HOT in Chicago

HOT lanes, bus rapid transit and express bus are some of the options being studied within the right-of-way of the I-90 Northwest Tollway in a Northwest Corridor Transit Feasibility Study. These rubber tired solutions are pitched against light, heavy and commuter rail, all within the property of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. The corridor in question begins near the entryway to Chicago’s main O’Hare Airport and head 31km (19mi) northwest along the NW pike past the commercial district of Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates as far as IL-59.

Don O’Toole ISTHA spokesman says the tollway is contributing to the cost of the studies but that any of the alternative improvements is going to be extremely expensive because of lack of any right-of-way. The tollway in this section is 2x3 lanes with narrow inner paved shoulder on either side of a central concrete barrier. Any transit lanes or HOT lanes would probably have to be T-section elevated, or else the toll road would have to be extensively widened and rebuilt to accommodate the extra width.

The project straddles major office parks, retailing and light industrial areas so the various rail alternates seem a logical stretch. There is already commuter rail to the downtown Loop area in operation on the north (UP/NW) and on the south (Milwaukee RR) boundaries of the corridor just a few miles from the tollway.

Bus, vans, HOV and toll buy-in to X-lanes might well work, it would appear intuitively, since the tollway itself is near capacity with no plans for widening. HOT lanes are under study.