Voice Your Opinion on Aptakisic Road

The Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT) held an initial public hearing on future potential changes to Aptaksic Road Wednesday night in Buffalo Grove.

The LCDOT is evaluating the 1.2 miles of Aptakisic Road from Route 83 on the west to Buffalo Grove Road on the east. It is located within both communities of Buffalo Grove and Long Grove.

The LCDOT found that the existing traffic volume in a 24-hour weekday period on the road averages 14,200 vehicles, using data from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP).

That volume is expected to rise to 23,000 vehicles per day by 2040. That will put the road at or near capacity, according to LCDOT.

How to deal with the current and future traffic levels is the question. About 80 people attended the LCDOT public hearing, and many had strong opinions about what should be done.

Resident Feedback

Everything is on the table, from extending sidewalks and adding bike paths, to adding a turn lane in the center lane, to fully widening the road to two lanes in each direction.

"I want sidewalks to be extended," said Pamela Weiner, a Buffalo Grove resident who would like to walk and bike more but is stopped by sidewalks that suddenly end. She also was worried about the potential widening of Aptakisic Road because her property backs up to it.

"If they widen the road, I'm afraid it will lower my property values," Weiner said.

The project is currently in Phase I now, with initial public hearings and environmental impact studies. This phase is expected to last through 2014, said Dan Helgren, a consultant with the LCDOT.

"We are looking at all of the options," Helgren said. "How can future traffic needs be handled?"

Victor Jung of Long Grove said widening Aptakisic Road would only benefit neighboring suburbs like Lincolnshire.

"People use Aptakisic Road as a shortcut to get to Lincolnshire and Buffalo Grove," Jung said. "If the road is expanded, it will only bring in more traffic. We need to keep open space instead of covering every square inch in concrete."

Share Your Thoughts

Residents are encouraged to join the Stakeholder Involvement Group to provide opinions on the project and to study potential alternatives.

Carrie Hansen of Images Inc., a consulting firm working with the LCDOT, said they want input from a diverse group of people.

"We want anyone who is interested to be on the Stakeholder Involvement Group," Hansen said. "That could be residents, business owners, technical people like engineers or planners and commuters from surrounding towns who use the road."

People need to sign up for the group by Dec. 12. Find more information on at www.aptakisicroad.org.