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This chapter focuses on the general characteristics of the transportation system in Will County and on countywide transportation issues. The performance of the existing transportation system was then evaluated at year 1995 and year 2020 levels to identify deficiencies and other operating characteristics.

Pertinent information on the existing transportation system was gathered from the Will County Land Use Department. This was supplemented by data available from the various regional and local agencies that have jurisdiction over elements of the system.

A series of community meetings (see Appendix) were held with municipal officials, county staff, and the Will County Planning and Zoning Commission to identify issues that should be considered when making planning decisions about transportation in the county. The issues identified in these meetings form the context of the planning process and the basis for the goals and objectives statement formulated in the next chapter.

Using socioeconomic data provided by the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC), the Chicago Area Transportation Study (CATS) performed the trip generation work and made traffic assignments for the Will County subarea. This was based on a transportation network consisting of existing facilities and committed roadway projects.

The resulting traffic projections were used to evaluate the existing transportation system for the base year (1995) and forecast year (2020) conditions. Capacity and travel time analyses were performed using output from the traffic assignment model. This was supplemented with manual traffic counts, field observations, and existing information on file with various public agencies.

General Characteristics of the Existing Transportation System

This section describes the general characteristics of the existing transportation system in terms of major travel corridors and jurisdictional responsibilities.

Major Travel Corridors

There are three major travel corridors in Will County: (1) northeasterly flow to and from the Chicago Loop and areas surrounding the downtown from the northwestern sections of the county; (2) north-south flow to and from the downtown Chicago area from the central and eastern sections of the county; and (3) north-south intersuburban flow between Will County and DuPage County. The northeasterly flow and the north-south flow between Will County and downtown Chicago are established by the work commuting routes. These trips use both commuter rail (Metra) and private vehicles. Many of the Metra riders use park-n-ride lots. Thus, they experience a short auto-driver/passenger trip within the county before boarding the Metra train. Commuters traveling to and from the far eastern edge of the county are primarily auto users. They generate traffic volumes along major highway routes such as the Calumet Expressway (IL 394) and Dixie Highway (IL 1).

The north-south flow to and from DuPage County reflects a growing suburban employment market. As more employers locate in the suburbs, the commuting patterns change from the traditional radial routes to intersuburban flow. This is occurring in the north-south direction within the four-county WIKADUKE region. Much of the traffic is destined for the North-South Tollway (I-355) and IL 59. Because the existing commuter rail system evolved to serve radial demand, this intersuburban flow consists of trips made almost exclusively by private automobile.

Existing Road System

The county roadway system is a network of interregional, regional, county, and local streets and highways. There are five major jurisdictional responsibilities for these roadways:

• State highways (including U.S. and Illinois state routes and interstates)
• Tollways
• County highways
• Township roads
• Municipal streets

The interstate highways carry the highest traffic volumes, in the range of 21,000 to 98,300 vehicles per day (vpd) based on the 1995 IDOT annual average daily traffic (AADT) map for Will County. I-55 carries the greatest volume, with traffic levels of 21,000 to 98,300 vpd. I-80 carries a somewhat lesser volume of 30,000 to 57,100 vpd. State routes and arterials carry volumes mostly in the range of 2,200 to 33,900 vpd, with the highest volumes in the Joliet area.

Interstates, Tollways, and State Highways

The interstate highways and tollways are interregional routes, and there are three such routes in Will County: I-55, I-80, and I-57. Also known as the Stevenson Expressway, I-55 connects St. Louis with Chicago and traverses the county from southwest to northeast. Access to and from I-55 occurs via IL 113, IL 129, Lorenzo Road, Blodgett Road, Arsenal Road, Millsdale Road, U.S. Route 6, I-80, IL 59, U.S. Route 52, U.S. Route 30, IL 126, Weber Road, IL 53, Joliet Road, and I-355. I-80 (Moline Expressway) connects the Quad Cities with the southern suburbs of Chicago and crosses Will County in an east-west direction. Within Will County, there are nine interchanges on I-80, including I-55, IL 7, U.S. Route 6, IL 53, Richards Street, Briggs Street, U.S. Route 30, U.S. Route 45, and IL 43. I-57, which serves the eastern half of Illinois from Chicago to the southern tip of the state, runs north-south through Will County, with two interchanges in the county: one at Wilmington-Peotone Road and one at Manhattan-Monee Road.

A fourth interregional route, I-355 (North-South Tollway), has been approved to be extended from I-55 south to I-80. It should be noted, however, that at the time of this study, a major legal challenge had been raised about this road. At the time of this report, IDOT was in the process of updating the final environmental impact statement to address the findings of the court proceedings.

The state highways are regional routes. In Will County, the state highway system consists of the Illinois and U.S. Routes. Three Illinois state routes run north-south through the county to serve the traditional travel patterns of the region: IL 59 in the northwest portion of the county, serving Joliet and Plainfield; IL 1 in the eastern portion of the county, serving Beecher, Crete, and Steger; and IL 394 in the northeastern part of the county, serving Crete. Three other north-south highways primarily serve travel within the county: IL 53 to the west; U.S. Route 45 in the middle; and IL 50 (Governors Highway) in the east. Four east-west highways serve the county, including IL 7 in the north and U.S. Routes 6, 30, and 52 through the middle.

