Carpool lanes in Northern Illinois?

[ST-Brian]

I read that our illustrious governor is proposing car pool lanes for the Chicago area tollways...

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=242842

Has anyone heard if they will allow motorcycles as they do in many other areas with carpool/HOV lanes? I've seen no mention of motorcycles? I like the idea - but I'd want to make sure that they include us...

[DavidLSI]

I have not heard but I also hope that two wheeled machines are included...

[jadziadax8]

This is totally retarded.  The places that need carpool lanes are the Kennedy, the Ike, and the Dan Ryan, (i.e. the ones that go INTO the City) but I don't see those highways getting them.

[DavidLSI]

I read through the responces, which are ammusing.   It does not look like this is getting a good responce. Of course I do not think many people like our Govener so nothing he plans will get a good reaction now.....


posted by TGSantini on Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:16 AM

Yeah, here's another great brain storm from Rod the Wad.

The tollway cannot, at this point, keep track of the thousands of vehicles that run the tollbooths w/out paying each day. And when you call (as an I-pASS customer) to clear up your account they try to charge you the cash rate for the tolls you "missed".

Now they think they can count the number of occupants in each car?

You have got to be kidding Rod. Do you really think that after you're long gone in prison that people will remember your "legacy" of green thinking? You moron.

And five years after this technology is introduced they will count the number of occupants in EVERY car so they can charge tolls per person instead of per vehicle.

I think the citizens of IL nedd to make a move to get rid of the IL tollway "authority".

No good can come of this.

CHEERS

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posted by the funkychicken on Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:18 AM

ditto

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posted by bdm14 on Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:24 AM

double ditto

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posted by camr61 on Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:28 AM

triple ditto

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posted by sss on Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:35 AM

quadruple ditto

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posted by tballs on Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:45 AM

I agree 100% w/ TG.  Also, if the lanes are going to be "carved from existing lanes" how is that going to ease congestion?  You'll still have the same amount of traffic, now with less lanes to operate with.  Sure if you do have a hybrid or if you do carpool, then I could see how it might help, a little.

Just another stupid idea that will have us all wondering, "who's bright idea was this?"

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posted by Hoss1000 on Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:47 AM

Another crazy idea. As someone that is stuck on the tollway for 3-4 hours a day I think it is nuts to take more lanes out of service for everyone. I guess if a took a limo to work like Rod I could use the lanes he wants to create.

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posted by Show on Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:48 AM

Maybe they should focus on the speeding reckless drivers in construction zones instead? I'm all for encouraging the protection of the enviroment, but this is crap. Bubbles here wants to grandstand with sound good ideas instead of actaully tring to fix anything. Speeding and reckless driving is the real problem on the road. Maybe we should address those further?

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posted by upnorthman on Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:48 AM

Idiots will be driving with mannequins in their cars.I saw it in Houston. It doesn't work.

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posted by RobertB on Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:04 AM

This idea will go nowhere.  Blago will soon be indicted and forced to resign. Just a bit of distraction.

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posted by AnnieCat on Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:14 AM

Let's make life more complicated....maybe we could have a yellow shirt lane....everyone wearing a yellow shirt can drive in it.  You would have to drive by a booth to be inspected to make sure you have the proper color shirt on....yeah, that's the ticket......

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posted by airtim on Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:16 AM

Wouldn't it make more sense for hybrid cars to sit in congestion rather than 100% gas burning vehicles?  How does allowing hybrid cars to get there first cut down on emissions if everyone else is sitting in traffic?

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posted by trh on Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:21 AM

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

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posted by the funkychicken on Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:29 AM

ditto ..ditto... ditto.. thats our fearless leader!

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posted by tifoso1 on Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:32 AM

You see, Blago will ride in the carpool lane because he always has a load of bad ideas riding with him.

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posted by flyteeth on Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:33 AM

RobertB: "Blago will soon be indicted and forced to resign. "

We can only hope. This guy is a total travesty as governor. We can't be rid of this turd soon enough.

This is yet another stupid idea proposed by King Rod. It ranks right up there with giving away rides on a bus system that can't even pay its own way.

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posted by flyteeth on Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:34 AM

tifoso1, Not to mention a half-dozen taxpayer-supplied bodyguards.

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posted by ElginVoter on Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:38 AM

What is to stop someone from riding in the carpool lane and then getting out of it before the toll plaza?  There is no place for the State Police to sit and watch for that.  Also, drivers can zig zag in and out of the lane to pass cars when the traffic is not moving.  How many times have you sat in traffic and watched other drivers "pretend" have entered the highway by driving out of the traffic lane into the on ramp lane to cut in front of 20 cars or so?  Drive on the expressways enough and you will see all of the tricks that drivers who only care about themselves use.

