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Schillerstrom, Brooks resign tollway seats

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Illinois

A pivotal figure at the Illinois tollway for the last four years has resigned amid scrutiny of the agency and a legislative push to clean house.

Chairman Robert Schillerstrom has submitted his resignation, a tollway spokesman said Monday.

Schillerstrom, former DuPage County chairman, spearheaded a massive expansion of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294), a controversial study of extending Route 53 north into Lake County, and the ongoing extension of Route 390 to O’Hare International Airport.

But a series of Daily Herald reports about the tollway board hiring individuals and firms with political or personal connections led to state Senate scrutiny this summer and drew censure from new Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker. […]

The Rev. Corey Brooks, a tollway director, also resigned, officials said.

You’ll recall that the General Assembly passed legislation to immediately get rid of all tollway directors. The governor has yet to sign the bill. I assume he’s waiting to line up new directors before he signs the bill.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 10:08 am

Comments

It will be interesting to see who rates such sweet gigs in a Pritzker administration.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 10:19 am
Oh. Maybe that’s where Doug House will wind up. ISTHA’s HQ my be in Downers, but I-88 *almost* makes it to the Quad Cities.

Comment by Proud Sucker Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 10:22 am
Are we ever going to see 53 extension? Or will Lake County end up another backwater?

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 10:24 am
–Are we ever going to see 53 extension?–

My understanding over 30 years or so that they’ve been talking about it is that there’s a great deal of residential opposition.

More roads, more traffic, more people….

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 10:31 am
No rush. They have the land easily visible on satellite map.With lake county declining it may never be needed. Not much traffic will be heading to the Fox con. But they should keep the land. I think they should have for the outer belt but they didnt. I expect same to happen to US 20.

Comment by Not a Billionaire Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 10:44 am
Rumor has it the executive director of the tollway may become the new Secretary of transportation. That position is an ex-officio member of the board, along with JB.

Comment by Colossus of roads Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 10:49 am
Wonder what the totals are for the Rev. ?

Comment by Annonin' Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 10:50 am
===Rumor has it===

It’s too early in the day to get that drunk.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 11:10 am
===Rumor has it===
I don’t think I have ever seen an administration more leak-proof than this one (good job for JB).

Comment by Taxedoutwest Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 11:35 am
=to early in the day=. Do I detect a little jealousy? Cheers.

Comment by Colossus of roads Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 11:38 am
A way to cut ‘waste’ is to stop paying ‘political’ contributors a stipend to be on boards such as the Tollway, RTA, etc. Geez, golly, wouldn’t it be an honer to serve? My gosh, political hypocrites.

Comment by the "Edge" Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 11:45 am
Sorry, JB

Comment by No way Ray Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 11:51 am
==Taxedoutwest== What are in your Flintstones vitamins? I want some.

Comment by Scribe Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 11:54 am
=The governor has yet to sign the bill. I assume he’s waiting to line up new directors before he signs the bill.=

I don’t think the bill has been sent to the Governor. But I agree Gov & GA are probably waiting to line up new directors before the GA sends the bill to the JB.

Comment by {Sigh} Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 12:12 pm
===there’s a great deal of residential opposition.===
There’s some opposition, and the village of Long Grove has been consistent in being the squeaky wheel for 30 years. In 2009, Lake County voters favored building it in a non-binding referendum, 76% for to 24% against. If Lake County had to chip in for a good chunk of the costs, the results might be different. Anyway, the tollway has enough on their plate for the time being with widening the Tri-State and other projects. I think they did an outstanding job on the recent Jane Addams reconstruction project.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 12:14 pm
Wolf = Lake county didnt want the 355 extension screamed how it was going to kill their way of life ad nauseam.

Comment by NorthsideNoMore Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 12:17 pm
Six is right. The tollway can’t get the figures to work yet either. I think they will need IL 53 like they got they eoe. They might need something from lake.Also McHenry suddenly asked for the extension to Wisconsin in on to 2050.

Comment by Not a Billionaire Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 12:37 pm
Some versions of the crosstown still live in but not the outer belt. With their current population projections cmap is only really pushing 53. Traffic counts on. Chicago arterial have plunged so has downstate.

Comment by Not a Billionaire Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 12:40 pm
Downstate we could use 3 lanes of shared 4 like Missouri. The traffic is declining and that would allow semi use.

Comment by Not a Billionaire Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 12:45 pm
–In 2009, Lake County voters favored building it in a non-binding referendum, 76% for to 24% against.–

Didn’t know that, thanks.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 12:54 pm
How do I say goodbye to what we had?
The good times that made us laugh, outweighed the bad.
I thought we’d get to see forever, but forever has blown away.
It’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday…

Comment by Boys II Men Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 12:58 pm
Rich, what exactly do tollway directors do? Collect the money and….

Comment by M Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 1:39 pm
Corey will have to get back on the roof to raise money again.

Comment by Annon3 Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 2:14 pm
Colossus of roads- that’s a rumor she planted. She has not done well at the Tollway and I’m sure JB knows it. She’s done.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 2:22 pm
lol that the Tollway head staffer gets promoted. really? what a mess the tollway is. buh bye. and it cannot exist on an island. it must be considered in a transportation overview for the entire state. think big. not think agency.

Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 2:26 pm