Posted in IDOT, South Barrington on October 19, 2025| 3 Comments »
“You may have noticed something new in our community! Our Village has a new way of saying ‘welcome home.’ The modern design celebrates growth while staying true to the community spirit that makes this place so special.”
We have no comment except to wonder how these monuments will fare in a few months when IDOT crews plow snow at their typical speeds. Our experience has been they might view them as something of a challenge.
Posted in Aunt Blabby, Barrington Area Library, EJ&E/Canadian National, IDOT, Politics, Taxes, TRAC on October 17, 2025| Leave a Comment »
“Temporary Route 14 Closure Update: Progress Continues
Construction has been in full force to complete the temporary four-lane Route 14 roadway and the temporary two-lane Lake Zurich Road. Here’s what’s been happening behind the scenes over the past two weeks:
What’s still to come?
The expected opening is still currently anticipated by the end of October.
Thank you for your continued patience and support of all Barrington businesses during this time.
Below are some aerial shots of the transformation. Things continue to look great from above!”
Posted in Accidents, Aunt Blabby, IDOT, Public Safety, Roads & Bridges Committee, Taxes, Traffic, Village Government on October 3, 2025| Leave a Comment »
By Jerry Nowicki | Capitol News Illinois
Article Summary
This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.
What it includes:
$4,000,000 – REHABILITATION – PAVEMENTS ILL 62 ALGONQUIN RD KANE/COOK CO LINE TO W OF ILL 68 (DUNDEE RD) BARRINGTON HILLS – Miles = 3.16
$5,630,000 – RECONSTRUCTION – BRIDGES (BRIDGE REPLACEMENT) ILL 62 AT SPRING CREEK 1.4 MI W OF ILL 59
What appears to be missing:
Expanding ILL 62 Algonquin Rd to four (4) lanes in Barrington Hills
Read the full article here.
Posted in Aunt Blabby, Barrington Area Library, EJ&E/Canadian National, Goat Rodeo, IDOT, Mad Cows, Road construction, Traffic on October 2, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Temporary Route 14 Closure Update: Progress is Happening!
It has been a busy couple of weeks on the ground as we work toward opening up the temporary four-lane Route 14 roadway and the temporary two-lane Lake Zurich Road. Here’s what’s been happening behind the scenes:
What’s still to come?
As a result of ongoing utility relocation and the more manual track-building process being utilized by CN, the expected opening is now anticipated by the end of October, weather permitting. All parties are working hard to get everything ready and are exploring ways to open things even earlier, if possible.
Thank you for your continued patience and support of all Barrington businesses during this time.
Below are some aerial shots of the transformation. Things are looking great from above!
BEFORE
DURING
OVERVIEW
(Click on image to enlarge)
Posted in Aunt Blabby, EJ&E/Canadian National, IDOT, Road construction, Traffic on August 4, 2025| Leave a Comment »
“Please be advised that Route 14 will be reduced to one lane in each direction between Valencia Avenue and Hough Street beginning Monday, Aug. 4. The work is part of the Route 14 underpass project. Access to adjacent roads and driveways will remain open. See the traffic map below for more details.
The one-lane closures will remain in effect until the temporary full closure of Route 14 occurs (anticipated as early as Sept. 15). A temporary full closure of Route 14 is required for approximately four weeks so Canadian National Railway can complete the temporary railroad tracks and shift train traffic. During that time, a detour will be signed along Lake Cook Road and Hough Street. Once the rail line is raised and the gap in the temporary roadway is constructed, Route 14 will reopen with full four-lane traffic.
For the latest information, please visit the dedicated project website at us14underpass.com and subscribe to receive email updates.”
Posted in Aunt Blabby, IDOT, Road construction, Taxes, Traffic on July 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »
“The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that resurfacing of Dundee Road (Illinois 68) from the Kane County line to Algonquin Road (Illinois 62) in Barrington Hills begins July 7.
This $991,000 project will reduce Dundee Road to one lane in each direction, with traffic controlled by flaggers, until mid-November(?).
The public can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. Alternative routes are encouraged. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to flaggers and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits and be on the alert for workers and equipment.”
Posted in IDOT on June 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »
“We’ll let you know when the time is right to swap out your old I-PASS transponder for a new I-PASS Sticker Tag.
