PEORIA -- The Heart of Illinois Sierra Club hosted two speakers on 'green highways' at its Nov. 18 meeting.
New highways inevitably destroy farmland, forests and wetlands. That's not green. But in keeping with current trends, highway advocates are hoping to greenwash their road building. "We now realize we need to be respectful of the environment," Mike Lewis of the Illinois Department of Transportation told the group.
He discussed the new projects under consideration in the Peoria area -- especially the so-called eastern bypass, to be built through Tazewell and Woodford counties, filled with -- you guessed it -- forests, wetlands and farmland.
The good news, for environmentalists, is that it likely won't be built for another decade. IDOT hasn't even determined the route, he said.
Asked why it should be built at all, he responded "it's a big question and (IDOT) is wrestling with it. There's no overriding need, no congestion," but "if this is what you want for the quality of life...."
Federal funding agencies need a "purpose and need statement" for the proposal, he said. Asked whether it would be built if Caterpillar, Inc. closes its Mossville factory, he responded that if Caterpillar closes Mossville, "we' don't need it."
Melissa Eaton of the Peoria Tri-County Regional Planning Commission spoke about the Long Range Transportation Plan now being developed by her agency. About 50 people at a recent public meeting voted on the eastern bypass, with 80 percent saying it would be good for growth and economic development, she said. But a large number also expressed concern about it, she said.
The agency is taking e-mailed comments on the eastern bypass, to Lindsay Wallace, through its website, but lacks the technical skills to put out a web survey of the public, she said.
Lewis of IDOT also discussed improvements to a 35-mile stretch of Illinois Route 29, from Illinois Route 6 in Peoria to I-180, then on to I-80. That road would be improved over the existing Route 29, he said, with "a freeway around Chillicothe." It takes 1,000 acres of new property. (Bye, bye birdies and other wildlife.)
Planning is underway, he said, but there's no funding for construction. Asked why that roadwork is planned, he said about 10,000 cars use the route daily between Chillicothe and Sparland, and traffic is expected to increase.
Asked whether the costs of these roads have been studied and compared with putting the same funds into other forms of transit, Lewis ducked the question.
He told how IDOT is recycling, planting seedlings, using more efficient lighting and signage, and promoting biofuels, as examples of environmental efforts.
Eaton spoke on the green highway movement elsewhere, as discussed on a website. It documents various green techniques, she said, such as wetlands for storm water management, use of recycled products, protection of the ecosystem and wildlife passages.
A new highway in Maryland spent $370 million, 15 percent of the total project, on environmental initiatives, she said.
-- Elaine Hopkins
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