Tollway coordinates with other agencies

Recently, Sleepy Hollow resident Raymond Bellock expressed his dismay in a letter to the editor that the Illinois Tollway is including transit as an element of plans for rebuilding and widening the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90). We appreciate the interest and would like to provide some clarity about our vision for transportation solutions that will affect not only the nearly 1 million people who travel the I-90 Corridor each day, but much of the region, as well.

The I-90 Corridor includes 54-year-old pavement that must be rebuilt and widened. That's a given, as traffic on I-90 will continue to grow. Recognizing that we can't build our way out of congestion, the new leadership at the Illinois Tollway has made it a priority to create solutions in collaboration with other public agencies.

Our 15-year, $12 billion capital program — Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future — commits $2.2 billion to rebuild and widen I-90 from the Kennedy Expressway to I-39 in Rockford. When this project is complete, I-90 will be a 21st century, state-of-the-art corridor and will accommodate transit for the first time in the agency's history.

The Tollway is coordinating its I-90 construction plans with leaders from regional transportation and transit agencies. Our partnership and investment in transit studies with the Regional Transportation Authority have allowed us to better understand costs and infrastructure needs associated with accommodating transit on the tollway.

Accommodating express bus service improvements, considering congestion pricing, exploring expansion of park-and-ride facilities and planning for future transit options, we believe, hold the possibility for reducing congestion and increasing environmentally sound transportation options throughout the region.

We owe it to our customers to invest wisely in transportation infrastructure improvements. We will continue to explore a wide range of innovations to serve the needs of our customers.

Kristi Lafleur

Executive director

Illinois Tollway