KDOT: Here Are the Facts About Longmeadow Parkway
Over the past decade, Kane County Division of Transportation Deputy Director Tom Rickert estimates that he’s attended at least 160 meetings about the proposed Longmeadow Parkway, from coffee-table talks in residents’ homes to big, formal presentations his department has made for citizens groups and local-government boards.
Along the way, the proposed four-lane Fox River Bridge crossing and four-lane arterial roadway corridor in northern Kane County has garnered support resolutions from local government bodies, including two counties — Kane and McHenry — and 10 surrounding municipalities: Algonquin, Barrington Hills, Carpentersville, East Dundee, Gilberts, Hampshire, Huntley, Lake in the Hills, Sleepy Hollow and West Dundee. In recent months, some organized opposition has emerged, as well, and at times the rhetoric has been passionate.
KDOT officials and Kane County Board members on Tuesday acknowledged that there will never be unanimous and unilateral support from Kane County’s 527,000 residents for any plan as big as Longmeadow Parkway. But they also expressed concern that some of the information they’ve seen and heard is simply incorrect.
“It’s frustrating when people are throwing out data that is not just off but way off,” Kane County Board member Drew Frasz said at Tuesday’s County Board meeting. “We welcome people to voice opposition, but please base it on the facts.”
Project Overview
The Longmeadow Parkway Fox River Bridge Corridor is a proposed four-lane Fox River Bridge crossing and four-lane arterial roadway corridor with a median, approximately 5.6 miles in length, to alleviate traffic congestion in northern Kane County. The proposed road passes through portions of the Villages of Algonquin, Carpentersville and Barrington Hills, as well as unincorporated areas of Kane County. The western terminus is at Huntley Road west of Randall Road, approximately 1,300 feet northwest of the Huntley/Boyer intersection.
From Huntley Road to the Fox River, the corridor primarily traverses mostly undeveloped properties or new subdivisions; the newer subdivisions were developed with a dedicated right of way to accommodate the proposed corridor. After crossing the river, the corridor parallels existing Bolz Road, to the eastern project terminus at Illinois Route 62.
Longmeadow Parkway Facts
SOURCE: Response to Public Comments on Longmeadow July 2015, posted on Kane County Division of Transportation website
Longmeadow Parkway Has Been Approved Since 2002
Longmeadow Parkway centerline alignment and four-lane design elements were approved in the 2001 Final Environmental Impact Statement and 2002 Federal Record of Decision. The description remains unchanged and is in accordance with the 2002 approval.
The Project Cost Is $115 Million
The current estimate for construction and construction engineering for the corridor is $115 million (including a cost index). The current funding plan for the project includes transportation revenues from Federal Highway Administration ($12 million), Illinois Department of Transportation ($40 million), Kane County ($23 million), and bond revenue ($40 million) supported by user fees from a bridge toll. These existing fund sources (Motor Fuel Tax, for example) are designated only for transportation purposes and are specifically allocated to Longmeadow Parkway in federal, state and county programs.
The Financial Plan Draft Has Been Submitted, Will Be Published Upon Approval
The federally required Financial Plan has been drafted and submitted to FHWA and IDOT for their review in accordance with federal procedures. The Financial Plan will be placed on KDOT’s website upon approval. Typically, projects of this scope are constructed in stages or incrementally. As such, the plan will be updated and resubmitted annually to address changes.
Longmeadow Parkway Is Not a High-Speed Tollway
Longmeadow Parkway is not a high speed/capacity tollway facility. The proposed speed limit east of Randall will be similar to a local collector road, and tolling applies only to the Fox River bridge portion of Longmeadow with the remainder of the corridor providing local access with no toll. A reevaluation of the FEIS was completed and approved in 2009 by IDOT and FHWA that demonstrated continued traffic benefits even with a reduction of traffic due to tolling.
If There Is a Toll, It Would Be Only For Bridge
Tolling provides a mechanism for non-Kane County residents to help pay for the new Fox River bridge, supplements existing transportation revenues and will not result in new taxes. The financial feasibility study demonstrated a bonding capacity of up to $75 million, while the current financial plan proposes bonding $40 million.
The study also showed a reverse correlation between toll rates and traffic volumes. With the recent FHWA and IDOT funds committed to the project, the county is now anticipating a reduced toll rate, which will increase the benefits of Longmeadow Parkway and better address area traffic congestion.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Rickert said that back in 2009, the “worst case scenario” projection was a $1.50 toll, based on the funding that was available at that time. Every dollar that comes in from state and federal sources reduces the reliance on a user fee, and Rickert said Tuesday a reduced toll rate “is pretty much a given.”