The Tollway will mail new I-PASS Sticker Tags directly to customers whose old transponders are reaching the end of their battery life. So, please make sure your mailing address is current on your I-PASS account.
After receiving the swap letter via U.S. Mail, all customers need to do is activate the new I-PASS Sticker Tag by going online or using the Official Illinois Tollway App and then attach the new sticker tag on the inside windshield of their vehicle.
The transition to I-PASS Sticker Tags is being done in coordination with other E-ZPass agencies and will ensure our customers have continuity in service wherever they travel in the 19 states that use E-ZPass.”
Learn more here.
Posted in Aunt Blabby, IDOT, Road construction, Traffic on June 9, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Work will be performed beginning today on the Union Pacific railroad crossing on Route 59 near Catlow Court in Barrington.
“Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Sidewalk Improvement Project
Beginning Monday, June 9, through Wednesday, June 11, IDOT will be installing ADA-compliant detectable warning plates near the Union Pacific railroad crossing on Hough Street, between Franklin Street and Main Street.
What to Expect:
This state-run IDOT project is for regulatory compliance and is not connected to any other local construction work.
As the Village receives more updates from IDOT, we will continue to share them with the community.”
Posted in Barrington Education Association, BOHICA, Commodius Maximus, Deception, Dinky, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, Ethics, Fat Bastard, IDOT, Illinois Policy Institute, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Springfield, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Unions on May 15, 2025| 1 Comment »
Illinois leaders keep using tax hikes as a budget quick-fix, but the state’s fiscal troubles – and the taxpayer burden – persist. Here are the 70 tax and fee hikes state leaders have imposed during the past 15 years.
By Lauren Zuar | Illinois Policy Institute
Seventy tax and fee hikes in 15 years haven’t stopped Illinois’ financial dysfunction – they’ve enabled it.
After at least 70 tax and fee increases since 2011, Illinoisans last year paid $17.3 billion more. Since 2010 all those increases in the state’s tax burden has cost Illinois taxpayers more than $110 billion in additional taxes paid.
The result of all that new money?
Illinois has the nation’s lowest emergency reserves. Its government pension crisis has worsened, with $143.7 billion in unfunded liabilities and four of the country’s worst-funded state-run systems. And forecasts show a potential $1.2 billion budget shortfall in 2026.
This isn’t because of a lack of revenue, something Gov. J.B. Pritzker has even admitted. Illinois’ core budget issue is chronic overspending, which consistently outpaces economic growth and shows no signs of slowing during the next five years.
While tax hikes haven’t saved state finances as promised, their proponents keep pushing them: a progressive income tax, higher gas and liquor taxes, expanding sales taxes to services and new levies on everything from Netflix to soda to storage units. The Chicago Teachers Union and its allies recently proposed a $7.3 billion tax plan for 2026, including new taxes on digital ads and capital gains.
The result of too many tax hikes and too few results?
Illinois’ combined state and local tax burden is the seventh-highest in the nation in one analysis and No. 1 in another, voter trust is eroding and residents and businesses are leaving for lower-cost states. Over 420,000 residents have left since 2020. New polling found 54% of Illinois voters said high taxes were the state’s top issue, and nearly half said they’d consider moving.
Before the General Assembly’s 2026 budget deadline concludes and lawmakers float new tax ideas, here’s a look at Illinois’ hikes since 2011.
Read more here.
Posted in Aunt Blabby, IDOT, Taxes, Traffic on May 13, 2025| Leave a Comment »
By Illinois Department of Transportation
The Illinois Department of Transportation is asking the public to provide feedback on the state’s transportation system and the agency’s overall performance by taking the annual Traveler Opinion Survey.
Conducted through May 30, the survey is available online at go.uis.edu/traveler2025 or visiting by idot.illinois.gov.
Done in partnership with the University of Illinois Springfield, the survey is an opportunity for people who live in Illinois to provide feedback on a wide range of topics, giving IDOT valuable insight and information to continue being a national leader in transportation services.
This year’s survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete and asks for input on commuting habits, passenger rail, ice and snow removal, planning priorities, electric vehicles and more.
In 2024, more than 1,700 responses were received.
The Traveler Opinion Survey has been a staple of IDOT since 2001. Copies of previous surveys and results can be viewed via idot.illinois.gov.
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