Drivers who plan to cross the proposed Longmeadow Parkway bridge over the Fox River in northern Kane County can expect to pay tolls, but Kane County officials say that will be temporary.
Kane County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen said the toll bridge will be place in two or three years and will generate between $50 million and $70 million of the project’s estimated $125 million cost.
Read more here.
Nothing more permanant than a temporary tax. The fact is Kane County has (will) constructed 3 major road projects in the last 5 years directing traffic West to East (vice versa) (Stearns, Red Gate, Long Meadow Parkway (“LMP”)) yet only one of these projects intends to charge a toll.
The reason is patently obvious: “geography.” A large number (if not most) of the residents who will be using the LMP live in McHenry County making this nothing more than a Kane County tax on McHenry County residents. (This road is being constructed and financed by Kane County residents through issuance of bonds)
What is tragic for Barrington Hills (“BH”) is that BH was the only municipality who stood to be affected by this super toll road who did not have a seat on the advisory board when the location and impact of LMP on municipalities was being dsicussed. Any conincidence BH is getting the brunt of this highway. Strangely, we never heard from BH Village Board of Trustees (Messer, Meroni, Selman and Gohl) on this subject, why? I think I know, do you?
While running for McHenry County Board, I was informed by a woman who attended these advisory rmeetings that the plan for the location for LMP changed more than once and Algonquin Road in BH was not the original exist point. She said it only changed when members on the advisory board from Carpentersville objected to Rte 59 through C’Ville being a considered exit point. I will admit that I have not had the opportunity to verify this information but it emphasises the importance of the advisory board and raises the question why BH was missing.
It is a disservice to residents that Trustee Meroni who has headed up Roads and Bridges for VBH for the last 5 years giving monthly reports on “potholes, village road pavement updates and cuba road bridge” yet she never informed the Village of the progress of a superhighway being constructed at our front door. This highway will not only divide the Village (Northside and Southside) but will result in much more traffic on ancillary Village roads forever altering our countryside/equestrian enclave. Once traffic is increased to a certain level there will be increased pressure by the County and State to widen Village roads in all four of our counties.
In my opinion, this issue was the most important one facing BH during the past several years and BH Board did nothing exept choose to waste time and Vilage resources on futile issues like outdoor lighting, litigating Sears and Duda; changing police pension from IMRF to local funded plan.
We need answers from our more senior board members, Messer, Meroni, Selman and Gohl why BH Village government did nothing when it could have and why BH government stayed mum about LMP until it could no longer keep it secret.