Comprehensive Plan Summary
TRANSPORTATION
GOAL
A transportation system which
will provide accessibility to all persons in the area while maintaining the
quality of the environment, and providing safe movement of people and goods.
OBJECTIVES
Transportation should be planned as a coordinated
system of facilities; for private vehicles, commuter railroads, and buses and
other means, as appropriate.
Land‑uses and transportation systems are directly
related since highway, roads, and rail lines are significant land uses, and as
such, should be considered simultaneously and inseparably, with recognition
given the potential for area‑wide transportation‑ implications. stemming from
local decisions.
The roadway systems should be composed of, a)
freeways and appropriately controlled interchanges, b) regional highways with
continuity through the area, c) area roads with continuity within the area
only, d) collector roads with limited continuity, e) local roads and streets to
provide access to abutting properties, f) destination parking facilities for
major activity centers and rail users.
Key elements of the transportation system should be
as follows: a) regional traffic with external origins and destinations should
wherever possible be routed around the BACOG area, rather than through it; and
b) area‑wide traffic should be routed to
avoid activity
centers. The internal road system should provide access to surrounding areas,
adjacent freeway systems and regional highways, but be designed to discourage
its use and subsequent designation as a major highway system. IDOT's strategic
regional arterial initiative with major BACOG area roads earmarked for
significant upgrading deserves close study, alternative reconstruction or area
negative response.
All feasible traffic engineering
techniques, consistent with maintaining the character of existing roadway
systems should be utilized to improve capacity, accessibility,. and safety;
prior to considering major forms of road improvement. The principle of road
improvement restraint should apply to all area road systems and facilities.
Again, the SRA programs the EJ&E commuter rail proposal in the CATS 2020
plan deserve continued monitoring and area response.
Options for existing roadway systems should be
continuously investigated in recognition of likely future increases in roadway
use, caused by growth, land use changes and intensification, and other causes.
All roads and right‑of‑ways within the BACOG area
should be subject to unique design standards in response to the natural landscape and desired countryside environment.
The function of local collector roads should be
limited to meeting local access needs.
A regional transportation system must be achieved in
the Chicago Metropolitan area through
sound legislation and financing and with
adequate suburban representation its. administration. It
should reflect multi‑modal
solutions but only where demand studies warrant significant addition,
or implementation can be achieved without extreme negative traffic congestion or
effects on
community life.
BACOG ROADWAY SYSTEM
The BACOG roadway system must be coordinated with
area land‑use guidance procedures to maintain the most reasonable accessibility
compatible with environmental protection. Freeways and regional highways provide
the framework of the roadway system. The improvement of some of these routes
and diversion of through traffic around the BACOG area will make possible the
retention of the countryside quality along collector and local roads. Area and collector roads will carry a relatively
high volume of traffic but do not have or should not have complete continuity
through the BACOG area. The objective of minimizing the widening or altering
the character of area highways and roads means specifically that certain
roadways should not be improved.
It is recommended that a high priority be granted
the formulation of design standards for BACOG area roads, especially those,
which are known to be included in short‑range improvement programs of the state
or county. BACOG should carefully monitor transportation planning to insure
that the character of the roads remains compatible with BACOG area land‑use
goals.
MASS TRANSPORTATION
To date mass transit planning in the BACOG area has
been limited due to the low density of development.
Other transit systems which may be feasible must be coordinated with overall
regional transportaion planning. The
BACOG area should consider such options as: 1) a restored feeder bus service to
the commuter rail station: and 2) feeder bus service connecting with the
express bus system.
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM PRIORITIES
PRIORITY ONE.
Essential to the BACOG area transportation system is a bypass grid of
freeways and regional highways. Part of this grid is already completed‑the Northwest
Tollway and parts of Route 53 (432) on the eastern periphery of the BACOG
area. Other bypass elements are also
needed.
PRIORITY TWO. Area Roads. In order to provide
convenient and safe accessibility within the BACOG area and to avoid the increasing
build up of traffic congestion in the Village Center of Barrington continued
planning must be directed to the improvement of specific area roads and to the
analysis of alternate traffic routes both through and around the Village of
Barrington.
PRIORITY THREE. Barrington Village Center. Continued efforts to expose viable routes, to study proposed development, and to examine and test options are needed to expedite traffic flow in and around the Barrington Village Center.
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