Willow Road meeting leaves some residents frustrated, others hopeful
March 8, 2010 at 7:57 p.m.
Residents of Glenview, Northbrook, Northfield and Winnetka were invited to offer fresh input on the future of Willow Road at a public meeting last week, leaving some residents frustrated and others hopeful.
At the open house meeting March 4 at the Renaissance Hotel in Northbrook, The Illinois Department of Transportation launched phase one of its 24-month Context Sensitive Solutions planning processanticipated to end in the spring of 2011, with hopes that it will deliver a solid plan for the future.
We started in the fall with a fresh start to put multiple proposals on the table, said Peter Harmet, IDOT bureau chief of programming. I think the stakeholders are going to give us a lot of good ideas to explore. And thats what this process is structured to do, is try and look at all those factors and see how we can satisfy all of those concerns.
The multi-decade Willow Road debate primarily concerns a 1.2-mile stretch between Illinois Route 43 (Waukegan Road) and I94 (Edens Expressway), with Northfield in the center, Northbrook and Glenview to the west and Winnetka to the east.
At the center of the debate, is whether or not to add lanes and widen Willow Road in the portion of the road falling primarily in Northfield, which consists mostly of two lanes.
Northfield residents generally dont want to widen the road, with fear it will create safety hazards for school children crossing the road, whereas many Glenview residents would prefer more lanes to reduce traffic congestion.
At the meeting residents received an automated slideshow presentation of planning logistics. In another room, residents viewed large-scale maps of the regionon which they placed Post-it commentsas well as talked with IDOT consultants, filled out comment forms or dictated their remarks to a court reporter.
Displays included information IDOT gathered from its Community Awareness Group meetings, which took place in November and January. The CAG formed in fall 2009, and consists of 25 people from the four communities.
I am disappointed that we are going through another two year study of Willow Road, said Northfield Village President Fred Gougler. Why are we doing it again when we did it before, and why are we doing it again at a higher costparticularly when the state doesnt have any money?
Two previous studies were conducted: The Village of Northfield led one study around 2005 with IDOTs input, which offered a three-lane solution with new turn lanes and street signals. The villages of Northfield and Winnetka performed another study in 2008.
Harmet said the 2005 plan was estimated to cost between $5 million and $8 million, but he was not able to give an estimate on future plansthough funds are expected to come from a multi-year capital program called Illinois Jobs Now. Regardless, he said both previous studies will be considered in the future planning process.
Meanwhile, Harmet said the contract for the consultant team for the 24-month planning process is $1.7 million.
Northfield resident and CAG member Robert Hayward call the presentation at the Northbrook hotel one of smoke and mirrors, and said the same money used to pay the IDOT consultants could be better used to launch the previous 2005 plan.
Im a firm advocate [for] progress, Hayward said. Progress is not wasting another 10 years of all of our lives and wasting 10s of millions of dollars chasing an illogical and reckless plan. Progress is taking the previously approved and funded three-lane 2005 plan that IDOT fully studied and funded and the surrounding communities agreed was the best planand putting it in place today.
However, Don Owen, Glenview village capital projects director and a CAG member, said hes pleased with how IDOT is proceeding, and said he feels like all the communities impacted are coming togetherwhereas Northfield and Winnetka led much of the planning in 2005.
I think [the meeting] was very well organized, Owen said. It was a very nice introduction for residents that might not have participated before in the process. They got a chance to see how the process is going to work.
Owen said Glenview residents are concerned because as Willow Road is being used now, traffic is being diverted to secondary roads.
Glenview is picking up traffic that belongs on Willow Road, agreed Glenview resident Tom Kloempken. Because of the constriction in the road, drivers going to and from the Edens are finding other routes and causing additional traffic, he added.
I dont feel frustrated; I dont feel impressed. I just want to wait and see, Kloempken said. This has been going on for so many years, that I hope I will live to see it being done.
The entire process through construction completion could take as long as six years, Harmet said.
Comments will continue to be collected as part of the Public Meeting No. 1 record through March 19 online at www.willowroadfuture.org.
The next CAG meeting is tentatively scheduled for April 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. at New Trier High Schools Northfield Campus. The public comment period will take place from 8 to 9 p.m.