County Highways

There are more than 25 north-south and 24 east-west county highways, ranging in length from 1 mile to more than 10 miles. These county highways provide service between U.S. and state highways and between the various municipalities. There is no continuous coverage, either north-south or east-west, exclusively on the county highway system. Instead, the county highways augment the U.S. and state highway system by providing needed connections to serve existing travel patterns. For example, persons traveling from Frankfort to Monee may use Center Road to Manhattan-Monee Road, rather than using U.S. Route 30 to either I-57 or IL 50. Key county highways include:

• East-West: Boughton Road, 135th Street, 143rd Street, Renwick Road, Caton Farm Road, Laraway Road, Manhattan Road, Monee Road, Beecher Road, and Wilmington Road
• North-South: Weber Road, Naperville Road, Briggs Street, Cedar Road, Bell Road, Center Road, and Harlem Avenue

Township Roads

The township road system evolved to serve the needs of the farming community. Now, with scattered rural development, these roads serve as the local collector system of highways. The township roads are maintained by the 24 township road districts and often change names at township boundaries. Many of these roads are quite short and provide access from within the township to one major street.

Municipal Streets

The municipal streets serve local and through traffic within a city. Municipal streets may be located in residential neighborhoods, commercial areas, and industrial areas and provide connections between individual developments and collector/arterial roads. These streets are used predominantly for shorter trips and to access other roads.

Existing Transit System

In addition to the auto-oriented transportation system, Will County has a public transportation system composed of commuter rail, regular bus, and paratransit services. The transit services are as follows:

1. Metropolitan System

Three commuter rail lines (to the Chicago Loop):

• Metra Electric from University Park
• Metra Heritage Corridor from Joliet through Lockport
• Metra Rock Island District from Joliet through New Lenox and Mokena

A fourth line, Metra SouthWest Service, begins just outside the county on 179th Street in Orland Park and serves commuters from eastern Homer Township.

2. Pace System.

Pace currently provides four types of transit service: traditional fixed route, limited express bus, dial-a-ride, and custom service, as described below:

• Traditional Fixed-Route Service. Pace's traditional fixed-route service operates along clearly defined routes, stopping at designated locations. In Will County, Pace currently operates four routes (Nos. 819, 823, 824, and 825) between the Bolingbrook area and the Lisle Metra station; two routes (Nos. 680 and 683) between southern Naperville and the Naperville Metra station; one route (No. 367) serving the University Park area; six routes (Nos. 501, 502, 503, 504, 505, 506, and 507) serving Joliet and neighboring areas; and four regional routes (Nos. 831, 833, 834, and 837) that connect Joliet with Midway Airport, Hodgkins UPS facility, Yorktown Mall, and the Naperville campuses of Lucent Technologies and Amoco Research, respectively.
• Express Service. Pace currently provides one high-speed, limited-express route (the I-55 Flyer, No. 855) in Will County. This route connects the Romeoville and Bolingbrook park-n-ride lots, two areas not presently served by Metra, with the Chicago Loop
• Dial-a-Ride Service. Pace provides dial-a-ride service, also known as paratransit, throughout all but the southwestern corner of the county. Dial-a-ride offers curb-to-curb transit service to the mobility-limited public and was designed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This service is provided in areas that do not meet the criteria for fixed-route service. Most of the service is operated through agreements between Pace and villages or townships, which finance a share of the operating costs. This service is planned for expansion to serve the remaining southwestern portion of Will County
• Custom Services. Pace offers custom services for those markets that cannot be effectively served by fixed-route, express bus, and dial-a-ride operations. These services include subscription bus service, midday circulations, seasonal routes, and vanpool operations

The use of these transit services is relatively low in comparison with the greater Chicago region, and service has been provided to meet demand. Table 1 shows the utilization of commuter rail in Will County. As the data indicates, the greatest number of boardings takes place at the University Park, New Lenox, and Hickory Creek stations. The parking supply at all stations is sufficient, although the New Lenox and Lockport stations operate near capacity. Table 2 shows Pace ridership on the 16 fixed routes and one express route that serve Will County.

Table 1 - Commuter Rail Utilization.
Train Line/Station	1997 Daily Boardings	1997 Daily Alightings	Parking Lot Capacity	Percent of Parking Lot Used
Metra Electric: University Park	851	861	734	78.6%
Metra Heritage Corridor: Lockport	182	. 140	. 128	. 96.8
Jolieta	171	155	582	63.4
Metra Rock Island District:  Jolieta	480	. 496
New Lenox	861	848	602	96.3
Mokena	606	615	296	78.3
Hickory Creek	719	713	1,123	73.4
Total	3,870	3,828	2,926	76.3%
Source: Commuter Rail System Station Boarding/Alighting Count, Metra, Fall 1997; Metra Parking Database, 1997.  a Station served by both Rock Island District and Heritage Corridor lines--parking use data combined.

 

Table 2 - Pace Fixed Route and Express Bus Service Ridership in Will County.
Pace-Owned Bus Service
Route No.	Name	1997 Average Daily Weekday Ridership	Route No.	Name	1997 Average Daily Weekday Ridership
367	University Park	219	834	Joliet-Yorktown	611
501	Forest Park-West Jefferson	832	837	Joliet-Naperville Express1	N/A
502	Cass/Marquette Gardens	458	680	Naperville-Knoch Knolls	94
503	Black Road-Raynor Park	215	683	Naperville-Ashbury	82
504	South Joliet	197	819	Hunter's Woods-Lisle Feeder	66
505	Rockdale/Lidice	404	823	West Bolingbrook-Lisle Feeder	54
506	East Washington	208	824	East Bolingbrook-Lisle Feeder	179
507	Plainfield	365	825	Centr. Bolingbrook-Lisle Feeder	106
831	Joliet-Midway	189	855	I-55 Flyer	223
833	Joliet-UPS1	N/A		Total	4,502
Source: Pace Average Daily Ridership Statistics. 1 New route--daily ridership statistics not yet available.

