Questions from the
Eastern Bypass Informational Meeting
February 3, 2007
If you have any additional questions please submit them to dmspencer68@yahoo.com or call Deb Spencer at (309)673-9796 ex 222
1) Why not have detail maps?
A general aerial was presented to help emphasize the fact that the new study will not just look at the previous corridors but at the entire region. Detailed maps of the corridors will be developed and made available throughout the study process. (ANSWER BY IDOT)
2) If the eastern bypass cannot connect the business centers of Morton, Washington and Metamora/Germantown, can existing roadways be improved to better connect the three communities?
Connectivity within the area would be one of the benefits of the Eastern Bypass, however, if the facility were not constructed, the department would continue to monitor its system for possible expansion. Most of the existing roadways connecting the communities listed are county and township roads and therefore the local agencies would be responsible for determining those improvements.
(ANSWER BY IDOT)
3) There are 350,000 tillable acres in Tazewell County and 370,000 tillable acres in Woodford County-it takes 40 acres/mile to build an interstate-we’re talking about a 25-30 mile road ~ 1,000-1,200 acres. Will these numbers be used to help communities understand the impact to the 3% of our population in agriculture?
Impacts to the agricultural resources will be itemized and considered for each corridor studied during this process.
Can a recreational trail be built safely along a ring road to promote cycling to work?
This depends on the type of facility. A freeway or interstate would exclude pedestrian access within its limits but may still make accommodations in the vicinity of the alignment. No matter what type of facility, the accommodation of all modes of transportation will be considered as part of the study.
Can the study determine an estimate about anticipated number of residential units vs. anticipated commercial enhancements and which corridor promotes the commercial goals that are needed?
The 1995 Heart of Illinois Highway Feasibility Study looked at the future growth of both residential and commercial developments in the area and how a bypass would effect that growth and best address the traffic generated by these developments. The new corridor study will reevaluate that information and work with the communities and counties to ensure the proposed corridors are compatible with their comprehensive plans.
(ANSWERS BY IDOT)
4) How would this bypass be funded as Costs continue to increase in the future? Federal?, State?, Local?, Will this raise my taxes?
The bypass would probably be funded through a combination of state and federal funds. The normal break down is 80% Federal vs. 20% State. Projects of this magnitude usually rely on receiving additional funding from federal programs. We can not predict what the individual impact of one project will have on your taxes other than there is not a planned increase to accommodate this project.
(ANSWER BY IDOT)
5) I would like a list of all the elected officials that support this project and their mailing addresses.
No comprehensive survey on the opinions of elected officials regarding this project has been completed.
(ANSWER BY TCRPC)
6) I strongly support enhancements to transportation systems in our region! Who are the members of PPUATS? And can this information be emailed to the attendees?
A list of PPUATS members will be sent to every attendee for whom we have an address and are availabe for viewing on this website or by clicking below.
PPUATS Policy Members
PPUATS Technical Members
(ANSWER BY TCPRC)
7) Will returning veterans, men and women have preference in employment on this project? (Our men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan will need employment upon their return.)
Currently there are no goals in place that show preference to veterans in the department’s highway program.
(ANSWER BY IDOT)
8) If the bypass crosses my property near Rt. 24, who will be responsible for the expense to move my pasture fencing/buildings?
Fencing, buildings, silos, etc. would be addressed in the land acquisition process by the Department of Transportation.
How will noise be controlled near residential areas?
As part of the environmental studies an analysis will be performed to determine if any areas are eligible for noise abatement.
(ANSWERS BY IDOT)
9) Who is the Tri County Regional Planning Commission and what gives them authority?
The Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (TCRPC) is comprised of 22 members; 7 from each of the three counties and one from the local IDOT office.
The federal government requires that every metropolitan area have a designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) – that is a body designated to coordinate and plan the use of federal transportation funds for the region. The TCRPC is the designated MPO for the Peoria region.
TCRPC has an agreement with the Peoria Pekin Area Urbanized Area Transportation Study (PPUATS) which is composed of representatives of the three counties, municipalities and the state to conduct the transportation planning for the region.
Are they elected officials or appointees?
