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ILLINOIS TRANSPORTATION ISSUES
Prepared by David F. Schulz, ITI Executive Director
Undated
ITI publication no. 013
The Illinois and Chicago economies are what they are because the state and its largest urban area are and likely will continue to be the transportation hubs of the United States. This has been true since early settlers took advantage of rivers and lakeports, and has continued through the development of railroads, highways, and airports.
But today transportation in Illinois and Chicago, like transportation across the U.S. is itself at a crossroads. Highways are increasingly congested, transit systems are losing market-share, new or expanded airports to meet forecast travel growth are increasingly difficult to build, the surface freight transportation system, while robust, is growing in cost and increasingly subject to congestion delays, and an increasing number of people are troubled by transportation's environmental impact and energy appetite. Much transportation infrastructure is old and in need of repair or replacement -- especially in large older cities. Growing areas need expanded transportation facilities and services.
Yet resources are scarce.
If Illinois is to bring its economy out of recession and is to contribute to a healthy national economy in an increasingly-competitive world marketplace, it must successfully confront a series of significant transportation policy questions.
1. HIGHWAYS
- Is the total amount of money budgeted for highway repair, upgrading, and replacement statewide adequate?
For fiscal 1993, IDOT spent $1.15 billion. 93% of the IDOT current program goes to maintain the existing system, only 7% is targeted for major new highway projects. 58.7% of the fiscal 1993 funding was federal, 38.5% was state, and 2.8% was local. In 1991, 3.9% of the Interstate highway system pavement in Illinois was in poor condition. This compares with Wisconsin 0%, Indiana 1.9%, Kentucky 5.0%, Iowa 6.9%, and Missouri 37.2%. 2.9% of non-Interstate arterials in Illinois were in poor condition in 1991. This compares with Wisconsin 0.6%, Iowa 0.6%, Kentucky 3.1%, Indiana 3.4%, and Missouri 10.6%.
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Is enough highway development and redevelopment taking place in the Chicago suburban ring to promote continued economic growth? In Chicago itself? Downstate?
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What is IDOT doing to address the problems of the exorbitant amount of time (3+ years) it is currently taking to bring highway construction projects from budgeting to construction?
- Is Illinois prepared to embrace new technologies and/or policies for dealing with road congestion, i.e. automated toll collection (the Tollway Authority has apparently been foot-dragging), intelligent vehicle highway systems, peak-hour road pricing, reserving new lanes for high-occupancy vehicles (existing lanes?)
2. TRANSIT
- What is to be done about the continuing decline in transit ridership in northeastern Illinois?
- How are the RTA's looming funding shortages to be addressed? What if any structural changes should be made to the RTA?
- How do you balance the need to invest in new transit services and facilities in growing parts of northeastern Illinois with the need to reinvest in aging and deteriorating facilities in stable and declining neighborhoods? (the "D-word" -- disinvestment)
- How and should transit service be provided in downstate cities and towns?
3. AVIATION
- The 3rd Chicago airport? O'Hare expansion?
- Reliever airports, general aviation, and downstate
4. FREIGHT
- Besides working to hold down congestion on highways, what is the role of state government in supporting increased efficiency in freight transportation? As a planning forum for private-sector freight transport providers? As a partner in increased intermodal facilities and services? As a partner in maintaining "lifeline" rural rail services?
5. LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT
- How do you reconcile the "politically correct" view that urban sprawl and the highway development that encourages/supports it is bad, while transit use, ridesharing and compact development are good, with the reality that people are continuing to relocate their businesses, jobs, and homes to the suburban periphery -- and beyond?
- What is the role of land use planning? Land development controls?
David F. Schulz
dschulz@northwestern.edu
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