The Highways (Aurora, Naperville: suburbs, commute to, areas)

[Chicago60614]

Getting Around Illinois (http://www.gettingaroundillinois.com/default.aspx?ql=aadt - broken link)

Breakdown:

Edens has around 160,000 to 200,000

Kennedy has around 175,000 right after the Edens Split, and up to around 260,000 when you get closer to O'hare.

Kennedy has around 275,000 to 300,000 on the main line coming out of downtown.

Eisenhower has around 200,000 on it's entire leg.

Stevenson has between 150,000 and 200,000.

Dan Ryan is pretty consistant at 300,000 before the Skyway, and 240,000 south of the Skyway split.

The two highways (57 and 94) have between 125,000 and 150,000 after the Dan Ryan splits at 95th.

I-80 has around 100,000

294 has between 100,000 to 200,000. More in the middle, and less south and north.

355 has between 150,000 and 200,000. Higher near Schaumburg.

88 has around 150,000, and obviously trails off as you get out to Aurora.

So the Dan Ryan has the most traffic, but it also has 14 lanes. The Kennedy has 8 lanes and 2 reversible lanes. The Kennedy gets the most coverage because it's normally the most congested.

Oh...Lakeshore has around 120,000 on the south side; 140,000 downtown; and 170,000 on the northside.

[Chicago60614]

Oh joy....now I found TRUCK counts.

Edens: 10,000
Kennedy: 22,000
Eisenhower: 15,000
Stevenson: 22,000
Dan Ryan: No data (prob due to construction)

[Lookout Kid]

The Kennedy is a bigger deal than the Ike because I-90 and I-94 are both major interstate routes. In fact, I believe that I-90 connects Boston and Seattle (could be wrong). I-290 is only a bypass when you look at it as part of the national highway system. Much of the traffic on the Kennedy and Dan Ryan is just passing through Chicago on I-90.

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

The Kennedy is a bigger deal than the Ike because I-90 and I-94 are both major interstate routes. In fact, I believe that I-90 connects Boston and Seattle (could be wrong). I-290 is only a bypass when you look at it as part of the national highway system. Much of the traffic on the Kennedy and Dan Ryan is just passing through Chicago on I-90.

Longest interstate highway in the US. 3100 miles, Boston to Seattle.

I don't know that that's the reason for it's top billing. I think it's just heavily travelled. Also, I think the fact that it runs to the airport plays a part. Traffic reports to the airport make a big difference. It also runs to the Allstate Arena and other venues in Rosemont, the Sears Center, etc. I'd imagine people headed to events or flights care more about travel times than people headed home. Just a thought.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by CarolinaBredChicagoan

Longest interstate highway in the US. 3100 miles, Boston to Seattle.

I don't know that that's the reason for it's top billing. I think it's just heavily travelled. Also, I think the fact that it runs to the airport plays a part. Traffic reports to the airport make a big difference. It also runs to the Allstate Arena and other venues in Rosemont, the Sears Center, etc. I'd imagine people headed to events or flights care more about travel times than people headed home. Just a thought.

I guess I'm saying it has more traffic because it's a major highway for the nation. It would have a lot of traffic if Chicago didn't exist at all, whereas I-290 wouldn't.

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

I guess I'm saying it has more traffic because it's a major highway for the nation. It would have a lot of traffic if Chicago didn't exist at all, whereas I-290 wouldn't.

Valid. and more words to make this message long enough.

[mdz]

Thanks for the data. I'm really not sure one expressway gets the short shaft vs another on the traffic reports, the tradition on wbbm has always been to start north (the edens) and work their way south. Interestingly enough, one evening I was listening to a primarily African-American talk station on the way home, and when they did their traffic report, they started with the Dan Ryan. Way to sock it to us northsiders

[Mr Bigman]

That pretty much explains alot about the Kennedy.

I always thought the highway that does to the next and third largest communities would be the busiest.

By the way Aurory Naperville is over half a million people in that area including Plainfield.

That is very big for suburbs of Chicago.

Face it there is over 10 million people in this part of the state.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Mr Bigman

That pretty much explains alot about the Kennedy.

I always thought the highway that does to the next and third largest communities would be the busiest.

By the way Aurory Naperville is over half a million people in that area including Plainfield.

That is very big for suburbs of Chicago.

Face it there is over 10 million people in this part of the state.

What the heck is "Aurory?" This is like the 3rd time you have said Aurory, so I know it is not a typo.

Good,fine, a half million, good for them, good for you, do you want a lollypop?

There are about 100k in my ward in Chicago which area wise is maybe 10% of Naperville area wise.

The Rockford and Elgin areas are just as large as the Aurora and Naperville areas in population.

Again, no one is trying to slight the burbs. When a radio or T.V. station is located in the City of Chicago, what do you think they will talk about first most of the time?

I heard several radio stations TODAY mention the Edens first in the traffic report. Are you going to start crying about that now???

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Drover

Let's see. The Kennedy happens to connect one of the largest, densest downtowns in the country to one of the world's busiest airports... and oh yeah, it also happens to be the funnel point for commuters from the north AND northwest suburbs, and for good measure it connects to the Northwest Tollway which has a ton of corporate office buildings for numerous corporations such as Zurich Insurance to Cisco to CEC, not to mention the world headquarters of Sears, UAL and Motorola, oh and it's the entry and exit point for traffic coming and going from Chicago to Milwaukee and back, plus it carries the load for two interstates which happen to be among the busiest east-west trucking corridors in the Western Hemisphere. I mean, why should it be busy?

Your obsession with Aurora and Naperville is bizarre. You make it sound like nobody lives in any other part of suburbia.

You forgot the strange bad weather obsession.

Maybe this is really Triton and whatever other screen names associated with that guy...!