Planners should be proactive on roads

The Route 120 Corridor Planning Council workshop in Hainesville on March 12 was pitched as a way to get public input on proposed road designs to alleviate traffic congestion. In their presentation, planners assured the audience that they are implementing the most progressive thinking about road-building, such as context-sensitive design and innovative features that have proven effective in moving traffic efficiently.

The largest and most vocal group of participants emphasized the need to take seriously the impact of any new construction on sensitive natural areas such as the Almond Marsh Forest Preserve, which includes a heron rookery. Planners answered their concerns by saying that the environmental impact will be considered after the alternative concepts have been refined and feasibility studies completed.

I'm afraid planners have the process backward. Truly innovative planning begins by identifying what needs to be protected and then creating designs and doing feasibility studies. Most people who care deeply about the environment understand that new road capacity is required to keep central Lake County economically competitive. But the road that gets built will shape development over the next century. Let's make sure we get it right.

Carol Sonnenschein

Grayslake