Kane County's Rich History
The rich, fertile land of Kane County contributes
greatly to local economic opportunities. Even before
Illinois became the 21
st
state in 1818, Native American
inhabitants were enjoying abundant harvests. Members
of the Fox and Sauk tribes were among the first to
settle the area and were eventually forced off the rich
soil. Soldiers dispatched from Chicago marched
through eastern sections of Kane County on their way
to battle with the tribes. Economic opportunities
sprang up along the Fox River with the construction of
mills and factories. These new job centers drew people
from Chicago in search of employment and living
space, beginning a migration process that continues
today. The railroads took the region to new levels of
success. Elgin and Geneva became major
transportation thoroughfares for the area, linking
mines along the Mississippi River to the industries of
early Chicago. Agricultural and dairy products from
Kane County were shipped via rail to markets in
Chicago.
Development Debate Rages
According to the 2000 Census, Kane County is the fifth
most populous county in Illinois as well as the fifth
fastest growing county. If current trends continue,
residents will see a population increase of 182% by the
year 2025. Kane County is unique in the six county
region for having an extensive growth management
plan, the Kane County 2020 Land Resource
Management Plan, which was unaminously adopted by
the county board. The plan calls for growth to be
encouraged in Fox River communities to the east and
discouraged in the agricultural areas of the west. Two-
thirds of Kane County's population lives near the Fox
River in the eastern cities of Aurora, Geneva, Batavia,
Elgin, St. Charles and Carpentersville.
Rapid growth fuels a debate over the future of open
space and agricultural land in the area. Uncurbed
growth threatens the natural assets that make Kane
County attractive. The proposal to build a beltway
through western Kane County has intensified the debate.
Today the threat to natural assets is clearer than ever.
The white community accounts for 67% of the county's
population. There is also a significant Hispanic presence
of 23%, mostly clustered in the cities of Elgin and Aurora.
African-Americans account for 6% of the population.
Some of the attractions of the area, in addition to the river,
include its forest preserves, parks and trail systems.
Classic "Main Street" architecture and an emphasis on the
arts enhance local communities. Minor league baseball
also draws visitors. The Kane County Cougars had record
attendance levels in the 2001 season.
Who We Are and How We Get Around
We came together on a Saturday in March, united by our
shared interest in enhancing and protecting the best of
what Kane County has to offer. Most of us live in the
towns on the eastern side of the county, including Aurora,
Batavia, Carpentersville, Dundee, Elgin, Geneva and St.
Connecting
Connecting
Connecting
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Communities
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Kane County
March 16, 2002
Charles. Our highest priorities are to improve natural
assets, including air and water quality, and to make
travel safer and more convenient for all. Both those
goals would be served by increasing the number of
ways we can get around, especially by increasing
transit, pedestrian and bicycle options.
Although our goal is to have more travel choices, our
current travel is most often limited to auto trips, either
alone or with others. Still, about three-quarters of us
do errands on foot, averaging four pedestrian trips per
week. Our use of transit and bicycles is much more
limited. Transit trips were taken by almost 40% of us
during the past month, but only an average of five
times each. While over 50% of us live near a bus or
train station, less than one-quarter of us enjoy service
more than twice an hour.
Our backgrounds are more homogeneous than the
county. Ninety-two percent of summit attendees are
white, two-thirds are female and we are somewhat
more mature than the general population. Almost
90% of our group is over 30 years of age. One-fifth
of us have children under 14 at home. Our children
all use two or more modes of transportation to get to
school, with their trips evenly divided between
walking, taking a bus and being driven.
Challenges and Solutions
It Takes More Than Good Intentions to Make
Transit Work
We clearly understand that the environment we
cherish is at risk because of excessive driving. We
would like to minimize our own impact on air-borne
emissions, on roadway run-off into our waterways, on
wildlife habitat and migration, and on the precious
farmland and open space that is being covered by
pavement. But we can't transport ourselves in an
environmentally responsible manner with the existing
service and infrastructure of our region.
Kane County needs a variety of transit solutions,
especially in the eastern third of the county. We
would focus heavily on the Fox River corridor. We
all see the need for north-south transit on Randall
Road. Radiating off of the Randall Road main line
there should be trolley, van or shuttle service in mid-
sized communities like Batavia, Geneva and St.
