Why now?
Will County’s current Long Range Transportation Plan was completed in 2017. Since then, there have been many changes—from preferences in how we travel and where we work to changing development patterns. This process will review all modes of transportation—including walking, biking, transit, roads, and freight.
Now is the time to identify our priorities for the next chapter of Will County to guide us into 2050. Major issues that need to be addressed over the next 25 years include:
Improving Safety
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Reducing Roadway Congestion
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Creating a Resilient Transportation Network
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Improving Transportation Options
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Increasing Access to Economic Opportunity
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Balancing Economic Development & Quality of Life
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Improving Safety 〰️ Reducing Roadway Congestion 〰️ Creating a Resilient Transportation Network 〰️ Improving Transportation Options 〰️ Increasing Access to Economic Opportunity 〰️ Balancing Economic Development & Quality of Life 〰️
PROJECT TIMELINE
Existing & Future Conditions
PHASE ONE (Sep 2023 - Feb 2024)
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Our team reviewed data sets, scanned relevant plans and studies, and collected traffic counts.
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A transportation demand model is being developed to represent the variety of transportation choices people make, and how those choices result in trips on the transportation network, both currently and in the future.
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The project’s Advisory Committee is made up of stakeholders from across the County. This group will help develop the plan’s vision and goals, review deliverables, and help us reach residents in their communities.
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The initial round of outreach included a public survey that ran from November 2023-February 2024, four (4) pop-up workshops across the county, and two (2) virtual open houses.
Preliminary Recommendations
PHASE TWO (Mar - Dec 2024)
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Building from our analysis and community engagement findings, we will develop preliminary recommendations for the county. Performance-based planning will be used to define metrics based on shared goals and objectives.
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The Advisory Committee will review and refine preliminary recommendations to ensure they align with local experiences in the County.
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We will seek public input on the preliminary recommendations, in the form of another survey, three in person workshops hosted across the county, as well as a virtual open house. The feedback gathered will inform draft plan recommendations.
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Development of the Travel Demand Model will continue to be tailored to provide realistic expectations of future travel in the County. Once developed, the model will help the county identify which types of projects to recommend and then evaluate them.
Draft
Plan
PHASE THREE ( Jan - April 2025)
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The team will draft a long-range transportation plan based on analysis from the travel demand modeling and input from the public on the initial recommendations.
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The Advisory Committee will review the draft plan and help coordinate feedback with local stakeholders.
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Communications materials will advertise the draft plan for public review. Hard copy versions of the plan will be made available at locations throughout the county. Two public hearings will be hosted for public review and comment on the draft plan.
Final
Plan
PHASE FOUR (May - Aug 2025)
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The draft plan will be revised based upon public comments and feedback from stakeholders.
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The Advisory Committee will review and provide feedback on a final version of the long-range transportation plan.
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The final plan was presented to the Count Board Public Works Committee
The first phase of Our Way Forward 2050 culminated in an Existing Conditions Report.
This report provides a comprehensive overview of the current transportation and related socioeconomic conditions in Will County.
COUNTY TRANSPORTATION NETWORK
