Stop Rte. 53 plan once and for all

The new Illinois Tollway chairman, Bob Schillerstrom, in a June 8 Daily Herald article said the $1.9 billion dollar shortfall for the Route 53 extension might require a toll increase system wide. Further he said the project looks beneficial as an economic development tool and a congestion relief tool.

However, commercial development breeds congestion.

Route 45 runs smoothly and parallel to the proposed Route 53 extension to Route 120 and benefits Mundelein's downtown businesses. The residents of Long Grove and Hawthorn Woods, who would be most impacted by this unnecessary project, are not interested in commercial development or having their tolls increased along with increased gasoline taxes for Lake County.

We do not recall any referendum for the residents asking what their opinion was on this matter, and our leaders mistakenly assume that our residents want their taxes raised and more congestion and commercial development.

The Illinois Tollway Advisory Committee that met in DuPage County on March 12th said the project would cost $2.65 billion dollars in 2020 dollars and suggested a 4-cent-per-gallon gas tax and increasing tolls for Lake County residents.

These proposals amount to more bad ideas being forced on Lake County residents for a wasteful project. If Gov. Rauner is sincere about cutting waste in Illinois, he should kill this 50-year-old, multibillion dollar boondoggle once and for all.

Harry and Carol Georgas

Long Grove