mph. Going fast doesn’t actually mean we’re moving more people and product; quite the opposite usually, as cars and trucks traveling at higher speeds need more buffer space in front of them and behind them to maintain safe operation (to say nothing about increasing lethality of crashes as speeds increase).
Buying a longer belt won’t encourage me to lose weight, and adding more lanes won’t encourage anyone to drive less.
Comment by StarLineChicago Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 1:59 pm
Yes build the lanes - The idea behind induced demand is partially true, but there were a number of other reasons why traffic patterns increased after roads were built (correlation does not equal causation).
Also IDOT did an environmental assessment of this (and they know better about roads than anyone) and their analysis said that ETLs were needed.
Comment by Chicagonk Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 2:16 pm
Right now we could: run more Metra trains, run more Pace bus on shoulder, improve connections to the CTA Orange line, improve walkable access to transit. Consider how travel patterns have changed after COVID - this is an outdated idea. If you build more highway lanes, you will have more driving and more climate-busting emissions. Not to mention harming communities that live nearby. We are in a climate emergency, people. Make the right choice.
Comment by sustainable_solutions Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 2:24 pm
Hammond kids have to crawl under trains to get to school.
https://news.wttw.com
The rail traffic blocks crossings for hours. In Indiana, the government has yet to resolve this dangerous, untenable situation.
Yes, the South Shore is expanding but this venture is approximately 50 years too late.
Comment by Rudy’s teeth Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 2:27 pm
Build it. The productivity lost by lost time of millions of people every year exceeds the cost of building the extra lanes. Also, stop and go traffic creates more pollution and CO2 emissions.
Comment by DuPage Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 2:34 pm
== Enough with the war on cars.==
Haha, now that’s rich!
Comment by charles in charge Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 2:36 pm
How about build the lanes and more public trans. They do not have to be mutually exclusive.
=While we’re at it, can we institute mandatory imprisonment for people who hover in the left lane on highways instead of using it for passing as they are supposed to. J/k=
I like where your head’s at. The sentence should be a year for every mile they sit in the left lane. N/K.
Comment by JS Mill Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 2:41 pm
JS Mill, I see we think alike on both of these issues. We need to invest in public transit and roads. They are not mutually exclusive. The war on cars is stupid and counterproductive.
And for those saying traffic patterns have changed (i.e. reduced), you clearly haven’t been on highways lately. Traffic is horrific at most times of the day and on weekends. And the CTA has become a crime-infested garbage-infested fiasco that even the director won’t ride. So yea, fix it all.
Comment by New Day Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 2:58 pm
One more lane bro. We need to stop investing in helping Amazon zip products around the country more cheaply on roadways paid for by tax dollars and start improving mass transportation, some of which is well over 100 years old, for actual people. The expressways are a hellscape and we’re literally destroying the planet. It has to stop at some point.
Comment by Sonny Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 3:30 pm
We are more reliant on semi-trucks for delivery of goods than ever before. Build ‘em.
Comment by High Socks Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 3:37 pm
Chicago metro area lost 176,000 people in the last two years. Tell me again why we need more roads?
Comment by Ben Tre Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 4:46 pm
Build it but require as part of the privilege of using the toll lanes that you have to be driving an electrical car. That’ll bump interest in them.
Comment by cermak_rd Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 5:04 pm
The cost to build these lanes hasn’t been determined, but most likely will be substantial given how much highway construction costs have risen. It would be better to use those funds to upgrade Metra’s Heritage Corridor to provide regular service, as well as adding more stops along the way. Expanding the highway will only encourage more driving, which will lead to more traffic. Let’s focus on shifting trips out of cars. That benefits everyone, including drivers.
Comment by Chicago Urbanist Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 6:07 pm
Problem: The corridor has insufficient public transportation.
Solution: Build more roads.
Makes total sense.
Comment by Just Me 2 Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 6:19 pm
No. It is very well established that building additional lanes does not address congestion issues and can have the opposite impact by simply leading to more traffic.
“building more lanes!” is a simplistic response that doesn’t solve the problem.
“build more lanes, but make them for only rich people” is a simplistic response that both doesn’t solve the problem while implementing a solution that makes the problem less of an issue for the wealthy. It suggests that elected officials perhaps spend more time trying to convince wealthy people to give them money for their political campaigns than they spend trying to solve problems with the best long term solutions for all of their constituents.
I’m late to the party with this, so I don’t even really know how many people will read this, but we really need to stop wasting our time investing our limited resources in projects that create larger problems for us in the future. We drastically need to create urban places that are less dependent on individualized transportation and need to dramatically reconsider how our current life style isn’t just unhealthy for the people living it, it is contributing to the conditions that imperil our civilization.
We need leadership that actually cares what it will be like to live her in 20 years instead of leadership that is driven by their desire to win a media cycle or win an election and we need the politicos involved in helping that leadership to stop pretending like a perpetual circle jerk of pretending like we’re going to solve a problem by looking busy implementing a solution that won’t solve the problem is good policy or good policy.
We know better than adding more lanes.
We also know better than investing billions of dollars in coal plants, but we did that anyway.
We really need to stop catering to short term interests that screw over the poor suckers that will have to deal with the wasteland of concrete we’re leaving for them so that Thad could get is Imma Big Man truck to his job that is completely dependent on an unsustainable economic paradigm faster.
Governor Pritzker earned another term as Illinois Governor. Maybe he should spend that term demonstrating that he could be the kind of visionary national leader we need instead of a guy that just rubber stamps whatever was already popular with a majority of the voter base in Illinois with a good press team.
Comment by Candy Dogood Thursday, May 18, 23 @ 9:35 pm