Not so fast on dumping Rt. 53 extension

Regarding the "My View" on the proposed Route 53 North extension, ;et's look at the facts:

First, 76% of Lake County voters voted for the Route 53 extension less than 10 years ago. The 1,100 acres for land purchased for the Route 53 right of way so many years ago was a bargain at today's prices and will never be available for a toll road again if sold.

The Route 53 South extension was completed many years ago and has provided travel time and fuel savings, as well as economic benefit, to that region.

The communities of northwest and central Lake County (Fox Lake, Grayslake, Hainesville, Lake Villa, Lakemoor, Lake Zurich, Lindenhurst, Mundelein, Round Lake, Round Lake Beach, Round Lake Park, Round Lake Heights, Wauconda and Volo) are ill-served by timely north-south auto and truck transportation.

Cars and trucks daily jam roads to the east to access the I-94 Tollway South in the morning, with the opposite travel in the evening rush hour. People are traveling further, having to use east-west roads to get to a tollway. Of course, that creates a need for more roadway than if we had a Route 53 North extension.

I have no opposition to listening to alternative transportation plans; however, let's wait to hear them. We should not be talking about selling the proposed Route 53 North extension right-of-way, as some have suggested, unless an alternative economically feasible and workable (reasonable travel times) transportation plan is in place.

Wesley Rouse

Round Lake