By Blair Chavis|Triblocal.com reporter
Triblocal.com photos by Blair Chavis
Willow Road Improvement: Did I just read in the previous comment that the safety of Northfield’s school children is a “non issue”? Are you kidding me?? It’s the MAIN issue.
The speed of traffic is considerable higher on a 4 or 5 lane road versus a 3 lane road. Then factor in the lane switching going on. Pedestrian, bike riders & other non motor vehicle users are put at risk. No school zones for 3 schools?
This CAG has been mandated to study REGIONAL solutions to the Willow Road traffic issues, but Glenview & Northbrook are not willing to share the traffic. The burden of traffic volume falls strictly on Northfield. It’s funny how this is turning into a “Not In My Back Yard” issue for Glenview & Northbrook!
Wasting money?? The 3 lane solution can be built TODAY for $20 Million dollars less. Now who is wasting money? Plus, a 4 or 5 lane road CAN’T be built before 2016 by federal law. That’s a waste!!
Go with the 3 lane solution NOW!!
Willow Road Improvement: Granted that Northfield is primarily a residential community, there is no reason why Willow Rd. should not be improved to a 4 lane street with left turn lanes. At the present time, it is dangerous to go from a 4 lane road between I-94 and the Village’s 2 lane road about a half mile west of I-94. Anytime that you go from 4 lanes down to 2 lanes, a danger exists. On many occasions, I visit a friend who lives in Northfield and when I come off of I-94 and have to go through that area of Willow Rd. I am inevitably cut off by someone trying to merge too quickly. Additionally, it often takes waiting up to 10 minutes for the traffic light cycle at Sunset Ridge to take care of the backup that always exists at that location. I have often taken side streets in order to try to avoid that mess.
There are many municipalities that are primarily residential that have 4 lane major roads going through them. Not only do those roads expedite traffic movement through the municipality, but it keeps cars off the side streets. The school zone issue is a non-issue, since speed limit reductions can be implemented when children are present. Recently, when in Florida, I witnessed a 15 mph school speed limit on a major 4 lane street and everyone was obeying the limit because of adequate speed enforcement – commonly known as a speed trap. A four lane IL-22 goes past several schools in Buffalo Grove. There are other examples in the rest of the North Shore Area.
Stop wasting money on studies and make the change to 4 lanes plus left turn lanes instead of the 3 lane concept, which would only work for a short time, if it would work at all.
Build the IDOT Approved 3 Lane Willow Road: Let’s correct several misstated”facts”.
1. Northfield is NOT against progress. Northfield has long been FOR the widening Willow Road as long as it’s built in the CORRECT manner both, financially & from a safety perspective. The IDOT approved, ready to build 3 lane solution WOULD widen Willow Road by 50% and can be built TODAY.
2. IDOT has undermined the entire CSG process by requesting a position letter from the Village of Northbrook (NB). NB passed a resolution earlier this week allowing NB to draft that position letter that states that NB WANTS a 4 lane Willow Road built through Northfield. This resolution passed with 2 dissenting voters stating NB had no business telling Northfield how to manage the roads within its borders.
3. The State of Illinois is BROKE, so WHY waste $15 to $20 Million of tax payer money? The 3 lane solution could go out for construction bids NOW. The 3 Lane solution once built would be reviewed in 5 years and 75% of the infrastructure could be reused if follow up traffic studies showed a 4 or 5 lane solution was required. But if the 3 lane solution works, then $15 to $20 Million dollars of tax payer money wouldn’t be wasted. Should the 4 or 5 lane solution be selected through the CAG process, it WON’T/CAN’T be before 2016 due to Federal law. Talk about delaying progress!
4. IDOT talks up that a Regional Approach is needed concerning Willow Road, but the CAG process doesn’t permitted the CAG from exploring solutions outside of Willow Road that would ease traffic problems for the ENTIRE region. That’s a Regional approach!
IDOT & Senator Schoenberg wake up and sign the cost effective, safer 3 lane solution paper work that has been sitting in IDOT’s office for years now and then, BUILD & WIDEN a safe & cost effective Willow Road today.