Say 'yes' to get Route 53 extension moving again

The slumbering proposal to extend Route 53 north through Lake County is stirring again thanks to an advisory referendum on the April 7 ballot. The Lake County Board poked the giant by deciding to put the controversial project on the ballot in what county board Chairwoman Suzi Schmidt says amounts to a "big survey" of county residents to determine if there is a consensus.

The ballot question contains no details or context about the project, but asks voters only if they support the state doing it.

The road has been on the planning books for more than 30 years. During which time it has been hailed as an answer to burgeoning traffic and vilified for the environmental and community damage it would bring.

Proponents of the advisory referendum say the timing is right to gauge support for the road. No county board members are up for election, so politics is removed from the issue. And, with President Barack Obama and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in office, Illinois has friends in high places who may be able to help with federal funding.

Opponents say this advisory referendum is the wrong way to build or gauge consensus, and fear that talk of extending Route 53 might distract or undercut real progress being made on the valuable Route 120 bypass. What's more, the state has offered no explanation about what consensus will mean or what would happen next.

However, Route 53 is separate from the planning work on the Route 120 bypass, which will run east and west across Lake County, and both projects are needed to ease traffic congestion.

The Daily Herald has been a strong proponent of the Route 53 extension and we encourage voters to support the advisory referendum and show state officials any consensus they need that might help jump-start this project.

Vote "yes" on April 7.