It’s not surprising that Oak Parkers like some elements of IDOT’s proposed alternatives for the Ike, such as rebuilding aging bridges, redesigned on and off ramps, improved access to CTA Blue Line stations, and a western extension of the Blue Line. [Forum airs split Ike concerns, News, Oct. 2.]
At the Sept. 30 public meeting, some also expressed support for widening the Ike, based on a common misconception that doing so will significantly reduce congestion and speed traffic. Unfortunately, it won’t. As IDOT acknowledges, adding lanes to the Ike will lead to significantly more cars (along with more noise and air pollution, I would add) but about the same levels of congestion.
This is due to what transportation planners call “generated traffic.” In other words, if you build it, they will come. New and expanded roads stimulate more driving that gradually clogs up the new lanes, which leads to cries for still more roads that when built generate more driving, and so forth. It’s a wonderful cycle for road builders, but not for taxpayers and commuters.
In short, you can’t beat traffic congestion by encouraging more driving.
There are better ways to spend limited transportation dollars, and IDOT does have some good ideas on the table that offer sustainable ways to reduce congestion and move the region, like expanded rapid transit and car pool lanes. But any alternative that widens the Ike is, at best, a short-term solution to decrease driving times. Ultimately, it would lead to comparable levels of congestion but with even more cars.
Ron Burke is executive director of Active Transportation Alliance and an Oak Park resident.