Non-Motorized Transportation System

Bikeway and Pedestrian System

The Will County region has very limited bikeways and pedestrian paths. These routes consist of the Illinois and Michigan (I&M) Canal State Trail (Rockdale to Channahon); Centennial Trail (Joliet to Forest View); Pilcher Park (Joliet); Old Plank Road Trail (New Lenox to Park Forest); and IL 102 (Kankakee River State Park). There are, however, numerous on-street bicycle routes in the county recommended by the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation.

According to the CATS Household Travel Survey for Will County, 62 percent of all trips are less than five miles. Will County recognizes the need for bicycle improvements for both recreational and non-recreational trips. These bikeways and pedestrian links should be effective alternatives to short auto trips, as well as promoting economic development on a pedestrian level. Bikeways and pedestrian links will relieve the local transportation network of short-distance vehicle trips, which will ultimately help the regional network function more efficiently. Will County was a participant in the development of the Will County Local Goals and Strategies for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Component of the 2020 Regional Transportation Plan, as adopted on July 26, 1995, by the Will County Governmental League Transportation Committee. A more detailed bikeways plan is needed to implement these goals and provide for the possibility of bicycle modes on shorter trips. Such a plan would be appropriate as a future addendum to the transportation plan. The timing of this effort soon after the adoption of the Will County 2020 Transportation Framework Plan would allow for appropriate integration with the regional bikeway planning effort currently being undertaken by the CATS Council of Mayors.

Equestrian Trails

In spite of all the development in the county, a large portion of Will County remains rural. Numerous horse owners reside in the rural areas, as well as in some suburban outlying areas of the county. The development of equestrian trails is therefore an existing and growing need within Will County. A more comprehensive system of trails is needed.

A network of trails that addresses a variety of transportation modes should include provision for equestrian activities as well as bicycle and pedestrian uses. Consideration should be given to providing multi-use trails that accommodate horse riders, bicyclists, and pedestrians through coordinated links and networks. The goal of the equestrian trail plan should be to provide recreational trails to riders that are designed with accessible trail heads as well as recognizing horses as a mode of non-motorized transportation. More detailed attention to provisions for equestrian trails could be given through a future addendum to this Transportation Framework Plan, or by expanding the bikeway plan to address a variety of trail concepts.

General Aviation Airports

The area is served by a number of general aviation airports. The Joliet Park District operates a major public airport on the west side of the Joliet metropolitan area, and Lewis University operates a major public airport as part of the university aviation program. Howell Airport and Clow International Airport are major, privately owned general aviation airports. In addition, there are numerous other small, privately held airports in the region.

The viability of the county's general aviation facilities is increasingly at risk for succumbing to development pressures. Residential growth has now surrounded some of the airports (such as Clow International). As a result, homeowners find themselves affected by the noise produced by airport operations. The location of the airports and increasing land values make airport property attractive for commercial or residential development and provide incentive for private airport operators to sell their property. In addition, the location of the potential South Suburban Airport threatens the operation of Sanger Airport near Monee.

Current Transportation Issues

Community meetings were held with municipal and township officials to obtain their input on the Will County Transportation Plan. These meetings served as a forum for identifying their concerns about transportation issues. Through discussions with county staff, municipal and township officials, and the Will County Planning and Zoning Commission, the following transportation issues were identified:

• County growth
• Economic development
• Environmental concerns
• Future funding sources
• Response to federal and state transportation programs
• Planning issues

County Growth

Growth in any form places increased stress on the county transportation system. If population increases, the new residents must travel to work and school. If employment increases, the new employees must commute to these jobs. While modest growth may have little impact on the transportation system, high, uncontrolled growth could produce significant problems. Therefore, it is important to consider the effect of growth on the transportation system.

The transportation system should be an integral part of the county's environment, enhancing existing development and encouraging desired new land uses. It should provide adequate access to farmland, industrial areas, and commercial centers without unnecessarily disrupting existing neighborhoods or restricting pedestrian mobility. In addition, the scale of the road system should be appropriate to the surrounding land uses.

Table 3 shows Will County population forecasts prepared by the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) in 1997. These forecasts were derived from the 1990 census data. The latest census estimations of population prepared in 1998 indicated that the county is growing more rapidly than NIPC is projecting.

Table 3 - Will County Population Projections  (U.S. Census/NIPC).
Year	Population	Annualized Growth Percentage
1950	143,336
1960	191,617	2.9%
1970	249,498	2.7
1980	324,480	2.7
1990	357,313	1.0
1998	459,189a	3.6
2020 without airport	722,794b	2.4
2020 with airport	805,906b	2.7
a Population estimate released by U.S. Census Bureau, March 1998. b Population forecasts endorsed by Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission, November 6, 1997.

If built, the third regional airport would also have a major impact on population estimates, i.e., larger population and employment growth. Employment would change in a somewhat different pattern, although the northwest, north central, and east subareas would still experience the greatest change, whether the airport is built or not. The employment growth potential in the north central area is very substantial. Pending further review, this would reflect large development, probably related to the existing urban centers.

