Elgin overhaul needs to be speeded up

The Elgin Streetscape Improvement Project is a six-year construction plan from 2006 to 2012 costing $40 million to upgrade and develop the utilities, sidewalks, and roads in downtown Elgin. We should not have to deal with the bad planning, execution, and time it will take to complete the redevelopment.

Finishing this project in three years would decrease the overall cost of construction and the inconvenience to people and businesses in the downtown area. The current plan for improving downtown Elgin is wasting taxpayers' dollars. Some of the previous sidewalks and roads did not even need to be repaired.

The construction is creating unnecessary traffic problems: roads are being closed throughout the day, the construction is making it very difficult to park and the unpaved roads and obstacles are causing damage to the vehicles. The businesses downtown are losing revenue because of the six years of construction, Also, fewer people are going downtown because of the inconvenience caused by the construction.

Completing the project in three years would help reduce these existing problems and help the CBD grow into the flourishing center of the community.

Michael Naskrent

Elgin Community College Student

Elgin