We need to solve a transportation problem without creating bigger problems for the communities that call this area home.
If you’ve traveled Route 120 through Grayslake, Hainesville, Round Lake and the surrounding communities, you probably don’t need anyone to explain that improvements are necessary.
Congestion, traffic backups, railroad crossings and growing traffic demands have made this stretch of roadway increasingly frustrating for residents and commuters.
Something needs to be done. On that, I think most of us agree.
But as the Illinois Department of Transportation continues studying potential solutions, I believe we need to take a much closer look at what a Route 120 bypass could actually mean for our communities, particularly the Village of Round Lake.
I support improving Route 120. I do not support building a bypass that could divide our community, undermine existing businesses, complicate future development and create additional burdens for our residents.
What happens when you divide a community?
One of my biggest concerns is the potential impact a bypass would have on the physical layout and connectivity of Round Lake.
A major roadway cutting through or alongside established portions of the Village could create a significant barrier between neighborhoods, parks, businesses and other community destinations.
Think about what that means for someone who wants to walk or ride a bicycle to a park, visit a neighbor, get to a local business or simply travel between different parts of the Village.
We have worked to make Round Lake a more connected, accessible and pedestrian-friendly community. Our downtown planning, sidewalk improvements and trail connections are all part of that effort.
A major highway corridor could work against those goals, making it more difficult and less convenient for residents to walk or bike between areas of their own community.
We should be bringing our neighborhoods together, not creating another obstacle between them.
What about our schools and children?
There is another concern that deserves attention: school transportation.
Consider students traveling from the north side of Madrona to Park Campus. Depending on the final alignment and available crossings, a bypass could affect existing bus routes and potentially require the Grayslake School District to modify transportation plans.
That means additional buses, longer routes, increased operating expenses and ultimately additional costs for taxpayers.
This isn’t just an IDOT or municipal transportation issue. It could have a direct financial and logistical impact on our local school district.
These potential consequences need to be evaluated before decisions are made, not after construction.
What happens to our businesses and economic development opportunities?
This is particularly important when we consider the potential impact on downtown Round Lake.
Our downtown is an established business district and an important contributor to the Village’s sales tax revenue. Those businesses generate revenue that helps support Village services and operations, while providing residents with places to shop, dine and do business locally.
We have been working to strengthen downtown, improve its appearance, attract investment and create opportunities for existing and new businesses.
A bypass that changes traffic patterns, divides commercial corridors or makes access between different parts of the Village more difficult will negatively affect downtown businesses and the economic activity they generate.
Beyond downtown, Round Lake has additional opportunities to attract businesses, expand our commercial tax base and create more local destinations.
Those opportunities depend on accessibility, visibility, connectivity and the ability to develop commercial properties in a practical and financially viable way.
We should be investing in our existing business districts and creating opportunities for future commercial development, not potentially creating barriers that undermine those efforts.
Is a $2 billion solution the only solution?
Previous estimates for a Route 120 bypass have exceeded $2 billion. While current costs are still being evaluated, that is an extraordinary financial commitment. Let’s face it, it’s going to be double that cost estimate.
We need to ask whether that investment is realistic, how it would be funded and whether comparable improvements to the existing roadway could address many of the same problems.
There are other options worth seriously evaluating:
- Grade separating railroad crossings, particularly at Route 83.
- Improving intersections with dedicated turn lanes and better traffic signal coordination.
- Addressing existing roadway bottlenecks.
- Improving pedestrian and bicycle crossings and trail connections.
- Making targeted capacity improvements where they will provide the greatest benefit.
These are meaningful improvements that deserve serious consideration before committing to an entirely new highway corridor.
Round Lake has partnered with several other Villages and developed alternate options to fix existing route 120, some of which is now being discussed by the State but the Bypass is still part of their discussion. The alternates are estimated to cost less than $100 million. A far cry from the BILLION dollar idea.
Let’s fix the road without dividing our community.
I recognize that doing nothing is not an acceptable answer. Route 120 needs attention, investment and a long-term transportation solution.
But moving vehicles through our region should not come at the expense of making it more difficult for residents to move around their own community, creating additional burdens for our schools, negatively affecting established businesses or limiting future economic development opportunities.
Round Lake has a future worth investing in. We should be making decisions that strengthen our neighborhoods, support our businesses, connect our residents and create opportunities for continued growth.
I believe we should focus on fixing Route 120 rather than building a bypass that could create an entirely new set of problems for the communities it affects.
We need a transportation solution that works for the region without sacrificing the interests and future of the communities along the way.
Forward Motion is my personal blog and represents my thoughts and opinions. The views expressed here are my own and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Village of Round Lake or its Board of Trustees.
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