From a transportation perspective, the population growth will result in increased traffic generation, while employment will produce increases in trip attraction. Considering where growth would occur, the implication is that better access is required to and from the north central and east subareas, and improved "internal circulation" is needed between the urban centers within the north central subarea.

Economic Development

The need for economic development is based on the general goal of maintaining livable and viable communities in Will County. The local economy needs to be strong enough to supply jobs and financial resources for its citizens. It also needs to be well-balanced in order to offer opportunities for its citizens to both live and work within the county. Economic development is very dependent on an efficient transportation system that provides connections between land use developments and roadway facilities. In addition, almost all municipalities feel that maintaining efficient access to the expressways, other major highways, and airports is vital to their economic development.

A new growth opportunity is the re-use of the 20,000-plus-acre Joliet arsenal site. The site is now in the process of being developed with industrial parks, an intermodal transfer center, a national veterans cemetery, a landfill, and a large national tall grass prairie (Midewin). These activities will generate new levels of travel demand and will require modified and improved access. The large size of the site impacts the transportation network relative to the continuity of the arterial street system.

Environmental Concerns

Changes in the transportation network could affect the environment in many ways. Construction of new roads may affect the water quality, wildlife habitat, and air quality of adjacent environmentally sensitive areas. The possible loss of environmentally sensitive areas must be weighed carefully against the need for any proposed network changes. This would be a sensitive matter in the river corridors and in the preservation of agricultural land.

Future Funding Sources

An issue of paramount importance is the availability of funding. A transportation plan that will meet all the county's needs is useless if sufficient funding is not available to implement it. Early recognition of the budget available for transportation improvements is needed in order to develop a feasible and realistic plan.

Depending on the type of improvement recommended, some projects may best be accomplished by municipalities through their development approval process. Other potential funding sources include the county option motor fuel tax and transportation impact fees. At the current time, the county potentially has the legislative authority (which requires a population of 400,000 or more) to collect impact fees. The county would negotiate with developers for specific access-related improvements. Impact fees could be a future course of action. To levy a county option gas tax, the county must first either convince state lawmakers to grant them the authority to do so, or the county residents must vote to approve home rule authority, which would give the County Board authority to implement a gas tax on their own. Will County and Lake County are presently the only counties in the NIPC six-county region that have not been given state authority to levy a gas tax.

Response to Federal and State Transportation Programs

Decisions regarding transportation policy and improvements in Will County will be influenced by national, state, and regional transportation policies. The most important of these policies and their effects on the county are summarized below.

TEA-21/CAAA

Two legislative acts at the federal level have a very significant impact on planning for transportation services and improvements. The first of these is the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) signed into law in 1998. Up to $218 billion in federal funding was authorized for surface transportation programs nationwide through fiscal year 2003.

TEA-21 builds on the initiatives established in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991, which was the last major authorizing legislation for surface transportation. TEA-21 has established a set of strong federal transportation policies. Because of the role that major federal-aid transportation facilities play in Will County, TEA-21 policies will be assimilated into the planning process.

Section 1203(f) of TEA-21 enumerates seven planning factors to be considered by metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) in developing transportation plans. Although Will County is not the designated MPO for the region, these planning factors, listed below, are still relevant to the local planning process:

1. Support the economic vitality of the metropolitan area, especially by enabling global competitiveness, productivity, and efficiency
2. Increase the safety and security of the transportation system for motorized and non-motorized users
3. Increase the accessibility and mobility options available to people and for freight
4. Protect and enhance the environment, promote energy conservation, and improve quality of life
5. Enhance the integration and connectivity of the transportation system, across and between modes, for people and freight
6. Promote efficient system management and operation
7. Emphasize the preservation of the existing transportation system

These planning factors were referred to in the development of the transportation plan's goals and objectives.

TEA-21 policies also mandate that all MPOs develop a financially constrained plan. While this is a requirement for the regional plan that does not apply to the county plan, it is a practical objective for the county plan as well.

The Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990 have established five levels of nonattainment (ranging from marginal to extreme), with deadlines for demonstrating attainment of the primary air quality standards. The Chicago area has been designated as a severe nonattainment area for ozone.

There are strong links between these two pieces of legislation. CAAA will strengthen the link between air quality and transportation planning. Plans and programs are being developed to reduce both vehicle-miles traveled and emissions.

The flexibility in funding provisions in TEA-21 will be tied to the air quality and transportation objectives. The effect of this will be a more thorough review of projects in terms of how they meet these objectives. These requirements may create a restraint on highway projects that add capacity and result in an increase in travel by single-occupant vehicles (SOVs). Such limitations could affect development patterns.

Even though these laws have been enacted, there is still uncertainty about how they will be implemented and what their ultimate impact will be. Regulations to govern the funding, planning, and programming of transportation improvements by local governments are still being written. Will County will need to keep abreast of these developments during the coming year, when their full impact will be revealed.

Strategic Regional Arterials (SRAs)

IDOT has identified a network of Strategic Regional Arterials for which it is preparing studies. There are many issues associated with the SRA system, including who will fund the recommended improvements and the perceived impact on the public when specific improvements are actually proposed for construction.