Charles. The larger cities, Elgin and Aurora, need
more standard sized buses; these should be energy-
efficient, clean fuel buses. Better use of existing
transit assets, including more service and better
integration of services, would encourage more use.
We feel that transit needs for seniors and the disabled
are especially critical. We would create a more
affordable fare structure for special needs riders and
create more specialized services to meet their needs,
at least until sufficient main-line service is available
to all.
Policy and Education are Linked
Many of our challenges require more thoughtful and
informed decision-making, rather than building new
projects. We are often left in the dark when public
officials make transportation and land use decisions.
We believe strongly that the public should be
involved in local and regional planning. We believe
that funding for public education on policies related
to transportation and development would be money
well spent. Our informed involvement in planning
would help yield policies and projects that provide a
more balanced approach to our community's design
and infrastructure. For three generations we have
been car-dependent. We are just beginning to get the
message that good health requires a different
lifestyle. Bringing that message to the people who
decide our future travel options is a top priority.
Other policy shifts are needed as well. Providing
equitable funding between various transportation
modes would improve mode choice. Development
policies should include agricultural and open space
protection zones. Air and water quality are a central
concern in our area. We should encourage a local
mix of housing, jobs and services near transit stations
to improve economic efficiency and create
environmental benefits. Incentives should be offered
to encourage transit-oriented development. "Corner
markets" should be encouraged, especially in
housing developments that don't adjoin commercial
areas, to reduce the need for driving trips.
Safe Sidewalks are Fundamental
Pedestrians are overlooked in some of our
communities, while the design of other communities
encourages walking. Grid street patterns, sidewalk
networks and historic downtowns create a safe and
hospitable pedestrian atmosphere. We are
encouraged to do many of our shorter trips on foot
when we feel safe on our streets. Some communities
(St. Charles is one example) need to improve their
pedestrian crossings and build or connect sidewalks
where there are gaps. Industrial parks and crossings
at major roadways are in particular need of better
pedestrian facilities.
Safe and pleasant pedestrian facilities would increase
the use of transit. Smoother and more continuous
sidewalks would benefit people who cope with visual
or motor challenges, increasing their opportunity to
use main-line transit, or to walk to do errands.
Bicycle Travel is an Inexpensive and Healthful
Alternative.
Some of the existing bicycle facilities have become
extremely congested, testifying to the popularity of
bicycling in our communities. Kane County would
benefit from more bike lanes, bike paths and bike/
transit connections. Individuals would benefit from
having additional opportunities for safe physical
activity. Bicycling is a way to enjoy the the Fox River
without adverse environmental impacts.
Bicycles should be safely accommodated on all local
streets. Separate bike lanes should be provided on
major roadways. Maintenance and connectivity of
bike paths are important to maximize the efficiency of
biking as an option.
Respect Our County Land Management Plan
We are proud that our county leaders had the foresight
to create a comprehensive land use plan, a model for
the rest of the region. We believe a balanced
transportation system can reduce natural resource
consumption and support a responsible land use plan.
The plan for an outer belt highway is not a "balanced"
approach. It is a continuation of the failed policies of
the past, policies that have forced us to drive where we
would prefer to walk, bike or take transit. Our county
has made a local commitment to cluster development
near existing population centers and to preserve
farmland to the west; state and municipal leaders must
respect the plan. We gained valuable information about
the relative cost of roads versus other infrastructure at
this summit. It is clear to us that the outer beltway is an
overly expensive, environmentally destructive
"solution" based on out-dated planning concepts. The
highway cannot be justified on the basis of need. Money
would be better spent resolving unmet transportation
needs in population centers.
Our Vision
We need better transportation for all groups of people
and all ages. To assure a broad range of transportation
choices, we need to have more of the public involved in
local and regional planning. We envision transportation
that is less motorized, based on cleaner energy sources,
and which is pedestrian accessible. Walkable
neighborhoods are highly desirable to us. It is
important to us to invest in the eastern corridor of our
region, where most of the population resides, rather than
disturbing the agricultural economy in the western
corridor. Our transportation infrastructure should be
based on where the people in our region now live.
Agricultural preservation in our western corridor is a
significant concern for all of us. There should be much
more emphasis on making transit more viable in all
forms, on increasing economic activity near stations and
on improving amenities to make transit comfortable and
enjoyable.
