Vote NO on plan to extend Route 53

We need traffic relief in Lake County but a Route 53 expressway is not the answer. As was already demonstrated through the recent Route 120 Corridor planning process, Lake County residents support alternative transportation designs that are proven to effectively relieve congestion, are less harmful to our environment and are less costly to taxpayers. A massive, $1 to $2 billion extension of the 53 expressway would reject all benefits of modern traffic design and come at a time when some metropolitan areas are removing elevated expressways.

We believe healthy land and water are fundamental to the quality of life and a balance must be struck between development and open land. As a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving open land in Lake County, we feel compelled to speak up about issues that will have unnecessary and substantial impacts on the land and water resources of the county.

We urge readers to vote "no," sending a clear message to our political leaders that Lake County wants a less costly and more conservation-friendly Route 53 alternative, an option that solves congestion and has much less impact on our precious water resources and wildlife habitat.

Steve Barg

Executive Director

Liberty Prairie Conservancy

Grayslake