The SRA system is a part of the 2020 Regional Transportation Plan for the Chicago area, which is intended to accommodate a significant portion of long-distance, high-volume automobile and commercial vehicle traffic in the region. It is a 1,387-mile network (175 miles in Will County) of existing roads encompassing route segments in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties. The SRA system will form the basis for establishing the National Highway System (NHS) in northeastern Illinois. The designated SRA system contains the following routes in Will County:

Route	From	To
Bell Road	IL 83/IL 171	IL 7/U.S. Route 6
IL 1	U.S. Route 6	Will Co/Kankakee Co Line
IL 7/U.S. Route 6	Cedar Road	Torrence Avenue
IL 43	U.S. Route 30	North Avenue
IL 53	I-80	Wilmington-Peotone Road
IL 59	U.S. Route 12	I-55
IL 394	U.S. Route 30	IL 1
Larkin/Weber/Naperville/Boughton	I-80	I-355
Wilmington-Peotone Road	I-55	IL 1
U.S. Route 30 (Lincoln Hwy)	I-80	Illinois/Indiana State Line
U.S. Route 45	Touhy Avenue	Will Co/Kankakee Co Line
Manhattan-Monee Road	U.S. Route 45	IL 1
119th Street	Weber Road	WIKADUKE Trail
WIKADUKE Trail (Ridge/Stewart/Heggs/Eola)	I-80	IL 56
Caton Farm/Bruce/Cedar	IL 7	WIKADUKE Trail

SRA "design concepts" were developed for each of three types of SRA routes: urban, suburban, and rural. The design concepts include recommendations regarding right-of-way width, median width, lane configuration, access control, signal spacing, bicycle facilities, interchanges, etc. As each individual SRA route is studied, these design concepts are applied and evaluated for their feasibility on that specific route. Ultimately, a recommended SRA design report will be published for each route.

The SRA program recommendations, if fully implemented, will have a major impact on the road system of the county. The upgrading of the SRA system will assist in traffic movement within, through, and into and out of the county and will help the county meet major travel corridor demands as it continues to grow.

Strategic Regional Transit (SRT) System

The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) has also identified a Strategic Regional Transit (SRT) system as part of the 2020 Regional Transportation Plan. The SRT system is an integrated network of high-capacity transit facilities and services (commuter rail, rapid transit, and bus) in the northeastern Illinois region that provides mobility, congestion relief, and economic development. In doing so, the SRT system focuses on the existing public transportation system by upgrading and extending existing rail lines, bus routes, and service facilities, rather than on developing major new transit corridors. The SRT system would be coordinated with the SRA system, thus improving access to rail transit facilities and operating conditions for buses, which will be consistent with TEA-21 mandates to integrate all modes of transportation.

With the SRT system now designated, planning studies can be performed for each facility/service to provide a plan for both short- and long-range improvements and the financial requirements of those improvements. SRT system projects are discussed further in Chapter 6 of this report.

FAST Proposal

As a prelude to the SRT system, Metra and Pace have proposed the Future Agenda for Suburban Transportation (or FAST) program, designed to improve commuter rail and bus services in the region over the next 20 years. These projects will use the best aspects of both rail and bus to produce the ultimate transportation benefits for the customer. The key features of the FAST program for Will County have been included in the recommended plan (see Chapter 6) and feature improvements to the following services:

• Dial-a-Ride Services
• Future Elgin, Joliet & Eastern (EJ&E) Line
• Metra Electric District Line
• Metra Heritage Corridor Line
• Metra Rock Island District Line
• Metra SouthWest Service Line
• Pace Express Bus Service
• Park-n-Ride Lots
• Transportation Centers & Transfer Facilities
• Traffic Signal Pre-emption Corridors
• Future Metra Union Pacific Line (Crete to Chicago)
• Restricted Use Lanes on Interstate Facilities

Plan Issues

Regional, countywide, and local planning issues affect the transportation system in the county. In terms of the region, the Chicago Area Transportation Study (CATS) is the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) responsible for long-range transportation plans. These plans are based on CATS travel demand models that forecast traffic based on Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) land use and socioeconomic data.

The Will County Land Use Department is responsible for comprehensive land use planning at the county level. The county land use plan historically has only dealt with unincorporated areas. The county plan attempts to coordinate land use types with those shown on the applicable municipal comprehensive plan and advocates the protection of agricultural land in areas removed from municipal services.

Municipal plans show proposed new collector and arterial roads, but they are not necessarily coordinated with the new collectors and arterials of neighboring municipalities. To avoid these discontinuities, the county should begin to act as a coordinator of new roadway proposals. A concerted effort is needed to coordinate the comprehensive plans of the communities in Will County.

Regional Issues

The CATS 2020 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) identifies three major highway system improvements in Will County, including widening of I-55, I-80, and I-57. The extension of I-355 (from I-55 to I-80) had been part of the previous CATS regional plan (2010 Transportation System Development Plan) and was programmed in the 1996-2000 Transportation Improvement Plan, although construction has been delayed because of recent litigation. IDOT is presently updating the final environmental impact statement for the proposed extension to address the findings of the court proceedings. The 2020 RTP also includes two new commuter rail corridors: the south suburban line (UP/CSX line from Chicago to Beecher) and the core segment of the outer circumferential line (EJ&E line).

