Kane County loses out in road money

With Kane County's hopes for large stimulus financial rewards for transportation programs dashed, elected officials are getting their shovels ready to scoop up as much cash as possible from a state capital projects bill.

Kane County's stimulus wish list topped $232 million. As of right now, the county will only receive about $1.2 million for its projects. All of that $1.2 million would go to the Stearns Road Bridge project over the Fox River.

"IDOT took most of the money," said a disappointed Kane County Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Wyatt. "If there was a better model for a 'shovel ready' project than Stearns Road I don't know where it is in the whole country. We could've used a lot more (money)."

With most of IDOT's stimulus money pinned to road resurfacing projects, that leaves Kane County reaching for a dream 10 years in the making. That's how long it's been since Illinois had a state-funded capital projects bill. On top of that, Wyatt said some $4 billion has been siphoned out of the state's motor fuel tax fund for infrastructure improvements over the last five years. That money has gone to pay other bills, leaving roads in a hazardous condition.

"IDOT has had to scale back at a time when in the collar counties, the population is going up," Wyatt said. "It's the worst of both worlds. You've added more traffic to the road while at the same time you've been neglectful of maintaining them."

The best hope for reversing that trend is to stop raiding the motor fuel tax fund and pass a capital bill, Wyatt said. But that means people should brace themselves for more taxes or fee increases to pay for it, he added, because state politicians have historically "lacked the political will" to cut programs.

Kane County officials especially want a capital bill because they believe their carry-over stimulus wish list needs should be near the top of the list. The list includes more money for Stearns Road, widening Orchard Road and the Interstate 90/Route 47 interchange.

Add redoing Route 31 to that list as committee members lamented the hazardous quality of that road on Wednesday. The committee will draft a resolution that specifically calls upon the state to make extensive repairs to the entire north-south route as it snakes through the county.

"We didn't get our lion's share or even a lion puppy's share of the last capital bill," Wyatt said. "Now it's our time, I think, with this capital bill."