Arlington Park sits near the edges of several towns. A stadium there would send traffic down roads in Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Schaumburg, not just Arlington Heights. This spring the mayors of those three towns put their concerns in writing. They support the stadium, but they want a voice in how it gets built.
The letters
In letters dated April 2 and May 5, 2026, to Gov. JB Pritzker, Senate President Don Harmon and House Speaker Chris Welch, Palatine Mayor Jim Schwantz, Rolling Meadows Mayor Lara Sanoica and Schaumburg Mayor Tom Dailly made the same main point. They worry the state is relying on the Bears to define infrastructure needs within roughly a one-mile ring around the site. They want improvements planned two to three miles out.
The roads they named
- Route 53 and its interchange with I-90 (the Jane Addams Tollway)
- Algonquin Road
- Kirchoff Road
- Euclid Avenue
- Northwest Highway
- Palatine Road
Dailly called the Route 53 and I-90 ramps a problem that goes back decades and said he favors flyover ramps. Schwantz said he worries Palatine could end up taking on debt to handle impacts it didn’t choose. Rolling Meadows hired consultants back in May 2025 to prepare for a possible stadium next door.
Why the traffic study matters
The Bears have asked for about $855 million in public infrastructure money, including Route 53 work and changes to the Metra line, but no itemized list has been published. The team’s traffic study, which would show where game-day traffic goes, was paused in fall 2025 and had not been delivered to Arlington Heights as of March 3, 2026. State Sen. Bill Cunningham has said the state can’t appropriate road money without it. The neighboring mayors were told infrastructure decisions are waiting on that study too.
Who hasn’t weighed in publicly
I have not found public positions from Mount Prospect or Buffalo Grove, which are also close to the site. If you’re an official or resident there, I’d like to hear how your town sees it.
| Town | Mayor | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Palatine | Jim Schwantz | Supports; wants wider road planning; worried about debt |
| Rolling Meadows | Lara Sanoica | Supports; wants wider road planning; hired consultants in 2025 |
| Schaumburg | Tom Dailly | Supports; wants Route 53/I-90 ramps fixed |
| Mount Prospect | — | No public position found |
| Buffalo Grove | — | No public position found |
The move is not approved. If a deal passes in the veto session, the road plan is where neighboring towns will feel it most, and I’ll be following it.