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Illinois notes

Started by mgk920, September 12, 2012, 02:19:57 PM

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abefroman329

Quote from: abefroman329 on September 07, 2018, 12:37:53 AM
I saw it again and wrote it down.

QUIT SMILING
AT YOUR LAP
DROP IT AND DRIVE
And now it's

WHAT ARE YOU
LOOKING AT?
DROP IT AND DRIVE

Unsure if some prude or prudes complained about the double entendre, or if they just decided to go with something new.


edwaleni

Quote from: Brandon on October 08, 2018, 12:44:21 PM
Quote from: edwaleni on October 08, 2018, 12:20:59 PM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on October 08, 2018, 12:55:41 AM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 07, 2018, 10:58:59 PM
Let's make this simple, IDOT just needs to completely adopt the Tollways lighting standards and design, right down to the exact light poles and luminaries used. The lighting on the Tollway is just better, and this exemplifies why. The Tollway also is going about it smart. They replace with LEDs on reconstruction or where designated, but doing it bits at a time. In some states, I see random LEDs thrown in with HPS, so it makes sense to just to it all as LED if replacing any lights.

I think you'll find that the difference in quality between ISTHA and IDOT roads is largely because of the difference in funding, rather than the difference in standards.

Highway construction is usually awarded by bid. lowest bid typically wins.

It's also in what and how you specify.  If you leave the specifications open, like IDOT does, then you get crap.  If you specify LEDs and other like items, you will get properly comparable bids with the specifications you want, and then choose the lowest bid with those specifications.  I know, I write specifications for jobs quite commonly.  I get the feeling that ISTHA's specifications are much tighter than IDOT's specifications.

While I didnt expect anymore responses on the LED/HPS question with IDOT, this is to say I havent gotten any more feedback.

I think the research and only response speaks for itself at this point.

With Illinois generally broke, unless the Feds come up with some major dollars, or IDOT makes them mandatory going forward on bids, it will be awhile before anything comes of it.

Lyon Wonder

US 67 Illinois River bridge at Beardstown reduced to one lane of traffic for the next one to two weeks.

http://wlds.com/news/lane-closures-at-beardstown-bridge/

abefroman329

Today's clever VMS:

OMG
ARE YOU TEXTING?
I CAN'T EVEN

inkyatari

Quote from: abefroman329 on October 24, 2018, 01:39:01 PM
Today's clever VMS:

OMG
ARE YOU TEXTING?
I CAN'T EVEN

Saw that over the weekend. THe kids and I rolled our eyes.
I'm never wrong, just wildly inaccurate.

ChiMilNet

Quote from: inkyatari on October 24, 2018, 02:05:31 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on October 24, 2018, 01:39:01 PM
Today's clever VMS:

OMG
ARE YOU TEXTING?
I CAN'T EVEN

Saw that over the weekend. THe kids and I rolled our eyes.

I bet half of those people are frustrated drivers checking Waze because IDOT can't build an expressway that can handle the traffic it gets. That was me at least... maybe IDOT outta spend more time, money, and resources fixing their lousy expressways than trying to get cute on the BGS.

tribar

Quote from: abefroman329 on October 24, 2018, 01:39:01 PM
Today's clever VMS:

OMG
ARE YOU TEXTING?
I CAN'T EVEN

Almost as bad as the bae one.

paulthemapguy

Quote from: tribar on October 25, 2018, 12:24:05 AM
Quote from: abefroman329 on October 24, 2018, 01:39:01 PM
Today's clever VMS:

OMG
ARE YOU TEXTING?
I CAN'T EVEN

Almost as bad as the bae one.

I'm just glad someone is having fun making these.
Just don't endanger yourself by taking your hand off the steering wheel to facepalm.
Avatar is the last interesting highway I clinched.
My website! http://www.paulacrossamerica.com Now featuring all of Ohio!
My USA Shield Gallery https://flic.kr/s/aHsmHwJRZk
TM Clinches https://bit.ly/2UwRs4O

National collection status: 361/425. Only 64 route markers remain

Brandon

IDOT
OUT OF TOUCH
OUT OF MONEY

Not a real one, but should be.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

kphoger

Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 25, 2018, 12:23:03 AM
maybe IDOT outta spend more time, money, and resources fixing their lousy expressways than trying to get cute on the BGS.

