July 13, 2005 — Traffic is WAR!!!
No, I don’t work in Wisconsin or Springfield… I work 35 miles from my house! And, I take 2 major expressways (here in IL we call them TOLLWAYS) I-88 and the illusive 294. The problem with 88 is the construction. Both East & West bound are torn up — and have been since last summer — near Winfield and Naperville Rd. Sometimes it takes 20 mins to go the 1 mile between these exits. 355 and the Oak Brook/York Road toll plazas are fun too. What I love is how after you go through the York Rd toll plaza, the left hand lane ceases to exist. This really freaks out the out of staters.
Speaking of out of staters, could I put in a request that you not drive on our roads during rush hour? Or at least drive in the right hand lane? That goes for the trucks too!
Semis are a major problem on 294, especially at the Touhy toll plaza. Guys, don’t drive in the left & middle lanes and then realize you need to get over because you don’t have an I-PASS! There should be a time period; ie 7-9 am and 4-6 pm when trucks and stupid new drivers are not allowed on the road. Semis also pose a problem by where 294 meets up with 290 & 88. Right after you get through the York Rd plaza, you get stuck on the onramp for 294. There’s got to be a better way!
Then there’s O’Hare. Every day I pass by O’Hare airport and every day I have some idiot taxi driver or limo driver trying to cut in front of me because he forgot that his exit is coming up! HELLO! You drive this route ALL the time! It’s one thing if mom who works at home is driving her minivan and realizes that she needs to get over because her exit is coming up but COME ON! If you drive the same route every day then use your brain and get over early!
And quit slamming on your brakes for no reason! Both tollways have the same problem… bumper to bumper traffic for no reason. Is it any wonder I need a brake job every 10K miles?
Tollways… the whole thing annoys me. Rod Blagovich said that the I-Pass was supposed to ease congestion…and then doubled the tolls on those without one. It costs me $1.70 per day to use the tollway with an I-PASS.