Lake County Public Works & Transportation Committee Meeting (December 3, 2025)

The Lake County Public Works and Transportation Committee convened on December 3, 2025, to address a variety of transportation infrastructure projects, grant applications, and long-range planning initiatives. The meeting featured a joint resolution postponement, several consent agenda items including traffic safety and trail improvements, and a presentation on the draft goals for the "Vision 2050" long-range transportation plan. Committee members provided feedback on the vision statement's clarity and the need to incorporate sustainability and equity into future phases.

Consent Calendar

• Item 8.1 & 8.2: Routine approvals and routine applications authorized under the consent agenda, voted on unanimously by motion of Robert and second of Wasick.
• Item 8.3 (RTA Update): Zach Braun (RTA) reported that following the passage of Senate Bill 2111 providing over $1 billion in new operating funding, the RTA board is considering revised budgets from CTA, Metra, and PACE that include no service cuts, no layoffs, and no fare increases for the next year. The "Access to Transit" call for projects is now open through January 16, 2026, eligible for municipalities and potentially other units of government; details on specific applicant eligibility were to be confirmed. Commissioner Wasick inquired about eligibility for counties and school districts; staff confirmed the inquiry would be followed up on.

Public Comments & Testimony

• John Sabotic: Appeared regarding an item he believed should have been on the agenda. Sabotic expressed confusion regarding the agenda inclusion and stated he was attempting to reach Melanie Colmer regarding a street vacation matter. Staff clarified that the item belongs on the Planning, Building, and Zoning committee agenda (10:30 AM) rather than the current Public Works and Transportation committee, and offered to facilitate contact.
• Chair Clark: Noted that public comments must be related to county business and not political in nature or redundant.

