Politics & Government

Bus Facility Will Come with Annual Traffic Review

The St. Charles City Council approves two permits in two separate 8-2 votes Monday night.

For up to five years, the city will annually review traffic near the intersection of Randall Road and West Main Street to see if it worsens because of a measure approved Monday night.

A private received the green light from the City Council to establish a facility in two locations on North Randall Road, one at the site of the former Stock Lumber Yard.

The impact of about 150 buses driving to and from the sites worried council members and some business owners.

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Land owners and representatives of the company, Illinois Central Bus Company, told a city council committee earlier in August that the facility would bring more than 100 jobs and more than $2 million in wages with those positions.

A traffic study of the area near the proposed Illinois Central facilities showed that it would be possible, with some changes, to accommodate the buses. A major condition tagged to the permit was to adjust the timing of the traffic signal at Randall and Main so that westbound cars turning left wouldn't pile up for a half-mile east of the intersection while waiting for the light to change.

Find out what's happening in St. Charleswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Some council members still wanted some additional assurance before voting that this would continue to be the case years from now.

With that guarantee in the form of an annual traffic review to be conducted by the city, the measures were approved 8-2 to allow a permit for a temporary bus storage at 220 N. Randall Rd. and a five-year permit for a permanent facility at 300 N. Randall Rd.

The two holdouts, Jim Martin of Ward 4 and Ray Rogina of Ward 3, were unconvinced, even with the assurance of the yearly checkup, that the added traffic would not still be a burden on local business traffic.

“I think the contribution of this (facility) is going to be beneficial to the city," Martin said, "but I think the ... the effect on the traffic is going to far out weight any benefit we will receive.”

Rogina said he heard from some in the community, mostly those from nearby businesses, expressing concerns about the traffic.

The buses from the facility would service several area school districts, including ones in Geneva, Batavia and West Chicago.


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