Good point about the Tollway Authority not being able to keep their act together.  It is time to eliminate the Tollway Authority.  That elimination alone will save people money and help the local economy.

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posted by A Tired American on Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:40 AM

Rod The Wad. Hehehe. Good one.

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posted by poohbeardi on Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:41 AM

I don't think Chicago has the congestion to make this really necessary. Saw this used in Washington D.C. everyone there drives a hybrid, or carpools, but everyone drove like the end of the world was coming. Plus due to the current financial situation less dealerships are not offering financing unless you have spotless credit, so ultimately a lot less people can afford a new hybrid now, so Rod wins in charging more people bigger fees he can give himself another huge raise. From what I heard to make these Carpool, and HOV lanes, they make the existing lanes narrower and use one of the shoulder as the new HOV lane, so we get more road construction to enact this plan, great idea Rod. If he doesn't like the congestion in Chicago, maybe he should go live in the governor�s mansion down in Springfield where he belongs. There is a lot less traffic down there.

[ST-Brian]

This is totally retarded.  The places that need carpool lanes are the Kennedy, the Ike, and the Dan Ryan, (i.e. the ones that go INTO the City) but I don't see those highways getting them.

I can't disagree, those roads could use carpool lanes too... that said, you have to start somewhere... these special use lanes are long overdue.

[HipGnosis]

Some WI on-ramps are 'metered' (have stop-n-go lights) and some of them have HOV lanes.
M/Cs are allowed in the HOV lanes - it says so right on the signs.

[FZ1 Matt]

Some WI on-ramps are 'metered' (have stop-n-go lights) and some of them have HOV lanes.
M/Cs are allowed in the HOV lanes - it says so right on the signs.

Yep and 97% of the time those metered lights never change for a motorcyclist sitting at the light and all the other traffic goes before you. I end up running that light most of the time. Those lights are pretty dumb.

[bomber]

if the road in question has been built/repaired with even partial federal funds, HOV lanes accept motorcycles --

I agree, while there are many roads (dead presidents, for instance) round here that could use HOV lanes, no reason not to have them where ya can -- the trollways are pretty loopy art rush hour

I'm betting this is more of a ploy to get green votes -- He of the silly haircut should be sweating bullets over his re-election (he's such a clown)

[Scottyfizz]

Geez,I'm glad I live in podunk Iowa.

[mxvet57]

Geez,I'm glad I live in podunk Iowa.

so what's the dirt in the boonies?

[Fourstring]

Rod the Wad.  

I gotta remember that one.

There's concrete embankments on either side of most tollways in Chicago.  Where will these magical lanes go?

[mxvet57]

Rod the Wad.  

I gotta remember that one.

There's concrete embankments on either side of most tollways in Chicago.  Where will these magical lanes go?

and the CTA took the center of the road.

[Bounce]

I read that our illustrious governor is proposing car pool lanes for the Chicago area tollways...

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=242842

Has anyone heard if they will allow motorcycles as they do in many other areas with carpool/HOV lanes? I've seen no mention of motorcycles? I like the idea - but I'd want to make sure that they include us...

federal law. if any of the road used fed $$ to help build it, it must allow bikes in the HOV lanes.

[Thunder7]

Rod the Wad.  

I gotta remember that one.

There's concrete embankments on either side of most tollways in Chicago.  Where will these magical lanes go?

I just call him BloJo.

[damnage]

Yep and 97% of the time those metered lights never change for a motorcyclist sitting at the light and all the other traffic goes before you. I end up running that light most of the time. Those lights are pretty dumb.

Plus this strategy has been proven not to work.  We only have "HOV" lanes on the on ramps, not on the road itself.  Pretty stupid.

Oh, and you're allowed to run the light if your bike doesn't trip it.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-06-10-red-light-laws_N.htm

[motoguy128]

Geez,I'm glad I live in podunk Iowa.

I second that!  I dread every time I have to pass through Chicago to visit parents in Michigan, or traveling there for business.  I don't know how I tolerated the traffic when i leved there for 3 years.  I've seriously considered more than once cutting accross Illinois to Indianapolis then taking I-69 to bypass the whole mess.  But some 2 lane backroads are even more annoying when you don't have a motorcycle to make easy passes.

I'm not sure carpool lanes will help very much, and it punishes business travelers that are just visiting.  Our company plane uses Dupage apirport, and I often have to get up to the NW suburbs (Gurnee, IL).  

[bomber]

carpoolers LOVE em in California -- you can make muich better time in HOV lanes -- as for punishing visiting bidness people, I disagree -- no one (except non HOVs) is being punished --

FLy into Palwaukee or Waukegan -- much closer (though I understand you likely don't have much say in landing locations)