Think long-term and short on transportation

I’ve long felt that transportation is a key issue which impacts our daily lives and will continue to do so in the future. Unfortunately, the issue seems to always be crowded out by other important issues.

Yet with gridlock, a crumbling infrastructure and the need for economic development, you would think more candidates and elected officials would be talking about the importance of transportation.

I am supporting Sid Mathias for state representative because of his forward thinking and his work to improve transportation in our region. He was instrumental in bringing North Central train service to our community, and is now working to get the service extended to weekends and later on weeknights.

He secured funding for the second track of the North Central line as well as Route 45. He worked across the aisle to ensure the preservation of the RTA, a move that wasn’t easy or popular at the time but has reaped benefits for the entire region.

He continues to actively fight, alongside Lake County Board Chairman David Stolman and others, for the extension of Route 53 which would alleviate traffic and bring economic develop (i.e. jobs) to the area. We tend to focus on the immediate issues and the political attacks, but I urge your readers to look beyond the politics to the future. If we do not continue to invest in transportation, in a proactive manner, it will be yet another area needing to be repaired. We must think both short and long term, and I believe Sid Mathias has proven he has the ability to do both.

Jeanette Saltzberg

Buffalo Grove