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Kane County Division of Transportation

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KDOT Announces New Assistant Director of Transportation
The Kane County Division of Transportation is pleased to announce the promotion of Kurt Nika, P.E., former Chief of Permitting, to the new Assistant Director of Permitting, Traffic Operations and Programming. “The creation of a new Assistant Director position is a continuing step in KDOT's transition planning efforts for the future of the division," states Carl Schoedel, County Engineer and Director of Transportation for KDOT, “the management team has been working to address continuity of operations and to recognize our emerging leaders. Promoting Kurt offers us the opportunity to continue to develop his skills as part of the next generation of leaders here at KDOT." Kurt has worked at KDOT for 24 years in more sections than any other KDOT employee. This experience translates to a high level of understanding of the Division's operations and policies. Kurt began his career at Kane County DOT in the Design section handling engineering contracts, bidding, IDOT coordination, etc. for various County and township projects funded with local, state, federal and MFT funds. In 2006, Kurt became KDOT's Chief of Permitting. His experience with access control, land development, and supervision of other permit activities is extensive. In recognition of his accomplishments and experience, in 2010 Kurt was promoted to Chief of Traffic Operations & Permitting, which included oversight of the County's signal and lighting systems. As part of these new responsibilities, KDOT implemented a traffic management system and Kurt was the Project Manager overseeing the construction of the Arterial Operation Center in 2015. Kurt lives in West Chicago with his wife and three daughters and is a big Star Trek fan (“of everything before 2009").


Visibility Through Roundabouts
Why does KDOT typically put taller vegetation blocking visibility through the central island of their roundabouts? Thought and planning goes into the native landscaping found in the central islands of our roundabouts. While there is nothing fundamentally wrong with seeing the upstream approach of cars from a long ways off and timing your own approach accordingly, the real value in sight distance restrictions provided by taller vegetation in the roundabout is the positive effect they have on those vehicles getting ready to enter the roundabout. As vehicles are getting ready to enter the roundabout, restricting sight distance across the central island with strategic taller landscaping may enhance the safety of the intersection by encouraging lower speeds and making only the left-hand side of the roundabout the focal point. In addition to the increased aesthetic value, a well-landscaped island will make both circulating and entering vehicles more cautious by limiting how far ahead they can see. A circulating vehicle likely will be a bit slower around the curve if its view ahead is restricted (see graphics below). That makes it easier for a car entering the circulating lane to receive a reasonable gap. If sight distance restrictions can limit circulating vehicles to 20 mph, you need less than 120 feet of pavement to provide a four-second entry gap – which is big enough for just about any passenger car. An additional characteristic of taller central island landscaping is that it shields the headlights of oncoming vehicles making it easier to see the circulating lane as a driver approaches a roundabout. Graphic credit: WisDOT


Ride in Kane Program Expansion Announced
Kane County is pleased to announce an expansion of the RIde in Kane program to service eligible riders who reside in non-sponsor areas of Kane County for work-related trips. In addition to individuals residing in Kane County that are low income, eligible riders NOW include residents 65 or older or persons with a disability. Kane County as a sponsor will only allow rides that are for traveling to employment or employment related activities. Please contact the RIK Coordinator information help line at (630) 762-2600, or go to http://kdot.countyofkane.org/RIK/ for more information.


Bids and Letting Updated Information
Kane County Purchasing Department now uses BidNet's Illinois Purchasing Group to advertise and manage our Bids and Addenda. Registering and using this service is free. Please click here to visit the BidNet Illinois Purchasing Group page. All active solicitations for KDOT construction and maintenance projects can be found on this site. Please note that KDOT does not use this service to select for professional services.


KDOT Office Hours
KDOT administrative offices are open to the public from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. Appointments and walk in visitors can access the building during those hours. The front vestibule will be open for deliveries and payments without entering the building. We continue to encourage electronic submittals of correspondence, invoices, permit applications and any other materials to ensure prompt processing. Bids and letting continue as scheduled. Our main number is (630) 584-1170 to contact staff with any questions. The main number is monitored and calls are routed to the appropriate staff member. A staff directory can be found on our Contact Us page. These hours may change, and will be posted here and on the front door of Building A.


Employment Opportunities
KDOT is currently hiring. Please check out our Employment Opportunities page to see the listings. Contact Jennifer Becker with any questions. Beckerjennifer @co.kane.il.us