SR0059 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0059 LRB104 11862 ECR 21952 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Lake County residents, units of government, and community organizations have raised serious concerns to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) over the past decade regarding increased volume and speeds of traffic on Casey and Almond Roads in central Lake County that pose serious threats to public health and safety; and

WHEREAS, The current conditions on these roadways make it increasingly unsafe for residents to access their properties, for families with young children to let their children play outside, for motorists to safely travel through and within central Lake County, for bicyclists, pedestrians, and equestrians to safely cross Casey Road at Lake County's regional trail system's designated crossing on Casey Road, and for wildlife to safely cross Casey Road; and

WHEREAS, Data from the Lake County Sheriff's Office documents 28 vehicular crashes at the corner of Casey and Almond Roads in the past 10 years, with people injured in at least 10 of those crashes; and

WHEREAS, Data from the Lake County Sheriff's Office documents 83 vehicular crashes at the corner of Almond Road and IL Route 120 in the past 10 years, with people injured in at least 11 of those crashes; and

WHEREAS, Lake County is home to more threatened and endangered species than any other county in Illinois, including several that reside within the multiple Illinois Nature Preserves adjacent to these roadways, and additional rare native wildlife, which have frequently been found dead along these roadways from vehicle collisions; and

WHEREAS, An alarming level of vehicle crashes, injuries, and wildlife collisions have made it clear that action must be taken at this time with no delay; and

WHEREAS, Numerous organizations, units of government, and residents have met with local officials on multiple occasions to find solutions to this issue, and letters have been sent to IDOT alerting them of these concerns and requesting that they collaborate with the Lake County Division of Transportation and township officials to address the public safety and environmental concerns surrounding these dangerous roadways; and

WHEREAS, Traffic calming measures are called for in the Liberty Prairie Reserve Master Plan of 2013, which was created by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and adopted by the Lake County Forest Preserve District and Libertyville Township; and

WHEREAS, Additional solutions proposed by stakeholders to IDOT have included reclassification of Casey Road to a designation that will allow for a reduced speed limit, a more fully controlled corner at Casey and Almond Roads, and a permanent closure of Almond Road at the Route 120 intersection; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to take immediate action and work with stakeholders to identify and implement a solution that will reduce the speed and amount of traffic and potential for additional fatal accidents on Casey and Almond Roads in central Lake County; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to IDOT, the Lake County Division of Transportation, members of the Lake County Board, Libertyville Township, the Libertyville Township Road District, Warren Township, the Warren Township Road District, and members of the Illinois General Assembly representing Lake County.