I'm pretty sure they do spend more time, money, and resources on fixing roads than they do trying to get cute on the BGS.  For two reasons:

#1  The cute messages take hardly any time, money, or resources.
#2  It's not a BGS at all.  Haven't seen a single case of "getting cute" on a BGS.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

ChiMilNet

Quote from: kphoger on October 25, 2018, 03:18:04 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 25, 2018, 12:23:03 AM
maybe IDOT outta spend more time, money, and resources fixing their lousy expressways than trying to get cute on the BGS.

I'm pretty sure they do spend more time, money, and resources on fixing roads than they do trying to get cute on the BGS.  For two reasons:

#1  The cute messages take hardly any time, money, or resources.
#2  It's not a BGS at all.  Haven't seen a single case of "getting cute" on a BGS.

I obviously was being quite sarcastic with both. I am just venting the frustration many drivers around Chicago feel is all... try driving on I-90 or I-94 in the North or NW Suburbs and North Side anytime after 2pm on a weekday and you'll get know exactly what I mean. By the way, I was checking Waze when I saw that exact BGS!

Joe The Dragon

Quote from: Brandon on October 25, 2018, 11:25:41 AM
IDOT
OUT OF TOUCH
OUT OF MONEY

Not a real one, but should be.

What about

OUT OF MONEY
TOLLS COMING
GET IPASS AND SAVE

kphoger

Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 25, 2018, 06:06:16 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 25, 2018, 03:18:04 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 25, 2018, 12:23:03 AM
maybe IDOT outta spend more time, money, and resources fixing their lousy expressways than trying to get cute on the BGS.

I'm pretty sure they do spend more time, money, and resources on fixing roads than they do trying to get cute on the BGS.  For two reasons:

#1  The cute messages take hardly any time, money, or resources.
#2  It's not a BGS at all.  Haven't seen a single case of "getting cute" on a BGS.

I obviously was being quite sarcastic with both. I am just venting the frustration many drivers around Chicago feel is all... try driving on I-90 or I-94 in the North or NW Suburbs and North Side anytime after 2pm on a weekday and you'll get know exactly what I mean. By the way, I was checking Waze when I saw that exact BGS!

It's still not a BGS.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

ChiMilNet

Quote from: kphoger on October 26, 2018, 01:37:20 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 25, 2018, 06:06:16 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 25, 2018, 03:18:04 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 25, 2018, 12:23:03 AM
maybe IDOT outta spend more time, money, and resources fixing their lousy expressways than trying to get cute on the BGS.

I'm pretty sure they do spend more time, money, and resources on fixing roads than they do trying to get cute on the BGS.  For two reasons:

#1  The cute messages take hardly any time, money, or resources.
#2  It's not a BGS at all.  Haven't seen a single case of "getting cute" on a BGS.

I obviously was being quite sarcastic with both. I am just venting the frustration many drivers around Chicago feel is all... try driving on I-90 or I-94 in the North or NW Suburbs and North Side anytime after 2pm on a weekday and you'll get know exactly what I mean. By the way, I was checking Waze when I saw that exact BGS!

It's still not a BGS.

OK, I meant the Traffic Info System. I think I made my point and won't let this get off topic any longer. Either way, if IDOT wants to impress me and other drivers around here, do something about the actual highways.

Crash_It

Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 26, 2018, 05:51:57 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 26, 2018, 01:37:20 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 25, 2018, 06:06:16 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 25, 2018, 03:18:04 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 25, 2018, 12:23:03 AM
maybe IDOT outta spend more time, money, and resources fixing their lousy expressways than trying to get cute on the BGS.

I'm pretty sure they do spend more time, money, and resources on fixing roads than they do trying to get cute on the BGS.  For two reasons:

#1  The cute messages take hardly any time, money, or resources.
#2  It's not a BGS at all.  Haven't seen a single case of "getting cute" on a BGS.

I obviously was being quite sarcastic with both. I am just venting the frustration many drivers around Chicago feel is all... try driving on I-90 or I-94 in the North or NW Suburbs and North Side anytime after 2pm on a weekday and you'll get know exactly what I mean. By the way, I was checking Waze when I saw that exact BGS!

It's still not a BGS.

OK, I meant the Traffic Info System. I think I made my point and won't let this get off topic any longer. Either way, if IDOT wants to impress me and other drivers around here, do something about the actual highways.

