Frequently Asked Questions
What is a stakeholder?
What other ways can I keep informed on the study’s
progress?
How can I get involved?
What alternatives are under consideration?
How much will the improvements cost?
Why are there no at-grade pedestrian crossings?
What impacts will there be to my neighborhood?
Will noise levels increase in my neighborhood?
What is the schedule?
What is a CFI?
What is a stakeholder?
Community stakeholders are individuals or organizations/groups with a
stake, an interest, or an investment in a community issue or outcome.
Their interest may stem from a professional or personal interest in
an issue or may result from a commitment to achieve some outcome.
A first step in achieving meaningful public involvement in project development involves identifying the individuals and organizations/groups likely to be affected by the project, those who have a "stake" in its outcome. For the Randall Road Improvements Study stakeholders will include owners of property adjacent to the various alignments, users of the facility, representatives of jurisdictions in which the alternatives are located, transportation service providers in the area, and a wide range of interest groups. Stakeholders are people likely to support the project as well as those likely to oppose it. The views and feedback of stakeholders are important to receive and consider during a project to ensure a comprehensive solution is developed.
What other ways can I keep informed on the study’s progress?
The best way to keep updated is to check this web site. The web site
will evolve and updates will become more frequent as the project moves
forward.
How can I get involved?
There are two public meetings and one public hearing planned for the
Randall Road Improvements Study. The first public meeting took place
on July 25, 2007. The purpose of the first meeting was to introduce
the project and to solicit information on the need of the project.
The second public meeting took place on September 23, 2008. The purpose
of the second meeting was to present purpose and need for the project,
alternatives evaluation process, alternatives being evaluated and preliminary
results of the alternatives evaluation process. There will be a public
hearing in 2009 to present the preferred alternative. Comments can
also be provided at any time on this website by filling out the “Contact
Us” form.
What alternatives are under consideration?
All of the alternatives being evaluated propose Randall Road to be a
6-lane roadway with additional improvements per alternative described
below:
- Alternative 1 – This alternative includes construction of a Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI) at the intersection of Algonquin Road and Randall Road. Access to Stonegate Road, Village Road, and Alexandra Boulevard is closed whereas Angela Lane is signalized.
- Alternative 2 - This alternative includes construction of Grade-Separated Turning Lanes at the intersection of Randall Road and Algonquin Road. Access to Stonegate Road, Village Road, and Alexandra Boulevard is closed whereas Angela Lane is signalized by implementing a Continuous Green-T type intersection.
- Alternative 3 - This alternative includes addition of turning lanes at the intersection of Randall Road and Algonquin Road. Village Road and Alexandra Boulevard is converted to Right-In/Right-Out whereas Angela Lane and Stonegate Road is signalized.
- Alternative 4 - This alternative includes construction of a Continuous Flow Intersection (CFI) at Randall Road and Algonquin Road intersection. Access to Stonegate Road, Village Road, and Alexandra Boulevard is converted to Right-In/Right-Out whereas Angela Lane is signalized.
What Alternative is the County going to build?
McHenry County has not selected a Preferred Alternative at this time.
Currently, there are four alternatives (see What
alternatives are under consideration?) that are being considered.
The Preferred Alternative may be one of those four alternatives or
a combination of several alternatives.
How much will the improvements cost?
Preliminary cost estimates were developed for each of the alternatives
that were presented at the Public Meeting on September 23, 2008. The
costs include construction and land acquisition. The range is from
$60M to $166M, depending on the alternative. This cost estimate is
based in 2008 dollars.
Why are there no at-grade pedestrian crossings?
All of the alternatives being evaluated suggest improving Randall Road
to a 6-lane roadway. McHenry County believes that eliminating at-grade
pedestrian movements would be a safer alternative for getting pedestrians
from one side of the street to the other and will reduce traffic delays.
Pedestrian overpasses and underpasses are being evaluated as part of
this project to continue to provide pedestrians the ability to cross
Randall Road.
What impacts will there be to my neighborhood?
Every effort will be made to minimize the impacts to the nearby residences
and business owners. Once a Preferred Alternative is selected, additional
refining of the alternative will occur and this will enable the project
team to look at the potential impacts and determine ways to avoid or
minimize those impacts.
Will noise levels increase in my neighborhood?
McHenry County collected existing noise measurements along Randall Road
and is modeling the improvements to determine the potential for an
increase in noise levels along the corridor. This evaluation is not
complete; however, Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have noise level requirements
or thresholds and if those thresholds are exceeded, mitigation measures
would be evaluated.
What is the schedule?
The schedule for the project is to identify a Preferred Alternative,
hold a Public Hearing, and complete the Phase I Process by summer 2009.
The Phase II design portion and land acquisition for the project would
then take another 2-3 years to complete before Phase III construction
could be initiated. At this time the Randall Road Improvements Study
is not included in McHenry County’s 5-year Highway Improvement Program
and no funding source for design or construction has been identified.
What is a CFI?
A continuous flow intersection has traffic turning left placed to the
left of oncoming traffic, opposite where it is normally. This removes
the conflict between on-coming traffic and traffic turning left. Vehicles
turning left access the lane a few hundred feet in front of the intersection.
See the CFI Information Page for more information.