What transportation costume will you wear this Halloween?
I wasn't sure what costume to wear this Halloween. I thought about dressing up as the looming capital shortfall facing public transit, or an angry Hoosier with a massive bill from the Illinois tollway or a Metra audit.
But everybody's going to be wearing those outfits this year, so I'm opting for a more original idea. I plan to trick or treat as the Surface Transportation bill a sure crowd-pleaser.
And speaking of scary things, here's what keeps Hanover Park Mayor Rod Craig up at night. Hanover Park is the western terminus of the IHOP (Itasca to Hanover Park) Expressway also known as the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway, although it doesn't reach either place now.
But it looks increasingly likely that some funding for the eastern leg of the expressway into O'Hare and a western bypass around the airport linking to I-90 and the Tri-State Tollway will be identified soon.
If this happens, it leaves Hanover Park with a dilemma.
Opening up the western part of the airport and allowing connections via the bypass with I-90 to the north or the Tri-State to the south will generate instant popularity and more drivers on the expressway.
The question is, how do you handle the new influx of traffic spilling out into Hanover Park, asks Craig. He contacted me after a recent story about the highway where I pointed out there's been little action on the western half of the EOH intended to reach Elgin.
Craig said he's been busy convincing federal and state officials to consider extending the expressway as a boulevard west from Lake Street to County Farm Road. Along with that, he advocates establishing a bus rapid transit route along County Farm Road to take people to destinations such as Central DuPage Hospital.
This would avoid a chokepoint in Hanover Park and give drivers a transition road coming off the EOH, Craig said. “I want to see traffic to continue to move and public transit to go with it,” he explained.
Tollway score card
She just said no. Last year, it was a mixed bag of have and have-nots on the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority board of directors regarding compensation.
New appointees Chairman Paula Wolff and Directors Bill Morris and Tom Weisner, who also is Aurora mayor, served without pay as part of a tollway reform effort.
This year, Wolff is the lone board official forgoing the $31,000 annual stipend. “It's a personal choice,” said Wolff, a senior executive with Chicago Metropolis 2020. “It's a public service, and it's a commitment to the tollway and it's what I agreed to.”
Morris and Weisner served throughout 2009 and part of 2010 without reimbursement. They've received about $18,000 each compared to $28,000 for other directors so far in 2010, according to state records.
Morris, a retired investment banker who chairs a tollway ad hoc customer service committee, has been a vocal presence on the board. He estimated spending 60 to 80 hours a month on tollway business. “I found I was spending tons of time trying to understand electronic tolling and why contracts are issued the way they are,” he said. “The amount of time I put in more than justifies the pay.”
Weisner, chairman of an oases ad hoc committee, said he spends about 45 to 55 hours a month on tollway issues. “Certainly, the workload has been significant,” he said. “I think we're earning that stipend.”
Incoming
Ÿ To me, it's not the same without Antti Niemi or Dustin Byfuglien but Chicago Blackhawks fans who don't live in the past now can buy license plates with the team logo. For current plate holders, the cost is $139 and you can pre-order at cyberdriveillinois.com.
Ÿ With daylight saving time approaching, the Humane Society of the United States warns motorists to watch for pets and wildlife as the days get shorter. Be cautious during dawn and dusk and while driving on two-lane roads near forest preserves or parks, the society said.