Many of the members of the TCRPC are elected officials, but they are appointed to TCRPC by the three county boards with one member from the local IDOT office. Members of the PPUATS are appointed by the larger general purpose units of government in the urbanized area.
(ANSWERS BY TCPRC)
10) Will the ring-road be Expressway or Freeway type road? How wide will right of way???(ridaway) be in feet? WHERE will construction start?
The type of facility will be determined as part of the study as will the width of ROW. The average width for a facility of this type with interchanges and some frontage roads is approximately 350 feet. Where or when construction would start is not something that can be answered at this point.
What analysis has been made of the impact of this proposal on urban sprawl? How many acres of agricultural land will be taken out of production? How many areas of forest and open space will be lost? What is being done to enhance use of the Rt. 24 Bypass?
The amount of urban development associated with a possible bypass is dependent on the comprehensive plans and zoning of the various communities and counties as well as the individual property owners. One of the original purposes of the bypass was to accommodate the traffic and development associated with the comprehensive plans in the area. The amount of agricultural land, forested land and open space impacted will be dependent on the individual corridor, the alignment within the corridor and type of facility. Those numbers will be developed as part of the study however the overall impact is approximately 40 acres per mile. The Department continually works with the local agencies and developers on the future use of US 24 Bypass to ensure it remains a safe and efficient facility.
(ANSWERS BY IDOT)
11) If the older corridor study maps are nothing more than history, why hasn’t the recorded B-5 alignment been rescinded to remove the stigma for the houses and sale values in that area? Since there was legal notification to those in this alignment, there needs to be a statute of limitations giving legal notification of expiration, abandonment and removal of this old alignment since you are starting over.
The original B-5 alignment never received final approval therefore not recorded. Letters that were sent out were not legal notices but informational and should only be considered as such.
(ANSWER BY IDOT)
12) If we filled out a form for the previous ring road proposal on historic structures, do we need to resubmit these forms now?
The data collected for the original study is still available however we will be reviewing that information and verifying that the historic structures still exist and if any additional ones need to be added.
(ANSWER BY IDOT)
13) How do we promote regional unity on this issue?
Consensus may be a more reasonable goal than “unity.” Some suggestions for consensus would include:
• Communication, discussion and debate that is based on accurate information.
• A willingness to listen to and respect a wide range of perspectives on the project.
• A regard for the long range benefits and impacts of the project.
(ANSWER BY TCRPC)
14) What was envisioned for the eastern bypass when I474/Route 6 was constructed?
The East Peoria Bypass as it was originally named in the early 70’s roughly followed Corridor A from the previous Eastern Bypass Study.
(ANSWER BY IDOT)
15) Exactly where is the route for the new ring road to be according to those who are supporting the project?
The route for the project is not yet determined. It will be identified by a location study that IDOT will undertake. Public input will be considered in the analysis done for the study.
(ANSWER BY TCPRC)
16) Is this a base for branching a Peoria-to-Chicago highway?
The eastern bypass is not being considered specifically for a branch to a Peoria to Chicago highway but that possibility will be studied as part of the overall process.
With the demand for ethanol, feed and food, the land should not be taken out of development don’t you agree?
Minimizing impacts to all the natural resources will be an important part of the overall study and approval process.
(ANSWERS BY IDOT)
17) How about improving Route 26 into Route 116 as a bypass? Shouldn’t your “study money” be used for existing road improvement?
IL Route 26 covers only a portion of the entire study area and would not address future traffic issues in Morton, East Peoria and Washington. The money for this study was allocated through the federal highway bill specifically for the Bypass and therefore can not be used for other projects. It should be noted that the department’s first priority is maintenance of the existing system which comprises 75% of our road funds. However even with that goal we still need to continue planning efforts for the future of the system.
What proof do you have that shows a REAL NEED for such a bypass?
The original need for the project was determined with studies completed in the mid 90’s which determine the main needs for the facility are transportation demand and continuity as well as to sustain economic development. This will be revisited with the new study.
(ANSWERS BY IDOT)
18) Whose idea is this to bring the ring road back up?
Several years ago, transportation symposiums were convened with leaders and interested parties from across the region to identify our transportation priorities. The Eastern Bypass topped the list. Additionally, six Chambers of Commerce in the area agreed that the Eastern Bypass is the most important highway project in our area. The project is also part of Peoria area’s long range transportation plan.
