Frequently Asked Questions

1) Q. How is this project funded? Will the Illinois Route 120 Bypass funding be affected by the Washington Street project?

The Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT) is included in the RTA Funding and Reform act approved in January 2008. The resulting increased funding, roughly $25 million annually, allows the County to begin to address congestion issues such as along the Washington Street corridor. A $100 million Challenge Bond issue is proposed for 2011 when selected projects are ready to proceed. Of this $100 million, the County has $50 million allocated to one or more of five targeted projects of which the Washington Street project is included. More information on this Challenge Bond funding can be found here . The 120 Bypass project would be separately funded from the $100 million bond. Adding capacity to Washington Street is not a substitute for the 120 Bypass, as both corridors are identified as requiring improvement. The projected 2030 traffic volumes assume the completion of the 120 Bypass. Should the 120 Bypass not occur, the traffic volumes along Washington Street would likely increase even further.

2) Q. How are traffic volumes measured and projected?

Existing traffic counts are measured by an individual on-site counting the number of vehicles passing through each intersection and along the corridor for a 12-hour period of 6 A.M. to 6 P.M. These counts are then evaluated on an hour-by-hour basis to establish peak hours of traffic for both the morning and evening rush hours, which serve as the basis for design. These volumes are sent to CMAP (Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning) which models projections for the region based on projected growth in population and employment. CMAP works with the local municipalities in the seven county northeastern Illinois area and uses their comprehensive plans in their growth estimates. The planned Route 120 Bypass counts are figured into these projections.

3) Q. What will happen to my fence and trees with this proposed widening?

One of the concerns that has arisen from our Community Advisory Group (CAG) meetings has been that of pedestrian connectivity along the north side of Washington Street. As part of the request from residents, a proposed 6’ sidewalk along the north side of Washington Street has been added throughout the length of the project. In in some cases, this sidewalk will require additional Right-of-Way (ROW) resulting in the removal of some trees and fences. The potential ROW acquisitions are shown on these Public Meeting exhibits . The overall project plan has not been finalized and is subject to change. As such we are still seeking public input on these and other issues. In addition to comments submitted at Public Meetings, you can submit a comment on this website or contact Chuck Gleason at LCDOT at (847) 377-7400 . You may also contact your local Homeowners Association representative in order to discuss your concerns at the next CAG meeting to be held in the fall of 2010.

4) Q. What happens if Right-of-Way needs to be acquired from my property?

If a situation arises where there is a need to acquire additional Right-of-Way to complete a project, LCDOT will pay fair market value for the amount of property it would need to acquire as part of a negotiation process. As this process moves forward into final design, and if Right-of-Way acquisitions are determined to be necessary, someone from the LCDOT will contact you directly to discuss this. Should trees or fences or other items be affected in the vicinity of your property, these items may be eligible for compensation due to damages to the remainder and will be discussed during the negotiation discussion.

5) Q. Why do we need a center bi-directional turn lane?

The additional of a center bi-directional left turn lane is an access management technique that is intended to minimize the frequency and severity of traffic conflicts. Per the Illinois Department of Transportation Bureau of Design and Environment (BDE) chapter on Access Control/Access Management, one of the methods in doing so is to remove turning vehicles from through lanes. This is done with a center bi-directional left turn lane, or a continuous two-way left-turn lane (TWLTL). Continuous two-way left-turn lanes offer several advantages. First, TWLTLs remove left turning vehicles from the through lanes, which can reduce delay to through vehicles and can lead to a reduction in rear-end and sideswipe collisions during turning maneuvers. Second, TWLTLs provide spatial separation between opposing lanes of traffic, which can lead to a reduction in head-on collisions. Finally, two-way left turn lanes can also function as a lane for emergency vehicles. Though TWLTLs offer several advantages, there are several considerations involved with determining whether or not a TWLTL is an appropriate design. Existing and projected future conditions are two very important considerations, as are constraints and priorities.

Per the Illinois BDE Manual section 48-4, a TWLTL should be considered in areas with a high number of existing driveways per mile. The BDE manual specifies this threshold as 10-35 driveways per mile. Along the section of Washington Street in which this is being considered there are 21 driveway accesses. This falls within this 10-35 driveways per mile range. However, the number of driveway accesses alone should not be the sole factor in determining whether a TWLTL should be specified, as the volume of traffic along the corridor may not warrant it. The BDE manual states that on four-lane undivided highways, a TWLTL will often be advantageous for traffic volumes between 10,000 and 40,000 average daily traffic (ADT). The current ADT for Washington Street along this proposed stretch is 16,300 with volumes expected to increase to 18,000 by 2030. These traffic volumes warrant consideration of a TWLTL.

Crash history is also an important study criteria for determining the need for a TWLTL. In arterials without medians, traffic conflicts often result because of a significant number of mid-block left turns combined with significant opposing traffic volumes. This may lead to a disproportionate number of rear end and turning maneuver crashes. The inclusion of a median for left turns is likely to reduce these types of crashes. Investigation into the crash data from 2004-2008 shows 116 Rear End Collisions (54.50% of all crashes) and 47 accidents occurring during turning maneuvers (22.10%). Both of these totals are significantly higher than the Countywide averages of 30% and 10%, respectively, and are indicative of congested conditions which further warrant a TWLTL.