In addition, the 2020 RTP identifies three highway corridors and four transit corridors for further study. The highway corridors include the further extension of I-355 (from I-80 to I-57, IL 394, or the Indiana border) and further widening of I-57 and IL 394 to the south to improve access to the proposed South Suburban Airport. The transit corridors include the non-core elements of the EJ&E line, an extension of the Metra Electric line to the proposed South Suburban Airport, a new line connecting Mokena with O'Hare Airport, and a new line connecting Bolingbrook with Northbrook. These corridors are not presently recommended for construction, but advance steps are suggested to preserve right-of-way while the feasibility of these projects can be studied further.

The 2020 RTP includes the SRA system, discussed previously, and calls for transportation management strategies (TMS) to be implemented throughout the region to reduce and manage travel demand and improve the operational characteristics of the transportation system. TMS are intended to modify travel behavior and increase system efficiency as an alternative to costly infrastructure improvements. These methods will play an increasing role in implementing regulations for TEA-21 and CAAA in the future. A number of strategies have been proposed to meet present and future travel demand in the face of the following major regional issues (from the 2020 RTP):

• Insufficient funds to meet system improvement needs
• Increased construction costs for new roadway and transit facilities
• Increased need to improve operational efficiency
• Changes in travel patterns
• Lower densities making traditional transit an inefficient option in many areas
• Need to reduce transportation-related air pollution
• Need to minimize environmental impact and preserve natural resource areas

Transportation management strategies are comprised of three components: demand management techniques, system management techniques, and intelligent transportation system (ITS) technologies. The following management strategies have been selected by the CATS Transportation Control Measures (TCM) Task Force for potential application in northeastern Illinois:

Demand Management Techniques

The techniques listed below are designed to manage demand for transportation facilities by increasing transit use, lowering growth in vehicle miles traveled, and reducing single-occupant vehicle (SOV) trips.

• Increase municipal and employer-based ridesharing programs through the use of incentives and public awareness campaigns
• Expand participation in RTA's Transit Check Program in which employers subsidize their employees' transit commuting costs in return for tax advantages
• Expand vanpool programs to reduce SOV trips
• Provide preferential parking facilities for high-occupancy vehicles (HOVs) and bicycles
• Encourage implementation of employer-based parking demand reduction programs, such as cash-out parking, as opposed to subsidized parking programs
• Encourage implementation of parking space reduction options for commercial development
• Institute flexible work schedules

Systems Management Techniques

The techniques listed below consist of cost-efficient capital projects that improve the operating efficiency of facilities, enhance the quality of the service, and promote non-auto modes of travel.

• Provide traffic signal timing, coordination, and interconnection to enhance traffic operations on existing and new facilities
• Develop park-n-pool facilities to serve and promote car- and vanpools. Coordinate development of park-n-pool lots with transit-oriented park-n-ride facilities
• Provide HOV ramp bypass lanes on the expressway system. Coordinate ramp bypass lanes with proposed exclusive HOV travel lanes
• Increase non-motorized travel by incorporating bicycle and pedestrian facilities into existing roadway construction projects or new roadway projects. Support use of transportation funds for non-motorized projects.

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Technologies

ITS techniques include the deployment and use of newer technologies to enhance transportation system efficiency and safety by providing real-time information to system users, an integration of transportation services, and improved incident response times.

• Enhance IDOT's expressway management system to facilitate more efficient operation of the region's expressways by providing real-time traffic and performance information to the user
• Enhance RTA's transit information system that disseminates traveler information for CTA, Pace, and Metra services
• Enhance the Emergency Traffic Patrol incident management system to improve safety and reduce the impact of incidents on the expressways
• Integrate the above three systems into a single multimodal traveler information system to create a fully functioning data collection and information distribution network
• Develop and implement cost-effective transit technologies such as Pace's Transit Vehicle Management System that support more efficient operation and enhance traveler choice by providing comparative travel time and schedule information
• Continue implementation of ISTHA's automated toll collection system (I-PASS) to reduce traveler delays. Enhance vehicle transponder technology to provide real-time traffic flow data

Relative to Will County, the issues concerning the above techniques are acceptability and citizen response. Will people respond positively to the changes in travel behavior implied by the techniques? Which of these will be appropriate to Will County conditions?

Countywide Transportation Issues

1. Third airport. The potential for development of this airport has vast implications for both land use and transportation. Because the commitment to this facility remains in limbo, planning needs to address both build and no-build options
2. Population growth. The county will experience population and employment growth over the next two decades. It is expected that very extensive growth will be concentrated in five townships in the north central and northwest subareas of the county. This will produce accelerated traffic demands in the areas north of Joliet and in the Frankfort/Mokena/New Lenox area and Homer Township. Moreover, the regional population forecasts now being considered, which indicate a year 2020 population of 9 million persons for the six-county region, would suggest a much greater increase in traffic demand. In contrast, the ratio of future employment to population in Will County is the lowest of the suburban counties. This means that fewer people will both live and work in Will County, compared to other counties. Future trips will show characteristics of more intercounty and long-distance travel
3. Multimodal option. While the county has public transportation service, the expansion of service to match the increase in travel demand is questionable. The northwest corner of the county (i.e., the highest growth sector) is not well-served by Metra or Pace. Initial proposals for the third airport do not appear to include major expansion, other than an extension of the Metra Electric line. The question is whether the transportation system can evolve into a more multimodal one, with the share of trips handled by transit remaining at current levels or even increasing. Besides the provision of more transit facilities and service, an important corollary issue is land use policy. Can new development be sensitive to the principles of transit-oriented development (TOD)?
4. Financial Resources. The availability of financial resources for transportation projects is currently uncertain. The state transportation budget is currently being developed, and the local allocation of federal and state funds has not been determined. The level of new resources available to deal with the expansion to occur in Will County is the issue. Early public works budget proposals call for a 50 percent increase in transportation funding statewide over the next five years. A key federal policy is also under challenge at this time. This is affected by financial conditions. The Clean Air Act Amendments were to mandate significant changes in travel behavior to achieve air quality requirements. These mandates have been changing, creating a significant uncertainty about the policy. Conformity has been a challenge; with the possible major growth in traffic related to a regional population of 9 million, this challenge will be even greater
5. Interagency coordination. Perhaps the most complex issue concerns interagency coordination. The transportation systems entail coordination among federal, state, regional, county, township, and municipal agencies. The changes expected in Will County will need a substantial amount of coordination, and at increased levels of consensus-building. Achieving such agreement is an uncertain matter

