The Moving Will County Project is Complete!
The Moving Will County project, which was focused on bringing our region together to find consensus around truck routing and land use opportunities and impacts, is now complete. The final Truck Routing Study, Land Use Strategy, associated appendix, and Executive Summary are available in the Documents section here. More information on the process as well as other project-related documents are below.
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The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s (CMAP) ON TO 2050 plan recommends strategies to maintain the region’s status as North America’s freight hub, while balancing community concerns and the economic benefits of freight. Western Will County is part of one of the six freight land use clusters that CMAP has identified in the region. This rapidly growing cluster has a strong specialization in modern distribution facilities. Recent intermodal and distribution facility growth, as well as other economic development, has brought both benefits and challenges to the area. To address these challenges and build on recommendations of the Will County Community Freight Friendly Mobility Plan, CMAP is kicking off the Moving Will County project, which brings together a Truck Routing Study and a Land Use Strategy.
These studies were combined due to their overlap in geography, data collection, outreach needs, and the interdependency of transportation and development goals. The joint goal of the studies is to achieve a balance between truck traffic and routing, existing freight land use clusters and new development, agricultural business, natural and cultural resources, and residential areas. Both studies will share existing conditions and engage stakeholders to develop appropriate and supportive infrastructure and policies to best guide development.
These collaborative solutions will support economic development and complement communities, agriculture, cultural resources, and natural areas that are critical for Will County to be competitive and resilient. The combination of a land use plan being developed alongside a supportive transportation plan provides the opportunity to create a model approach for solving the commonly intertwined issues between both studies. Click here to read an Executive Summary on on the Moving Will County project.
An effective truck route network aids the smooth movement of trucks across jurisdictions on roads that are designed to accommodate them. Currently, restrictions established by localities often change at jurisdictional borders, requiring trucks to change roads. Coordinated networks increase compliance with the law and communicate to the trucking industry which roads are best suited to accommodate their size and weight. Coordinated networks can also reduce community impacts by directing trucks to the routes built for them, and away from residential neighborhoods or sensitive areas. In addition, insufficient infrastructure can also be an issue, and truck network studies help communities identify the capital investments needed to accommodate truck traffic on desired routes.
The Truck Routing & Communities Study undertook a proactive and collaborative effort to designate consistent truck routes and coordinate restrictions across jurisdictional boundaries, provide strategies to minimize and mitigate the negative impacts of truck traffic, and address environmental justice and quality of life issues for communities in Western Will County. Guidance on funding for implementation and the development of a pipeline of projects was developed for communities. The result will balance the needs of local communities, residents, natural, agricultural, cultural assets, and industry. CLICK HERE to view the Existing Conditions Report for the Truck Routing & Communities Study. CLICK HERE to view the final Truck Routing Study.
The Will County Community Friendly Freight Mobility Plan recommends that a comprehensive transportation and land use plan specifically be conducted in areas with freight clusters, noting that “continued growth without planning and new transportation investments may impact Will County’s economic competitiveness and quality of life.” This is particularly important in the area around the Joliet / Elwood cluster, which is projected to grow by nearly 40 million square feet of industrial space by 2040.
The project team engaged in a facilitated, open planning process to develop a comprehensive Transportation & Land Use Strategy for the Elwood/Joliet Supercluster. The strategy will be based on market-feasible development and provides a balance between economic development, natural resource protection, multi-modal connections, congestion relief, and quality of life / community character goals. The strategy provides guidance for clustering freight and development to complement communities and environmental resources, and to avoid, minimize, and, if necessary, mitigate the effects of conflicting land use changes so that transportation investments are strategic and sustainable. CLICK HERE to view the Existing Conditions Report for the Transportation & Land Use Strategy. CLICK HERE to view the Final Land Use Strategy.
