Carey opposes Route 53 plan

The question seems simple: Do you support "the extension of Route 53" into Lake County. But what's the context?

The last study of the Route 53 extension concluded in 2001, so we have no current information on the cost, environmental impact, funding, or character of the proposed road. The voter has no idea that the project, as envisioned eight years ago, could cost $1 billion to $2 billion, have significant environmental impacts and impact other projects being studied today.

In 2000, the village of Grayslake passed a resolution supporting a Route 120 bypass to be considered separately from the Route 53 project. We did this so we could move the ball forward on a Route 120 improvement, which is critical to central Lake County, even though the Route 53 discussion continued to be bogged down in controversy.

A few years ago, Lake County and the affected municipalities formed a Corridor Planning Council to look at improvements in the Route 120 corridor. The CPC recently agreed on the character of the bypass as a four-lane, at-grade boulevard and is currently discussing alternative alignments. The CPC will wrap up the first phase of the study this fall and federal funding has been allocated to continue the next phase.

The Route 120 bypass is a project that has consensus support of the stakeholders, something the Route 53 extension never achieved. While some may argue these are two different projects, they must inevitably be linked and work together. Are we really willing to risk the progress on the Route 120 initiative by reopening the Route 53 argument?

It is not that I don't recognize the need for transportation improvements through the central part of the county. However, simply putting an out-of-context question to the voters doesn't move us forward. We need to conclude the Route 120 study and turn it over to the Illinois Department of Transportation for further study. Then we need to convene all stakeholders to look at a north-south transportation project that will work with the Route 120 boulevard concept and include other opportunities, such as light rail and bike lanes.

If we are serious about transportation improvements, let's do it right this time and not just launch another 30-year argument.