Aurora Beacon-News
June 28, 2005
The Illinois Department of Transportation is determined to cram the Prairie Parkway down the throat of Kane, Kendall
and Grundy counties.
June 30 is the last day for public comments in IDOT's look at possible solutions for present and future traffic
needs in the three-county area. The state's anointed solution is the billion-dollar Prairie Parkway, from I-88
near Kaneville to I-80 at Minooka, roughly paralleling Highway 47.
Transportation Secretary Tim Martin has proclaimed the Prairie Parkway as one of three top priorities for highway
funding. If built, this 35-mile freeway would destroy 2,000 acres of farmland and ignite sprawl throughout rural
areas.
Last fall IDOT surveyed area motorists to gather the public's view on traffic problems. Not surprisingly, most
said that they expected traffic congestion to increase in the next 10 years.
But they also told IDOT that they preferred road improvements throughout the area instead of one massive freeway
project.
Almost three-quarters of those polled favored widening existing roads, improving intersections, and adding new
connecting routes.
IDOT is now asking for comments on the highway alternatives spelled out on the IDOT Web site: www.prairie-parkway.com
(that hyphen in the Web address is important, since without the hyphen, you'll go to a Web site run by the Illinois
Road Builders Association).
Another Web site for information is that of Citizens Against the Sprawlway, the grassroots group seeking better
traffic solutions: www.sprawlway.org .
You can send your comments to IDOT at 700 E. Norris Drive, Ottawa IL 61350 or submit them through the IDOT Web
site.
Jan Strasma
Maple Park