In all three studied cases (Number of Accesses, Average Daily Traffic, and Crash Frequency), a TWLTL is recommended as part of this project. For these reasons, the LCDOT has elected to improve Washington Street with a TWLTL.

6) Q. It is already noisy in my backyard. Won’t 5 lanes make it even noisier?

A traffic noise evaluation study was conducted as part of this project. Noise receptors were identified throughout the corridor and evaluated for potential impacts. This noise study has shown that the proposed improvement will result in either no or only a minor net increase in decibel level and in some cases decrease the noise. This is largely due to more free flow traffic with the addition of more lanes and a railroad underpass. Vehicles in a free-flow situation will not have idling engine noise while waiting to proceed past the railroad tracks. In both cases the increase or decrease in noise levels will not be noticeable to the human ear. Additionally the proposed underpass will direct traffic through a below-grade roadway, further removing noise for homeowners whose rear yards are in the vicinity of the railroad tracks. This study will be made available to the public upon completion.

7) Q. The proposed plan shows the removal of the dedicated right turn lane from eastbound Washington Street to Haryan Way. Why is this being removed?

The addition of a second eastbound through lane along Washington Street provides opportunity to continue free flow travel in the adjacent lane without the need to slow or perhaps even stop for vehicles turning right.

Turning movements studied in 2009 show a total of 60 AM and 25 PM peak hour (7-8 AM and 5-6 PM) vehicles making a right turn onto Haryan Way. This is roughly 6% of all vehicles traveling eastbound (1050 AM & 400 PM) during peak hour traffic. With an additional through lane, the number of vehicles making that same right turn will obstruct far fewer vehicles traveling eastbound past Haryan Way.

Another reason for eliminating this dedicated turn lane is that it would require the purchasing of land from the Grayslake Park District parcel at the northwest corner of Haryan Way. This land is occasionally used for picnics and public gatherings as well as providing a tree buffer between rear yards of homes along the south side of Washington. Given that there is a low turning movement volume onto Haryan Way with an additional through lane for vehicles to bypass turning vehicles, there is not a need to acquire public property for a dedicated right turn lane at this location.

8) Q. Waiting for trains at the railroad crossing causes heavy congestion during both the morning and evening rush. The gates are even down when trains are at the station and not even blocking Washington Street. Are there alternatives to alleviate some of this congestion?

Due to strict regulations from the Federal Railroad Administration, the gates must be down while passengers board, even if the train is not yet at the intersecting roadway. With this in mind, a grade separation with a bridge that would allow the road to traverse under the existing tracks is being evaluated as part of this study in terms of cost-effectiveness and feasibility of construction. We also recognize many of the residents along the corridor draw potable water from wells and will ensure any potential solution will not discernibly affect groundwater elevations in this area.

9) Q. In regards to pedestrian crossings, how do people cross five lanes?

A potential future traffic signal at Haryan Way/Lowlands Drive is a possibility that could provide a positive control for traffic in this area and allow for a fully protected pedestrian/bicycle crossing, as well as help to break up traffic for easier crossings at other areas. This possible signal would be pending future development of the parcel adjacent to the Metra station. Under the current two-lane roadway condition, the traffic progresses in one long stream without many available gaps. Should two lanes in each direction be provided along Washington Street, the traffic progression would be grouped together creating longer and more available gaps in the traffic stream for crossings. Additionally a proposed 6’ sidewalk along the north side of Washington Street will allow pedestrians along the north to proceed safely to existing crossings at Hainesville Road, Lowlands Drive, or Lake Street where crossings are signalized and controlled.

10) Q. Why do I see surveyors in my yard?

Part of the preliminary engineering and environmental study process that we undertake includes obtaining data on all features within approximately 40' of the roadway right-of-way corridor of the route under study. This includes a detailed corridor survey which allows us to design and assess impacts of any proposed roadway improvements. When surveyors enter onto private property to perform this survey by authority of the Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT), they make every effort to provide advanced notification of their actions. When their attempts are unsuccessful, they proceed with their survey work as expeditiously as possible and are available to provide information on their activities if approached. Once this survey data is acquired, it is used for the purposes of the engineering design of the roadway improvement project.

11) Q. I see trees with tags on my property. What does this mean?

As part of the survey task described above in question #10, identification of all trees within the project limits is also required along the roadway corridor. This is done because depending on the results of a project traffic study, proposed improvements along the corridor may be necessary and we need to be able to assess all of the potential impacts of those proposed improvements to determine a preferred alternative. These tags are placed by project surveyors for identification and then inspected by an environmental specialist to determine both the condition and quality of each tree marked along the corridor. It is the intent of our survey team to locate all trees with a diameter six inches (6") and larger as well as any landscaped trees within our study area. This will allow us to assess the true impacts of various roadway improvement proposals and compare them with each other. This also aids us in developing a comprehensive Tree Preservation Plan for the project. This plan seeks to ensure the preservation of high quality trees and every effort is made during engineering design to avoid impacts. It is the priority of the LCDOT to preserve and protect our natural resources whenever and wherever we are able.