They are, isn't this why they are widening the Kennedy, Eisenhower and redoing the circle interchange? This is partially the reason why things are so congested right now. Once these projects are complete, there will be some relief. Traffic congestion is in every metro area, Milwaukee can get just as bad, if not worse. The Borman expressway and portions of the Indiana Toll Road also get congested, so it's not an IDOT problem.

tribar

Quote from: Crash_It on October 27, 2018, 09:26:47 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 26, 2018, 05:51:57 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 26, 2018, 01:37:20 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 25, 2018, 06:06:16 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 25, 2018, 03:18:04 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 25, 2018, 12:23:03 AM
maybe IDOT outta spend more time, money, and resources fixing their lousy expressways than trying to get cute on the BGS.

I'm pretty sure they do spend more time, money, and resources on fixing roads than they do trying to get cute on the BGS.  For two reasons:

#1  The cute messages take hardly any time, money, or resources.
#2  It's not a BGS at all.  Haven't seen a single case of "getting cute" on a BGS.

I obviously was being quite sarcastic with both. I am just venting the frustration many drivers around Chicago feel is all... try driving on I-90 or I-94 in the North or NW Suburbs and North Side anytime after 2pm on a weekday and you'll get know exactly what I mean. By the way, I was checking Waze when I saw that exact BGS!

It's still not a BGS.

OK, I meant the Traffic Info System. I think I made my point and won't let this get off topic any longer. Either way, if IDOT wants to impress me and other drivers around here, do something about the actual highways.

They are, isn't this why they are widening the Kennedy, Eisenhower and redoing the circle interchange? This is partially the reason why things are so congested right now. Once these projects are complete, there will be some relief. Traffic congestion is in every metro area, Milwaukee can get just as bad, if not worse. The Borman expressway and portions of the Indiana Toll Road also get congested, so it's not an IDOT problem.

In what way is Milwaukee as bad if not worse than Chicago. Congestion is a scarcity outside of rush hour or Brewers games and even then it's manageable. You make a good point on it not just being a Chicago thing but Milwaukee isn't really a good example.

ChiMilNet

Quote from: tribar on October 28, 2018, 01:31:07 AM
Quote from: Crash_It on October 27, 2018, 09:26:47 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 26, 2018, 05:51:57 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 26, 2018, 01:37:20 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 25, 2018, 06:06:16 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 25, 2018, 03:18:04 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 25, 2018, 12:23:03 AM
maybe IDOT outta spend more time, money, and resources fixing their lousy expressways than trying to get cute on the BGS.

I'm pretty sure they do spend more time, money, and resources on fixing roads than they do trying to get cute on the BGS.  For two reasons:

#1  The cute messages take hardly any time, money, or resources.
#2  It's not a BGS at all.  Haven't seen a single case of "getting cute" on a BGS.

I obviously was being quite sarcastic with both. I am just venting the frustration many drivers around Chicago feel is all... try driving on I-90 or I-94 in the North or NW Suburbs and North Side anytime after 2pm on a weekday and you'll get know exactly what I mean. By the way, I was checking Waze when I saw that exact BGS!

It's still not a BGS.

OK, I meant the Traffic Info System. I think I made my point and won't let this get off topic any longer. Either way, if IDOT wants to impress me and other drivers around here, do something about the actual highways.

They are, isn't this why they are widening the Kennedy, Eisenhower and redoing the circle interchange? This is partially the reason why things are so congested right now. Once these projects are complete, there will be some relief. Traffic congestion is in every metro area, Milwaukee can get just as bad, if not worse. The Borman expressway and portions of the Indiana Toll Road also get congested, so it's not an IDOT problem.

In what way is Milwaukee as bad if not worse than Chicago. Congestion is a scarcity outside of rush hour or Brewers games and even then it's manageable. You make a good point on it not just being a Chicago thing but Milwaukee isn't really a good example.

How about when I am heading OUTBOUND on I-94 past the Junction at 6am and it is already jamming up (mind you, in a spot where there is NO construction occurring)? I get that the Circle Interchange Downtown is causing some of the issues, but there are other spots, too, where traffic is just a mess because of simply a poor or inadequate design. They are adding one extra lane each way on the Kennedy/Dan Ryan (90-94) through the Circle, but no additional lanes on the Ike. That will help 90-94 a bit, but I see little potential benefit on The Ike. I'm curious what the construction on the Kennedy on the far NW Side will do once it is all finished both ways, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's another hillside situation where the construction merely pushes the inbound congestion just a bit further East (to Harlem in this case). Just from what I've seen, I find it hard to trust anything IDOT is doing to be done properly.

