Lake County Public Works and Transportation Committee Meeting - February 25, 2026
Lake County Public Works and Transportation Committee Meeting – February 25, 2026
The Lake County Public Works and Transportation Committee met on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. via hybrid format. The meeting was called to order by Vice Chair Maine, with a quorum present. Member Clark participated electronically due to illness. The committee approved several resolutions and heard updates from the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) and county staff.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes from February 4, 2026: Approved unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comment was offered on items not on the agenda.
Discussion Items
RTA Presentation (Item 8.2)
Zachary Braun (Government Affairs Associate) and Katie Peterson (Mobility Outreach Coordinator) provided updates:
- Ridership: Regional transit ended 2025 with 12.3 million more rides than the previous year. CTA had a 1% increase and is at 78% of pre-pandemic levels; Metra recorded 38 million rides (8% year-over-year increase); Pace bus ridership decreased by 3% to 16.4 million rides, at 67% of pre-pandemic levels.
- Capital Program Oversight: $11.2 billion in projects detailed in the semi-annual report.
- NITA Transition: The new Northern Illinois Transit Authority will consolidate fares, enhance safety, and assume planning responsibilities from service boards.
- Fox Lake TOD: Zoning code updates to advance transit-oriented development around the Fox Lake Metra station are underway, implementing the downtown master plan.
- Mobility Management: The Access pilot program (reduced Metra fares for SNAP recipients) is extended through December 31, 2026. A new portal (Portal 2.0) allows applicants to update info, change photos, and upload documents without restarting.
Committee members requested Lake County–specific ridership data for Metra and Pace, and asked for coordination with county planning departments on transit-oriented development. A discussion highlighted the historical lack of bus connections to train stations in Round Lake and Fox Lake, which the county is working to address through road projects and interagency collaboration.
Intergovernmental Agreement with Grays Lake (Item 8.3)
Director Austin McFarlane presented a joint resolution authorizing a retail sanitary sewer and water supply IGA with the Village of Grays Lake. The agreement adds parcels (shaded in red) to the county’s Wildwood water system, with the county providing retail services (direct billing and infrastructure). The village approved the IGA on February 3, 2026. Committee members questioned connection fees and capacity limits; member Hunter noted that the agreement (page 17) explicitly requires connection charges at the county’s standard rates. The resolution passed unanimously after clarification.
Ecological Restoration Contract (Item 8.4)
Director Shane Schneider presented a low-bid contract with Semperfi Land Inc. of Yorkville for $9,780 to maintain native landscaped areas (wetlands, detention basins, roundabout islands) covering 101 acres (up from 50 acres in 2015). The work includes invasive species management. The bid was narrowly lower than a competitor; Semperfi has performed similar work for the county. Approved unanimously.
Motor Fuel Tax Funds for Ice Control Salt (Item 8.5)
The committee approved appropriation of $2 million in MFT funds for the 2026–2027 winter season, based on an estimated need of 16,000 tons of salt. The county coordinates joint bids with over 60 local agencies. Current contract price is ~$90/ton; the 10-year average annual usage is 13,000 tons. The county uses beet juice to reduce salt application by about 20%. Approved unanimously.
MLK Drive Engineering Contract (Item 8.6)
Approved an agreement with Civil Tech Engineering Inc. for phase two design of improvements to Martin Luther King Drive (Commonwealth Avenue to IL Route 137) at a maximum cost of $370,093.78. The project includes replacing a deteriorating box culvert and resurfacing the road east to Sheridan Road. The western portion will be resurfaced in summer 2026. Approved unanimously.
Speed Zone Reduction on Wadsworth Road (Item 8.7)
The committee established a 35 mph speed zone (reduced from 45 mph) on Wadsworth Road from US Route 41 to 1,400 feet east, in Newport Township. The change responds to crash history, pedestrian activity (bike trail crossing), and previous safety improvements (roundabout, access consolidation). The reduction aligns with the speed limit east of 41 into downtown. Approved unanimously.
Deerfield Road Right-of-Way Supplemental Appropriation (Item 8.8)
Approved a supplemental $1 million in MFT funds for right-of-way acquisition on Deerfield Road (Milwaukee Avenue to Saunders Road). The project will widen the road to three lanes, improve the intersection at Milwaukee Avenue, and install a bike path and sidewalk. Of 39 required parcels, only a few remain. The original 2003 appropriation was based on estimates; actual settlement costs require the supplement. The Des Plaines River Trail will be temporarily closed under the bridge during repairs for safety. Approved unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- All resolutions passed unanimously (items 8.2–8.8).
- Committee requested staff to obtain Lake County–specific ridership data from Metra and Pace.
- Director McFarlane to provide sample customer fees and connection charge details for the Grays Lake IGA.
- Member Wasick reported that the Surface Transportation Reauthorization is being marked up in Congress; county will identify potential earmarks.
- Member Kasman shared updated Pace ridership data (system-wide 3.5% year-over-year increase, 72.7% of 2019 levels) and will forward to the committee.
The next meeting is scheduled for March 4, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
Today is Wednesday, February 25th, uh 2026, and I call the Lake County Public Works and Transportation Meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. In addition to being able to attend in person, remote attendance has been made available to the public via Zoom at the link on the agenda. The meeting is being recorded through Zoom. Per our county board rules and the open meetings act, attendance via remote means is permitted for qualifying reasons as long as the majority of the committee members are physically present. We've been notified in advance that member uh member Clark that they request to participate electronically due to personal illness. We have a uh physical quorum, so member Clark may be marked present, and they she is eligible to vote on matters before the committee today. As a reminder to members attending remotely, please ensure your camera is on at all times. Will you join me in the Pledge of Allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Member Castman? Here. Chair Clark. Here. Member Hunter? Here. Vice Chair Maine. Present. Member Roberts. Member Watt. All right. So we have a quorum and we will begin the meeting. Do we have any addenda to the agenda? Do not. One of my favorite phrases. Do we have any public comment on items not on the agenda? Do not. No one remotely. Okay. Chair's remark. Hello. All right, there we go. That's in deference to member um Hunter with his demands here. Do we have any unfinished business? We do not. Great. We will then move on to 8.0, which is new business. The consent agenda is a single item 8.1, which is the minutes from February 4th. Do I have a motion to approve? Motion by Hewitt, second by Hunter. Any corrections or comments? Hearing none, all in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? None. The motion passes. Thank you. We'll now move on to the regular agenda. Item 8.2. Do we have government affairs associate of the RTA, Zachary Braun and Mobility Outreach Coordinator from the RTA, Katie Peterson.
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