Local Issues

1. Expressway and/or tollway extensions. The extension of I-355 from I-55 south to I-80 (near New Lenox) has been approved. However, recent rulings by the federal court have challenged the process used to develop the recommended plan. IDOT is currently in the process of updating the final environmental impact statement to address the findings of the court. Notwithstanding the uncertainty created by this legal action, a further extension of this route from I-80 east to I-57 to access the proposed third airport and possibly farther east to Indiana is being considered. The airport would also involve changes (new interchanges) along I-57 and I-394 (Calumet Expressway). The presence of these routes drastically changes accessibility patterns. The construction of interchanges impacts the need for arterial streets, not to mention the impact on land use and development.
2. Arterial system coordination. This may be one of the more critical issues. There are several sectors where route/street coordination will be critical:

1. The suburban area between Naperville, Plainfield, Bolingbrook, and Romeoville
2. Homer Township, especially interfaces with Orland Park (to the east) and Lockport (to the west)
3. Indiana state line
4. Frankfort/Mokena/New Lenox area, especially the interfaces with Matteson, Tinley Park, and Orland Park

An aspect of this coordination is the development of a grid street system. Jogs and gaps in the system exist throughout the county. The identification of linkages requires the definition of a functional system.

3. SRA system. The development of strategic regional arterials (SRAs) is one of the more significant recent additions to the regional transportation system. As noted previously, there are a number of SRAs in Will County, including the new WIKADUKE route in the northwest corner of the county

The question remains whether the SRA system will be changed and whether the system will be implemented as currently proposed.

4. Specific routes. Within the system, there are certain routes whose role and potential could be very important:

1. IL 59--Naperville to Plainfield
2. IL 53--through the arsenal area
3. U.S. Route 30--throughout the county
4. Wilmington-Peotone Road--new east-west road to link I-55 to airport site and new land uses on the arsenal site
5. Bell Road
6. Caton Farm Road--extension across river
7. Laraway Road/south Joliet bypass
8. New interchanges along I-80, I-57, and I-55

Within the above, there is recognition that the rivers represent significant constraints for the arterial system. Financial and environmental impacts create limitations as to the number of crossings possible.

5. Rail extensions. As noted previously, the proposed new airport will generate the need for transit access. This will most likely take the form of commuter rail extensions to a new terminal station inside the airport. There is also the possibility that intercity high-speed rail may be located in the east Will County area. This could include the Chicago-St. Louis route (now under study) and a Chicago-Detroit route. The presence of such service and future stations would be significant planning considerations

Socioeconomic Forecasts and Traffic Projections

Socioeconomic forecasts for population and employment are developed by NIPC in cooperation with each county and many municipalities in the six-county area. Will County population and employment figures for 1990 and the forecast year (2020) at the quarter-section level were used by CATS to determine the trip generation and traffic assignment, using a subregional traffic model and background trip data taken from the regional model. Inaccuracies in the traffic forecasts may be caused by inaccuracies in the land use and socioeconomic data.

Socioeconomic Data

A fundamental input to the transportation studies conducted by CATS is socioeconomic (household and employment) data provided by NIPC. To understand the changes over time expected in Will County, the socioeconomic data was analyzed for 1990, the year of the latest U.S. census and the most recent employment data from NIPC, and the forecast year 2020.

Growth data shows that households increased greatly in Wheatland, DuPage, Plainfield, Homer, New Lenox, Frankfort, and Monee townships. Employment grew significantly in DuPage, Troy, Frankfort, Monee, and Crete townships. When the proposed south suburban airport is considered, the townships of Monee, Crete, Peotone, and Will--and to a lesser extent Green Garden and Washington--are projected to experience rapid employment growth.

In 1990, Will County was the only county in the region with more households than jobs. From 1990 to 2020, with no new airport, the growth in employment in the county is only projected to outpace the growth in households by 9 percent. Thus, in 2020, Will County will still be the only county in the region, other than McHenry County, that will have more households than jobs. It is only when the proposed third airport is considered that county employment would outpace households.

Table 4 shows that Will County has one of the lowest ratio of jobs to population in the region. The implication of this growth is that Will County will remain a region of "bedroom communities," where people live but must travel elsewhere to work. It is important to balance this connection, since it results in longer commute times for Will County residents and a high reliance on a residential tax base to pay for public services. Major commercial and industrial improvements, such as the proposed third airport, or other major employment centers, would dramatically change this forecast, bringing with it certain transportation challenges that this plan seeks to address.