Crash_It

Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 28, 2018, 09:12:11 AM
Quote from: tribar on October 28, 2018, 01:31:07 AM
Quote from: Crash_It on October 27, 2018, 09:26:47 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 26, 2018, 05:51:57 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 26, 2018, 01:37:20 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 25, 2018, 06:06:16 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 25, 2018, 03:18:04 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 25, 2018, 12:23:03 AM
maybe IDOT outta spend more time, money, and resources fixing their lousy expressways than trying to get cute on the BGS.

I'm pretty sure they do spend more time, money, and resources on fixing roads than they do trying to get cute on the BGS.  For two reasons:

#1  The cute messages take hardly any time, money, or resources.
#2  It's not a BGS at all.  Haven't seen a single case of "getting cute" on a BGS.

I obviously was being quite sarcastic with both. I am just venting the frustration many drivers around Chicago feel is all... try driving on I-90 or I-94 in the North or NW Suburbs and North Side anytime after 2pm on a weekday and you'll get know exactly what I mean. By the way, I was checking Waze when I saw that exact BGS!

It's still not a BGS.

OK, I meant the Traffic Info System. I think I made my point and won't let this get off topic any longer. Either way, if IDOT wants to impress me and other drivers around here, do something about the actual highways.

They are, isn't this why they are widening the Kennedy, Eisenhower and redoing the circle interchange? This is partially the reason why things are so congested right now. Once these projects are complete, there will be some relief. Traffic congestion is in every metro area, Milwaukee can get just as bad, if not worse. The Borman expressway and portions of the Indiana Toll Road also get congested, so it's not an IDOT problem.

In what way is Milwaukee as bad if not worse than Chicago. Congestion is a scarcity outside of rush hour or Brewers games and even then it's manageable. You make a good point on it not just being a Chicago thing but Milwaukee isn't really a good example.

How about when I am heading OUTBOUND on I-94 past the Junction at 6am and it is already jamming up (mind you, in a spot where there is NO construction occurring)? I get that the Circle Interchange Downtown is causing some of the issues, but there are other spots, too, where traffic is just a mess because of simply a poor or inadequate design. They are adding one extra lane each way on the Kennedy/Dan Ryan (90-94) through the Circle, but no additional lanes on the Ike. That will help 90-94 a bit, but I see little potential benefit on The Ike. I'm curious what the construction on the Kennedy on the far NW Side will do once it is all finished both ways, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's another hillside situation where the construction merely pushes the inbound congestion just a bit further East (to Harlem in this case). Just from what I've seen, I find it hard to trust anything IDOT is doing to be done properly.

There must either be an accident somewhere or the line of people waiting to get on 90 towards O'hare, I've noticed that times when I've driven the NB Kennedy it was only congested until the split from the Edens. The Edens is usually only congested in that direction if there's an accident. Again, your logic with blaming IDOT for the congestion issues is flawed and all you have to do is visit even larger metro areas to see it. There are ways to avoid the congestion.

ChiMilNet

Quote from: Crash_It on October 28, 2018, 03:56:37 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 28, 2018, 09:12:11 AM
Quote from: tribar on October 28, 2018, 01:31:07 AM
Quote from: Crash_It on October 27, 2018, 09:26:47 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 26, 2018, 05:51:57 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 26, 2018, 01:37:20 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 25, 2018, 06:06:16 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 25, 2018, 03:18:04 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 25, 2018, 12:23:03 AM
maybe IDOT outta spend more time, money, and resources fixing their lousy expressways than trying to get cute on the BGS.

I'm pretty sure they do spend more time, money, and resources on fixing roads than they do trying to get cute on the BGS.  For two reasons:

#1  The cute messages take hardly any time, money, or resources.
#2  It's not a BGS at all.  Haven't seen a single case of "getting cute" on a BGS.

I obviously was being quite sarcastic with both. I am just venting the frustration many drivers around Chicago feel is all... try driving on I-90 or I-94 in the North or NW Suburbs and North Side anytime after 2pm on a weekday and you'll get know exactly what I mean. By the way, I was checking Waze when I saw that exact BGS!

It's still not a BGS.

OK, I meant the Traffic Info System. I think I made my point and won't let this get off topic any longer. Either way, if IDOT wants to impress me and other drivers around here, do something about the actual highways.