Plans Have Been Updated, Including Wetlands, Endangered Species and Trees
Projects of this scope often take 10 to 20 years to implement. As such, federal and state agencies require planning updates as appropriate to comply with applicable regulations. Examples of recent Longmeadow updates included wetlands, threatened and endangered species, and tree surveys. Longmeadow will be required to adhere to the rules in place for construction.
Longmeadow Parkway Is the Environmentally Approved Alternative — Even Over a No-Build Scenario
Longmeadow was the only alternative found acceptable by the federal, state and local agencies to proceed to construction after 10-plus years of environmental studies and engineering that considered several alternative corridors and a no-build scenario. The other alternatives were not found acceptable as the environmental and traffic impacts were significantly greater. Even two local bridge options were considered but showed significant negative impacts to the environment and to existing local streets and neighborhoods.
Population Is Growing Now, Anticipated to Grow
Longmeadow addresses both the existing and projected population growth in the area. According to the U.S. Census, the population of Kane County has increased from about 208,000 people in 1960 to over 515,000 people in 2010. The population estimate for 2014 is 527,306. The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) recently updated their 2040 Population Growth Projection in 2014 showing about 146,000 new people projected for Dundee, Rutland, Grafton and Algonquin Townships.
Studies Show Longmeadow Parkway Will Have Positive Impact on Economic Growth
Adding a river crossing within Dundee Township is projected to have a positive impact on economic growth. County and municipal studies show that businesses are anticipated to benefit due to better access to customers on both the east and west sides of the Fox River as the transportation network will be enhanced. Increased accessibility and mobility are key aspects to economic growth. Economic growth is beginning to move again in the Longmeadow Parkway area with Northern Kane County a leader in new housing starts currently in the Chicago region.
Longmeadow Parkway Will Alleviate Traffic Congestion
The project will assist in improving mobility and alleviating traffic congestion by providing a new crossing of the Fox River. More direct routes reduce the number of miles traveled. While traffic was temporarily reduced during the downturn in the economy, traffic volumes were still over capacity for a four-lane roadway (Level of Service D) and are increasing again on such roads as Randall Road, Huntley Road, IL Route 72, and IL Route 31. Traffic congestion impacts economic growth and existing communities by hampering accessibility and the desirability of existing and planned businesses. Decreasing congestion will also provide safety and environmental benefits.
Kane County, Forest Preserve District Are Working in Cooperation
The acquisition of the right of way between the Fox River and IL Route 31 (Brunner Farm) by the County of Kane for Longmeadow Parkway was the culmination of almost 20 years of planning and coordination with the Forest Preserve District. The April 2007 referendum approved the borrowing of funds to expand forest preserve holdings throughout the County and was not specific to the Brunner Farm property. Prior to the Brunner acquisition, in 2008, the FPDKC and County worked together to set aside both the Forest Preserve open space and County right of way necessary to construct Longmeadow Parkway in accordance with adopted planning efforts. The joint cooperation helped make the Brunner Forest Preserve a reality.
Safety Is an Important Element in the Longmeadow Parkway Design
Safety is an important element in the design process and the Longmeadow Parkway project follows federal, state, and county standards to create as safe a corridor as possible. The corridor will have a maximum speed limit of 45 mph east of Randall Road. This includes pedestrian accommodations at intersections and the inclusion of a separated shared-use path along the length of the corridor. Longmeadow will provide first responders with another direct route across the Fox River and an alternative to IL Route 62 and IL 72.
Longmeadow Parkway Has Received Repeated, Consistent Community Support
For nearly two decades, the Longmeadow Parkway project has received the support of all communities within its corridor, along with neighboring communities, with support demonstrated through resolutions, adoption of municipal comprehensive plans, two referendums, and election of public officials supporting Longmeadow. The villages of Algonquin, Carpentersville and Barrington Hills worked together to foster a regional transportation consensus that became known as the Longmeadow Parkway Bridge Corridor.
Read More
- IDOT’S $8.4 Billion Plan Includes $63 Million for Longmeadow Parkway
- Longmeadow Parkway Vision Comes to Life in KDOT’s 3D Animated Video
- Long-Awaited Longmeadow Parkway Bridge Project Gets $45 Million Shift Into Overdrive
- Kane County Transportation Update: 30 Really Cool Projects in 2015
- Kane County Transportation: 2014 Successes and What to Expect in 2015
- 7 Major Capital Projects in Kane County’s 2015 Budget