Why can’t this funding be used to maintain the roads the state already has so we don’t have to take anymore PRIME FARM GROUND?
As indicated above, improving existing roads will not achieve all of the benefits that can be expected from the Eastern Bypass.
(ANSWERS BY TCRPC)
19) Mr. Crowe: Your CSS slide listing natural resources did not list farm land. Why was this omitted?
The CSS slide listed just a few of the natural resources that will be studied during this process. It wasn’t meant to be an all inclusive list or omit agriculture.
(ANSWER BY IDOT)
20) Why go from Morton to Deer Creek to go to north of Peoria? Instead of building a brand new bypass that invades many of the subdivisions that have sprung up in the targeted corridor, why couldn’t we simply cross the river at Mossville to SpringBay and connect to Rt. 26 down to Rt. 116? Rt. 116 is already 4 lane divided, and opens to six lane at Par-A-Dice. A connection to 74 has been rebuilt at high expense as-is in East Peoria.
Many alternatives will be look at as part of the study. Before determining what corridors to evaluate, the study will evaluate the transportation needs of the region and what purpose the new facility could serve. Once the needs of the region are identified, corridors can then be identified that will satisfy those requirements.
(ANSWER BY IDOT)
21) Will you avoid cutting the City of Washington in two this time so as to avoid reactivation of the protest troops?
All past corridors will be reevaluated as well as some additional options. The selection of the preferred corridor will rely on input from various stakeholders throughout the corridor.
How do you think we can afford this project, considering the condition of debt that exists now in the state & federal budgets? (We are trillions in debt nationally and not in good shape state-wise) Raise taxes for this? NO
It is true that projects of this nature are expensive; however. these facilities take years to complete and need to be initiated to help with the future planning and growth of a region. Once located, the region can plan their growth around the future facility while funding sources and priorities are identified.
(ANSWERS BY IDOT)
22) How do potential stakeholders/leaders become engaged in the process?
An Eastern Bypass Coalition is being formed. All interested stakeholders should contact Deb Spencer at 309-673-9330. (ANSWER BY TCRPC)
When funding is approved for this study one of the first steps in the process will be to identify stakeholders who need or want to be involved in the process. We will be conducting an extensive outreach program designed to ensure everyone is aware of the study and has the opportunity to participate. (ANSWER BY IDOT)
23) All speakers today either explicitly or implicitly support the ring road. When will you allow public response by those who oppose it?
Please see the answer to # 22 above.
24) What is the timeline that we could expect for the Eastern Bypass? What are major physical issues that this project would face?
The proposed funding will only cover a corridor study which is a two year process. If additional funding is approved, it could take an additional 3 years to complete an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Beyond that it’s hard to speculate, but each construction section takes about 5 years to design, buy and build. The approximate number of sections will be determined toward the end of the Phase I process. The major physical issues include the existing natural resources verses the residential and commercial developments, any rough terrain, drainage, the connection to I-74 and crossing the Illinois River.
(ANSWER BY IDOT)
25) Will the tax base be impacted? What time frame would the project be, if approved? (Completion date?) How would you control regional growth if the bypass is in place?
The tax base will be impacted by the project. The extent of the impact will be dependent on the amount of property removed from the tax base and the change in value of the adjacent and surrounding property due to the bypass facility. The time frame and regional growth are discussed above.
(ANSWER BY IDOT)
26) I noticed Pekin to 474 corridor is not shown; is it in the plan?
The Pekin Bypass project is a separate study being undertaken by the City of Pekin. Although not a part of this study its influences will be considered when analyzing the different corridors.
(ANSWER BY IDOT)
27) In points made by Joe Crowe, the remark was made that a goal is to “minimize intrusion on the community” in the planning of the previous corridor, I don’t believe this was addressed sufficiently. How will this concern be addressed in future planning?
Impacts to the communities were a part of the original study as were many other factors that drove the decisions. We are hopeful that the CSS process we will be implementing with this new study will better engage the communities and their residents and consensus can be reached on the decisions made along the way.
(ANSWER BY IDOT)