They are, isn't this why they are widening the Kennedy, Eisenhower and redoing the circle interchange? This is partially the reason why things are so congested right now. Once these projects are complete, there will be some relief. Traffic congestion is in every metro area, Milwaukee can get just as bad, if not worse. The Borman expressway and portions of the Indiana Toll Road also get congested, so it's not an IDOT problem.

In what way is Milwaukee as bad if not worse than Chicago. Congestion is a scarcity outside of rush hour or Brewers games and even then it's manageable. You make a good point on it not just being a Chicago thing but Milwaukee isn't really a good example.

How about when I am heading OUTBOUND on I-94 past the Junction at 6am and it is already jamming up (mind you, in a spot where there is NO construction occurring)? I get that the Circle Interchange Downtown is causing some of the issues, but there are other spots, too, where traffic is just a mess because of simply a poor or inadequate design. They are adding one extra lane each way on the Kennedy/Dan Ryan (90-94) through the Circle, but no additional lanes on the Ike. That will help 90-94 a bit, but I see little potential benefit on The Ike. I'm curious what the construction on the Kennedy on the far NW Side will do once it is all finished both ways, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's another hillside situation where the construction merely pushes the inbound congestion just a bit further East (to Harlem in this case). Just from what I've seen, I find it hard to trust anything IDOT is doing to be done properly.

There must either be an accident somewhere or the line of people waiting to get on 90 towards O'hare, I've noticed that times when I've driven the NB Kennedy it was only congested until the split from the Edens. The Edens is usually only congested in that direction if there's an accident. Again, your logic with blaming IDOT for the congestion issues is flawed and all you have to do is visit even larger metro areas to see it. There are ways to avoid the congestion.

I don't wish to get into a debate here. However, there was no accident on the outbound Edens that morning, and the congestion continued well after the split. This has become more and more commonplace it seems. Other people where I was at also had the same observation. I am more expressing my annoyance that IDOT has done virtually nothing to address the congestion causes on this and other expressways (aside from accidents). I know that CMAP also has a role in the planning, and there are other agencies involved, so I get that IDOT is merely one party in the blame for what goes on. However, the old saying is, if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. However, it feels that a lot of what IDOT is in charge of maintaining is in notoriously worse shape than some of the other roads maintained by other agencies in the area. I have visited NYC and LA and other metro areas, so I know that they have congestion issues as well.

edwaleni

Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 28, 2018, 07:50:27 PM
Quote from: Crash_It on October 28, 2018, 03:56:37 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 28, 2018, 09:12:11 AM
Quote from: tribar on October 28, 2018, 01:31:07 AM
Quote from: Crash_It on October 27, 2018, 09:26:47 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 26, 2018, 05:51:57 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 26, 2018, 01:37:20 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 25, 2018, 06:06:16 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 25, 2018, 03:18:04 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 25, 2018, 12:23:03 AM
maybe IDOT outta spend more time, money, and resources fixing their lousy expressways than trying to get cute on the BGS.

I'm pretty sure they do spend more time, money, and resources on fixing roads than they do trying to get cute on the BGS.  For two reasons:

#1  The cute messages take hardly any time, money, or resources.
#2  It's not a BGS at all.  Haven't seen a single case of "getting cute" on a BGS.

I obviously was being quite sarcastic with both. I am just venting the frustration many drivers around Chicago feel is all... try driving on I-90 or I-94 in the North or NW Suburbs and North Side anytime after 2pm on a weekday and you'll get know exactly what I mean. By the way, I was checking Waze when I saw that exact BGS!

It's still not a BGS.

OK, I meant the Traffic Info System. I think I made my point and won't let this get off topic any longer. Either way, if IDOT wants to impress me and other drivers around here, do something about the actual highways.

They are, isn't this why they are widening the Kennedy, Eisenhower and redoing the circle interchange? This is partially the reason why things are so congested right now. Once these projects are complete, there will be some relief. Traffic congestion is in every metro area, Milwaukee can get just as bad, if not worse. The Borman expressway and portions of the Indiana Toll Road also get congested, so it's not an IDOT problem.

In what way is Milwaukee as bad if not worse than Chicago. Congestion is a scarcity outside of rush hour or Brewers games and even then it's manageable. You make a good point on it not just being a Chicago thing but Milwaukee isn't really a good example.

