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Will County has officially adopted the recommendations of a years-long study of truck movements. The Board signed off on the Moving Will County Truck Routing and Communities Plan last month. Moving Will County aims to improve the quality of life for Will County residents, who bear a large transportation burden.
The Plan is the fruit of a multi-year collaboration between Will County, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, and a variety of other local groups. The Plan, announced in 2019, recognized a need for better truck routing in Will County. Local officials realize that while trucking is important for the local and national economy, it can continue to function without endangering residents. With transportation experts expecting Joliet and Elwood to expand their industrial space in the coming years, the plan’s importance was obvious.
The northeastern Illinois county is home to around 700,000 residents. It borders Cook County, home to Chicago, to the southwest.
The truck routing plan will balance economic interests and community concerns
Moving Will County consists of two parts: a Truck Routing and Communities Study and a Land Use Strategy. The former focused on developing restrictions on truck travel to benefit vulnerable communities and natural areas. The latter developed a strategy for future development based on economics and residential concerns. Altogether, the study hopes to keep Will County a major freight hub while making it more livable for locals.
Will County is home to distribution centers for many major companies, such as Amazon, Ikea, and Costco. Most of these centers are in the county seat, Joliet. Because of its proximity to Chicago and central-US location, Will County is an important freight hub for the country.
Once the County begins implementing this plan, Will County residents should see less truck traffic on residential streets. This is a boon for their safety, and hopefully it doesn’t negatively affect business too much in the region. As many business interests and workers relocate to Will County, this plan should keep it livable for all.
