HIGHWOOD, Illinois – Addressing commuting issues and removing transportation barriers has been the focus of a committee of transportation agencies, business groups, municipalities, elected officials, and the TMA (Transportation Management Association) during the past year. Now called the Lake County Commuter Coalition, this committee has been meeting monthly to identify ways of improving mass transit service to better serve employees in Lake and northern Cook Counties.

Because of an increased number of employers in the north suburbs, escalating gasoline costs, changing work hours due to flex time, and worsening road congestion, employees are having increasing difficulty commuting to businesses in Lake County and the northern suburbs. The Lake County Commuter Coalition is proposing that Metra schedule an earlier outbound train to meet the needs of employees of north suburban businesses, many of whom live in the City of Chicago.

The annual cost of the added train is estimated at $500,000. The coalition is working with Metra to apply for a Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC) grant from the RTA, with support and matching funds to be secured through the State of Illinois.

The committee is now seeking input and help from Lake County businesses. Letters of support will be required to document the need for the earlier train. Any business that would like to be a part of this process should contact Senator Susan Garrett by phone at (847) 433-2002 or by e-mail at ilsenate29@sbcglobal.net.

“Metra encourages employers to support the JARC grant. Their participation in the process is what will make this service a success,” said Richard Tidwell, Deputy Executive Director of Metra.

[See also letter to local businesses and suggested letter of support.]