Discussion Items

• Postponement of Item 7.1 (Hawthorne Woods Sewer Agreement): The committee voted unanimously to postpone the joint resolution regarding the amended agreement between Lake County and the Village of Hawthorne Woods to January 7, 2026. Chair Clark stated they are still working out items with Austin McFarlane. Motion by Hunter, second by Casman.
• Item 8.4 (Quiet Zone Recertification): Director Shane Schneider presented a resolution to re-certify the quiet zone along the Canadian National Railroad Line for nine municipalities and the county, appropriating $27,000. Members discussed the importance of quiet zones for safety and quality of life. Member Wasick expressed curiosity about sporadic train whistle blowing, noting it often occurs at night. Director Schneider explained potential causes, including new operators or immediate safety concerns, and advised reporting persistent issues to the railroad.
• Item 8.5 (Deerfield Road Easement): Approval granted for a temporary easement with the Lake County Forest Preserve District ($3,000) to facilitate bridge rehabilitation and trail maintenance. Director Schneider confirmed the project includes creating a continuous multi-use path from Milwaukee to Saunders Road. Member Casman (Vice Chair Maine) expressed full support, stating the project will open up the trail system for significantly more users and connect the County operation department with the Forest Preserve system. Director Schneider confirmed the continuous path will tie into the existing bridge and boardwalk.
• Item 8.6 (Intelligent Transportation System): Approved a $999,998.50 contract with Hometown Electric Inc. for new field elements, including fiber optic cable and cameras. Members discussed the inclusion of new cameras at the Navy base requested to monitor traffic during graduation events. Member Frank asked if camera content is shared with public safety; Director Schneider confirmed dispatch centers across Lake County and outside (e.g., Glenview) have direct fiber connections to view real-time camera feeds.
• Item 8.7 (New Traffic Signals): Approved a $2,560,475.20 contract to install traffic signals at Sunset Avenue/Northern Avenue (Waukegan) and Deerfield Parkway/Barclay Boulevard (Buffalo Grove). Director Schneider highlighted safety improvements for pedestrians, including residents who are blind who currently cross signal-free intersections unsafely.
• Item 8.8 (Haynesville Road Bike Path Grant): Approved a resolution to apply for a $518,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to fund a bike path along Haynesville Road. Member Wasick noted the project will significantly benefit local walkers between Washington and Rollins Roads.
• Item 8.9 (Concrete Patching Change Order): Approved a supplemental appropriation and change order to repair buckled concrete on Peterson Road, Deerfield, and Washington caused by summer heat and humidity. Member was asked if liability exists for the contractors; Director Schneider stated the contractor followed IDOT mixes and passed all material testing, attributing the issue to extreme weather conditions and mix design limitations. Member Hunter inquired about cost-benefit analysis regarding mix designs; Schneider noted IDOT manages statewide standards.
• Item 8.10 (Paratransit Contract): Approved a $1,000,000 appropriation and agreement with Pace for the 2026 "Ride Lake County" Paratransit service. Director Schneider reported ridership has doubled since the program's inception (from ~20,000 to ~40,000). Member Wasick asked if the new transit bill (NETA) would affect funding; staff stated no negative impacts are currently known but noted advocacy for a potential regional service model similar to McHenry County's countywide service.
• Item 8.11 (Washington Street/Route 21 Improvements): Approved a $332,345 engineering contract for intersection improvements to address T-bone crashes and fatalities. Members discussed the danger of the intersection, noting pressure from speed cameras causes drivers to rush turns. Member Roberts clarified that the Village of Gurnee has removed a camera, which may alleviate some pressure. The project will introduce dual left-turn lanes with protected green arrows.
• Item 8.12 (Deerfield Road Bridge Replacement): Approved a $937,165 engineering contract to determine the scope of replacement for the weight-restricted Deerfield Road bridge. The study will consider replacing just the deck versus the full structure, and will analyze opportunities to add sidewalks and bike paths.
• Item 8.13 (Hutchins Road Resurfacing): Approved a $510,242 engineering contract to resurface Hutchins Road and analyze a missing sidewalk/bike path gap. Director Schneider noted the priority is avoiding multi-year delays for resurfacing, so if land acquisition is required for the missing path, it might be broken out as a standalone project.
• Item 8.14 (Fairfield Road Corridor Improvements): Approved a $2,689,513 engineering contract for the highest priority segment of the Fairfield Road corridor study (Gilmer to Route 60), following a PEAK study. The study will address a fatal crash history at the Shardon intersection and explore options like roundabouts, traffic signals, or squaring up the intersection.
• Item 8.15 (Vision 2050 Presentation): Mike Clemens presented the "Discover" phase of the Long-Range Transportation Plan, outlining survey results (nearly 900 respondents, 80% over age 45, 81% white) and emerging themes: Safety, Reliability, Innovation/Adaptability, and Connectivity. The committee discussed the draft vision statement and four goals. Member Wasick urged including carbon footprint reduction and sustainability. Member Roberts questioned the representativeness of the demographic data. Member Kasbin noted the vision statement was generic and suggested making it more powerful. Member Roberts noted the lack of "sustainability" and "equity" language. Director Schneider and Planner Clemens agreed to revise the vision statement to incorporate sustainability and feedback before returning in January.

Key Outcomes

• Postponement: Item 7.1 (Hawthorne Woods Sewer Agreement) approved for postponement to January 7, 2026.
• Consent Agenda: Items 8.1 through 8.3 approved unanimously.
• Contract Approvals: All consent items 8.4 through 8.14 (Traffic signals, quiet zones, easements, engineering contracts, grants) approved unanimously with specific appropriations detailed in the transcript.
• Vision 2050: The committee requested a revised vision statement incorporating sustainability, equity, and stronger language before finalization. The revised statement will be presented in January. Future phases will include strategy development, travel demand modeling, and a public stakeholder session.
• Director's Report: Updated county highway map, accessible website, and app updates were announced. Snow plowing team commended for their efforts. Rumors regarding RTA funding cuts affecting county funds were addressed; staff stated no direct impact is known yet, though IDOT funding transfers are occurring.