Rapid bus system along Randall Road?

Kane County officials Monday heard cost estimates ranging from $680,000 to $13.5 million for the creation of a rapid transit bus system to serve one of the region's busiest corridors: Randall Road.

The estimates varied based on whether such a system would utilize existing arterial streets, require its own lane of traffic or need separate "busways," said Tom Rickert, deputy director of the Kane County Division of Transportation.

The county wouldn't necessarily have to take on the expense all at once, but could build the service over several years, Rickert stressed.

"You don't have to immediately go to any expensive type of system," he told the county board's transportation committee, adding that officials could start small and "keep improving. There's a ton of ways you can do it."

Some committee members said they believe Randall Road, a heavily-traveled thoroughfare lined with commercial and office developments, is underserved by the Pace suburban bus system and needs more frequent and consistent service. Supporters also cited benefits such as reduced emissions from specialized buses and, of course, less commuter traffic.

"It needs to become transit for the masses," said Gerry Jones, an Aurora Democrat. "We need people to look at it as an alternative to driving."

Others questioned whether more buses are the answer.

"Putting (another) bus up and down Randall Road will have no benefit for the residents" better than what they already have, said Cathy Hurlbut, an Elgin Republican.

Rickert estimated the cost of a bus system using arterial streets would be about $680,000. A system with designated lanes of traffic for high-occupancy vehicles would cost about $9 million, he said, while a system with separate "busways" would cost roughly $13.5 million. The estimates do not include operating costs.

The system is proposed to have frequent stops - every 10 minutes or fewer - with covered bus terminals and stations a mile or less apart. The system would cover all of Randall Road in Kane County, from the McHenry County line south to Aurora, then continue on to Orchard Avenue.

Rickert said money is already being put aside for the project, though it likely will be a year or two before the county could move ahead.