Bears at Arlington a logistical nightmare

I grew up in Palatine, two miles due west of Arlington Park. I remember when Otto Kerner went to jail for accepting bribes from erstwhile Arlington Park owner, Marge Lindheimer Everett, to extend IL-53 to Euclid Avenue so racing fans had an easier time of getting to the racetrack.

Moving the Bears to Arlington Park is going to create a nightmare for local residents.

Instead of having multiple mass transit options to reach a game (trains, the El, busses) that Soldier Field has, Arlington Park has exactly one: Metra's Union Pacific Northwest Line. But wait: Union Pacific wants to stop leasing its rails to Metra for commuter service, so that option may disappear.

Rather than being accessible to multiple interstates and the eight-lane DuSable Lake Shore Drive as Soldier Field is, Arlington Park is convenient only to drivers on I-355 (nee IL-53). Yes, drivers could exit I-90 at Arlington Heights Road and slog to the park via Arlington Heights Road.

My question is: Who is going to ante up the money to improve the transportation infrastructure to accommodate the number of football fans in the size stadium the Bears want to build?

The bottom line is: Moving the Bears to Arlington Heights will be a logistical and economic nightmare. I encourage the residents of Arlington Heights to ignore the hype the mayor and the Bears are making and pay attention to the impact such a move will have on their taxes and their community.

Laura J. Graf

St. Charles