Stadium Traffic

Somewhere in Tuesday's pitch (no pun intended) for the stadium I think I heard one of the petitioner's representatives say the traffic impact would only be 500 cars. Click on the image to enlarge it (then hit Back on your browser).

A little later in the program possible attendance numbers were thrown out, including lawn seating for 10,000.

And, yes, if buses were used to bring spectators to the stadium, each bus might replace the use of seven cars.

The traffic impact of the baseball stadium will be huge. Let's hope it's huge. And let's hope it is planned for, with adequate parking, sufficient entrances and exits to parking, and multiple lanes for exiting U.S. Highway 14 into the stadium parking lanes. All we need is a back-up on U.S. 14 to prevent emergency personnel from using the highway, getting to Memorial Medical Center (what is its new name?) and even to the stadium itself.

No one mentioned the transportation route just north of the stadium's location. Right there, already in existence, is the Metra track. How about a new station right there and then local people-movers to the stadium and the proposed fairgrounds?

Arlington Track was crafty enough to get a stop on the Metra schedule. Start planning now, folks.

Remembering how long it took Jack Franks to persuade IDOT to spend $1,000,000 on the light at Doty Road, does anyone think that U.S. 14 will be widened and lights will be installed by Opening Game in May 2010?