How about when I am heading OUTBOUND on I-94 past the Junction at 6am and it is already jamming up (mind you, in a spot where there is NO construction occurring)? I get that the Circle Interchange Downtown is causing some of the issues, but there are other spots, too, where traffic is just a mess because of simply a poor or inadequate design. They are adding one extra lane each way on the Kennedy/Dan Ryan (90-94) through the Circle, but no additional lanes on the Ike. That will help 90-94 a bit, but I see little potential benefit on The Ike. I'm curious what the construction on the Kennedy on the far NW Side will do once it is all finished both ways, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's another hillside situation where the construction merely pushes the inbound congestion just a bit further East (to Harlem in this case). Just from what I've seen, I find it hard to trust anything IDOT is doing to be done properly.

There must either be an accident somewhere or the line of people waiting to get on 90 towards O'hare, I've noticed that times when I've driven the NB Kennedy it was only congested until the split from the Edens. The Edens is usually only congested in that direction if there's an accident. Again, your logic with blaming IDOT for the congestion issues is flawed and all you have to do is visit even larger metro areas to see it. There are ways to avoid the congestion.

I don't wish to get into a debate here. However, there was no accident on the outbound Edens that morning, and the congestion continued well after the split. This has become more and more commonplace it seems. Other people where I was at also had the same observation. I am more expressing my annoyance that IDOT has done virtually nothing to address the congestion causes on this and other expressways (aside from accidents). I know that CMAP also has a role in the planning, and there are other agencies involved, so I get that IDOT is merely one party in the blame for what goes on. However, the old saying is, if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. However, it feels that a lot of what IDOT is in charge of maintaining is in notoriously worse shape than some of the other roads maintained by other agencies in the area. I have visited NYC and LA and other metro areas, so I know that they have congestion issues as well.

IDOT told the world back in the late 1990's that they did not foresee a great deal of highway funding in the federal pipeline and that there would be no upgrades or expansions planned for any Chicago freeway for at least 25-30 years.

There was a remark that more fed funding was going to transit uses and with the recent updates to equipment in the RTA (CTA, Metra, PACE, etc) people should be focusing on their uses going forward.  It worked for a little while until gas prices dropped and ridership on the RTA has been flat to 1% in growth ever since.

In fact Metra is considering reducing services because there isn't enough dough to keep all the trains going on the same schedule anymore.

Now, IDOT is currently examining an Ike (I-290) capacity improvement from Manheim to Austin, and the costs are not looking so good. It will take an extreme level of fed funding to support this effort to squeeze yet more lanes in that limited amount of space, including a cemetery relocation, 2 railroad relocations and the replacement of several 70 year old railroad bridges. The fact they have been able to use the current ROW between Manheim and the Des Plaines River as long as they have is nothing short of a miracle since it was bought from the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin in the late 1940's.

ChiMilNet

Quote from: edwaleni on October 28, 2018, 11:28:23 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 28, 2018, 07:50:27 PM
Quote from: Crash_It on October 28, 2018, 03:56:37 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 28, 2018, 09:12:11 AM
Quote from: tribar on October 28, 2018, 01:31:07 AM
Quote from: Crash_It on October 27, 2018, 09:26:47 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 26, 2018, 05:51:57 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 26, 2018, 01:37:20 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 25, 2018, 06:06:16 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 25, 2018, 03:18:04 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on October 25, 2018, 12:23:03 AM
maybe IDOT outta spend more time, money, and resources fixing their lousy expressways than trying to get cute on the BGS.

I'm pretty sure they do spend more time, money, and resources on fixing roads than they do trying to get cute on the BGS.  For two reasons:

#1  The cute messages take hardly any time, money, or resources.
#2  It's not a BGS at all.  Haven't seen a single case of "getting cute" on a BGS.

I obviously was being quite sarcastic with both. I am just venting the frustration many drivers around Chicago feel is all... try driving on I-90 or I-94 in the North or NW Suburbs and North Side anytime after 2pm on a weekday and you'll get know exactly what I mean. By the way, I was checking Waze when I saw that exact BGS!

It's still not a BGS.

OK, I meant the Traffic Info System. I think I made my point and won't let this get off topic any longer. Either way, if IDOT wants to impress me and other drivers around here, do something about the actual highways.

They are, isn't this why they are widening the Kennedy, Eisenhower and redoing the circle interchange? This is partially the reason why things are so congested right now. Once these projects are complete, there will be some relief. Traffic congestion is in every metro area, Milwaukee can get just as bad, if not worse. The Borman expressway and portions of the Indiana Toll Road also get congested, so it's not an IDOT problem.

