On Tuesday, the Kane County Board passed its five-year plan for transportation projects to be completed within the county in the coming years.
The plan, which accounts for fiscal years 2025 to 2029, includes over 150 projects at different stages in the improvement process, according to documents included in Tuesday’s meeting agenda. The county’s share of the cost over the next five years amounts to just under $540 million, with more than 70% going toward projects that are obligated or required due to safety and maintenance reasons, agreements and federal funding commitments.
This year’s list includes no new projects, according to the summary of the resolution from Tuesday’s meeting agenda, due to “funding constraints.” The plan is expected to be updated throughout the year.
According to the summary of the resolution, just over half of the projects are expansions, a number of which are taking place at Randall Road intersections in the county, per an April presentation to the Transportation Committee about the five-year plan. About 30% of the projects are maintenance for pavement, bridges and more, the resolution summary says. There are also a number of projects related to intersection safety, and a few bicycle and pedestrian improvement projects.
The Transportation Improvement Program for fiscal years 2025 through 2029 was presented to the county’s Transportation Committee at its March 18 meeting, and then passed by the committee on April 15. It was then OK’d by the full board Tuesday as part of the meeting’s consent agenda.
But it remains to be seen how the county settles its financial woes, as it continues to grapple with a looming shortfall and starts the budgeting process for next year.
And county funds are not the only possible shortfall on the horizon.
Kane County’s transportation services could also be impacted in the near future by an impending budget gap from the Regional Transportation Authority. Residents in Chicago and the surrounding areas could see the elimination of bus routes, fare increases and a reduction in Metra train services, among other cuts, if lawmakers do not fill a $771 million budget gap expected to hit the region’s four transit agencies as early as next year when the remainder of COVID-19 funding is used up, according to past reporting.
Also on the table is a possible consolidation of the RTA, the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace suburban bus system, an idea the RTA opposes and that, according to past reporting, has faced pushback from suburban groups and elected officials who believe consolidation would limit suburban input on transit in the future.
mmorrow@chicagotribune.com