Recommendations
Invest Heavily in Transit in the Fox River Corridor.
Provide ample transit service on north-south routes in
the eastern corridor, with high frequency service
between Aurora and Elgin. Convert existing transit
buses to cleaner fuel vehicles; purchase alternative fuel
vehicles when replacing fleet. Use vanpools and shuttle
buses to link train stations and employment centers.
Provide comprehensive bus service within Aurora and
Elgin. Shuttle buses and trolleys should provide service
in Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, including afterschool
and weekend service. Future development should rely
on a grid pattern to facilitate transit.
Enhance existing train stations, and plan for nearby
markets, childcare and health facilities at system hubs.
Ensure that transit is accessible for differently-abled
patrons. Increase the amount of train service and
coordinate with bus schedules. New north-south light
rail service, with major stations in Carpentersville,
Elgin, the Tri-Village area and Aurora, as well as stops
at employment centers, should be studied for feasibility.
Benches, kiosks, lighting and crosswalk definition create a safe and
pleasant pedestrian atmosphere near the county Courthouse in Geneva.
Commuter parking structures should be built off-site and consume as little land as possible. Land immediately
adjacent to train stations should be zoned for mixed-use, transit-oriented development. Trolley service between
parking structures and train stations should be provided. Parking should not be cheaper than feeder bus service.
Facilitate connections to transit (and general mobility) by improving or constructing sidewalks and bikeways,
expecially on existing bridges.
Increase Public Participation in Planning. Develop reciprocal planning processes where we are well
informed about future transportation and development plans and where the public has a meaningful say on
proposed plans. Fund public education on transportation decision-making. Increased participation should lead
to increased choice in transportation mode, if public sentiment is heeded. We would increase marketing of and
access to transit information for the general public. Members of the public, who care deeply about greenway
corridors, open space, wildlife habitat, clean air and clean water, are able and willing to help make choices about
how to maximize mobility at the least possible cost to our natural assets.
Make Those Small Bicycle and Pedestrian Investments Now. Maximize use of our tax dollars; make the
modest improvements that will improve our quality of life immediately! Make train stations pedestrian-friendly.
Provide sidewalks generally throughout the built-up areas of the county, and provide ADA-compatible soft-
surface pedestrian paths that are separate from bicycle paths. The bicycle network should be comprehensive
throughout the region. Provide intensive bicycle infrastructure in Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, and on the full
length of Randall Road, Roosevelt Road, Dean Street (St. Charles), Kirk/Farnsworth Road, Route 31, Route 25
and Route 72. Connect new and existing bikeways to long-distance trails, especially the Fox River Trail.
Provide bicycle parking at train stations. Plow bikeways to facilitate year-round use. Ensure that all bridges
provide access across the Fox River for cyclists and pedestrians.
Respect Our County Land Management Plan. The Kane County 2020 Land Resource Management Plan is
the product of decades of work and consensus-building in the county. Institutional attempts to create an outer
belt highway should be suspended indefinitely. All major transportation projects must have a well documented
need established by broad public/institutional input before being approved. Transportation projects must
support, rather than run counter to, the Kane County 2020 Land Resource Management Plan. A thorough study
of alternatives, including high-speed rail options, should be initiated.
Recommendations (continued)
The Kane County Connecting Communities summit participants came as individuals and as members of
groups. Some of the groups that helped plan the summit include:
Community Energy Cooperative-Elgin
The Conservation Foundation
Dundee Township
The Citizen Transportation Plan is a project of the Chicagoland Transportation and Air
Quality Commission, part of the Center for Neighborhood Technology, 2125 W. North Ave.,
Chicago, IL 60647, 773-278-4800, ext. 2030. Visit us on the web at www.cnt.org/2030.
Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization
Interreligious Sustainability Project
League of Women Voters of Illinois
Metro Seniors in Action
Metropolitan Planning Council
Mid America Institute on Poverty
Sierra Club
Sustain
Connecting Communities Regional Partners
Business and Professional People for the Public Interest
Chicago Design Consortium
Chicago Metropolis 2020
Chicago Rehab Network
Chicagoland Bicycle Federation
Citizen Action-Illinois
Council for Disability Rights
Environmental Law and Policy and Policy Center of the Midwest
Friends of the Chicago River
Illinois Public Interest Research Group
Kane-DuPage Soil & Water Conservation District