In what way is Milwaukee as bad if not worse than Chicago. Congestion is a scarcity outside of rush hour or Brewers games and even then it's manageable. You make a good point on it not just being a Chicago thing but Milwaukee isn't really a good example.

How about when I am heading OUTBOUND on I-94 past the Junction at 6am and it is already jamming up (mind you, in a spot where there is NO construction occurring)? I get that the Circle Interchange Downtown is causing some of the issues, but there are other spots, too, where traffic is just a mess because of simply a poor or inadequate design. They are adding one extra lane each way on the Kennedy/Dan Ryan (90-94) through the Circle, but no additional lanes on the Ike. That will help 90-94 a bit, but I see little potential benefit on The Ike. I'm curious what the construction on the Kennedy on the far NW Side will do once it is all finished both ways, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's another hillside situation where the construction merely pushes the inbound congestion just a bit further East (to Harlem in this case). Just from what I've seen, I find it hard to trust anything IDOT is doing to be done properly.

There must either be an accident somewhere or the line of people waiting to get on 90 towards O'hare, I've noticed that times when I've driven the NB Kennedy it was only congested until the split from the Edens. The Edens is usually only congested in that direction if there's an accident. Again, your logic with blaming IDOT for the congestion issues is flawed and all you have to do is visit even larger metro areas to see it. There are ways to avoid the congestion.

I don't wish to get into a debate here. However, there was no accident on the outbound Edens that morning, and the congestion continued well after the split. This has become more and more commonplace it seems. Other people where I was at also had the same observation. I am more expressing my annoyance that IDOT has done virtually nothing to address the congestion causes on this and other expressways (aside from accidents). I know that CMAP also has a role in the planning, and there are other agencies involved, so I get that IDOT is merely one party in the blame for what goes on. However, the old saying is, if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. However, it feels that a lot of what IDOT is in charge of maintaining is in notoriously worse shape than some of the other roads maintained by other agencies in the area. I have visited NYC and LA and other metro areas, so I know that they have congestion issues as well.

IDOT told the world back in the late 1990's that they did not foresee a great deal of highway funding in the federal pipeline and that there would be no upgrades or expansions planned for any Chicago freeway for at least 25-30 years.

There was a remark that more fed funding was going to transit uses and with the recent updates to equipment in the RTA (CTA, Metra, PACE, etc) people should be focusing on their uses going forward.  It worked for a little while until gas prices dropped and ridership on the RTA has been flat to 1% in growth ever since.

In fact Metra is considering reducing services because there isn't enough dough to keep all the trains going on the same schedule anymore.

Now, IDOT is currently examining an Ike (I-290) capacity improvement from Manheim to Austin, and the costs are not looking so good. It will take an extreme level of fed funding to support this effort to squeeze yet more lanes in that limited amount of space, including a cemetery relocation, 2 railroad relocations and the replacement of several 70 year old railroad bridges. The fact they have been able to use the current ROW between Manheim and the Des Plaines River as long as they have is nothing short of a miracle since it was bought from the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin in the late 1940's.

Well, that has almost been true except for the Dan Ryan Reconstruction and partial expansion. I'd still like to know how that got expanded while The Ike, Kennedy, and Edens got just absolutely nothing since then, and the Stevenson got what should have been an expansion, but instead an "incomplete" reconstruction. Sadly, the lack of gas tax has been a major issue. I'd like to say that a gas tax increase and capital plan would help, but I highly doubt it.

I have heard about the potential service cuts on Metra, and I'll spare my rant about that whole mess. The only thing I will say is that issue with the RTA and ridership is that they keep increasing the prices on all of the systems, especially on the Metra, so what did they expect?

As for the Ike, it definitely shows with the super limited ROW that is available. At the very least, if I recall, they did a bit of a rehabilitation of the Ike back in the 80s or within that timeframe. At that time, why didn't they at least do away with the idiotic left hand exit/entrances? That alone would have helped somewhat. I personally support tolls on the Ike at this point, as long as the ISTHA is doing it... it at least would likely be done correctly.



inkyatari


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Quote from: mgk920 on October 29, 2018, 04:10:31 PM
That is a neat looking stack, though.

:-D

Mike

Take the names out and it looks 3-D
I'm never wrong, just wildly inaccurate.

kphoger

Hey, I know I started this, but we really should stop with the nested quotes.
Don't want this thread to get locked like this one.

(To answer freebrickproduction's question:  That's both impossible and unavoidable.)
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.



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