Table 4 - Regional Comparison of 2020  Employment and Population Projections.
County	Forecast Jobs	Population	Jobs to Population
Will without airport	222,429	722,794	0.31
Will with airport	332,310	805,906	0.41
Cook without airport	3,518,141	5,594,397	0.63
Cook with airport	3,475,025	5,548,989	0.63
DuPage without airport	816,413	985,704	0.83
DuPage with airport	816,447	985,812	0.83
Kane without airport	223,040	552,944	0.40
Kane with airport	213,943	549,929	0.39
Lake without airport	393,641	827,564	0.48
Lake with airport	353,510	801,127	0.44
McHenry without airport	106,336	355,826	0.30
McHenry with airport	88,765	353,239	0.25
Total without airport	5,280,000	9,039,229	0.58
Total with airport	5,280,000	9,045,002	0.58
Source: Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission, Population, Household and Employment Forecasts for Northeastern Illinois, 1990 to 2020, as endorsed, November 6, 1997.

Traffic Analysis Zones

A zone system is necessary for modeling traffic in any area. To maximize the utility of modeling, zones of various sizes are used. For this study, the 162 regional zones in Will County were subdivided into 561 study zones, most of which were one square mile in size. When the combined household and employment measures were small, 4- and 9-square mile zones were also established by aggregating the one-square-mile zones. The external area (Chicago metropolitan area outside of Will County and a "buffer" area) was grouped into survey township zones (approximately 36 square miles). Zones of intermediate size separate the two groups in the buffer area, which is located within six miles of the Will County border.

The study zone system was used in the analysis of the socioeconomic data. Data show that household and employment growth is greatest in the northwest townships of the county and the townships surrounding the site of the proposed south suburban airport.

Traffic Projections

Estimating trips requires information about interaction between the various traffic zones. The regional models at CATS provided this information for the Will County Transportation Study. In the regional models, trips are established by surveys of travel behavior, comparing this information with socioeconomic data, and then modeling a matrix of trips between specific locations.

The 1995 trip information was used by CATS to estimate 1995 traffic volumes, which were then compared to actual IDOT 1995 traffic counts. Any unacceptable variations were then studied and the assignment model modified until a reasonable assignment was found. This process of "calibrating" the network was completed using the EMME/2 software.

Year 2020 base networks were developed for two scenarios--with airport and without airport--by taking the 1995 calibrated base and adding the committed (funded) highway improvements that are listed in Table 5. These include improvements that were funded for construction between fiscal years 1991 and 1995 and may already be built and proposed fiscal years 1996 to 2000 TIP modeled projects that are either scheduled for construction or already built. The 2020 travel data was then assigned to the calibrated existing and committed (E+C) network to obtain the 2020 base network for the two scenarios.

Operating Characteristics of the Existing Transportation System

The traffic volume assignments performed by CATS were evaluated to determine the performance of the existing transportation system at base (1995) and forecast year (2020, with and without airport) conditions. The traffic projections provided by CATS for the forecast year and the resulting evaluation are based on existing transportation facilities and the committed improvements listed in the preceding section. Evaluation of the year 2020 networks with forecast year 2020 traffic volumes is used to identify any deficiencies in the transportation system.

In addition to the quantitative analysis, the impact of developments not included in the NIPC forecasts, and therefore not generating traffic in the CATS projections, must be considered. Both systemwide and facility-specific measures were examined, including vehicle-miles traveled, travel times for typical trips, and volume versus capacity measures.

The following planning assumptions were used in the evaluation of the existing and base (2020) conditions:

• Regional roadway system remains constant outside of Will County (committed projects are included)
• No major changes to the regional transit system will be made; the same primary mode-use levels (auto versus transit) will continue
• No major energy or environmental shifts will occur
• The traffic assignment model does not include the impact of new developments, specifically buildout of the Joliet Arsenal, since these projects are not yet reflected in the official NIPC forecasts. A review of the buildout and timing of these developments was made, and the conclusions were used in determining the plan recommendations.

Table 5 - Committed Projects for Will County 2020 Base Network.
Road	From	To	Description	Status
Fiscal Years 1991-1995 Awarded Modeled Projects
Caton Farm Road	IL 59	Essington Road	Add two lanes	Built
U.S. Route 45 (Mannheim Road/96th Avenue)	I-80	Colorado Avenue	Add two lanes	Built
Wilmington/Peotone Rd	I-57	IL 50	Reconstruct turn lanes	Built
IL 53	Washington St.	I-80	Add two lanes	Built
I-80 at Houbolt Road			New interchange	Built
Old Chicago Road	Donahue Road	Kankakee Street	Increase lane widths to 11 feet	Built
Jefferson Street	I-55 Frontage Drive	Raynor Avenue	Signal interconnection and timings	Built
Wolf Road	183rd Street	U.S. Route 30	Increase lane widths to 12 feet; add lighting, signals, and sidewalks. Add continuous bi-directional left-turn lane	Built
IL 50 (Governors Highway)	Gorman Road	Ridgeland Ave.	Increase lane widths to 11 feet; bridge replacement	Built
I-55	Williams Road	Bolingbrook Dr.	Add two lanes, add auxiliary weaving lanes, raise two structures	Built
Infantry Drivea	Jefferson St.	McDonough St.	New two-lane road, 12-foot lanes, new signals	Built
104th Avenue	Prairie Creek	South of Dralle Road	Increase lane widths to 11 feet, replace existing structure	Built
Main Street	IL 50	Lynne Lane	Decrease lane widths to 15 feet, r