Issue Spotlight
Stop the 143rd Street Widening.
The proposal
143rd Street is one of Homer Glen's main east-west corridors — and one of Will County's targets for expansion. Proposed widening would convert a community road into a higher-volume, higher-speed thoroughfare, with significant impact on adjacent residential properties, businesses, and the rural character of the area.
Heidi's record on this
• Actively involved in the 2022–23 opposition to the 143rd Street expansion alongside the Parker Hadley Road fight.
• Organized community meetings to inform residents about the proposed scope and what it would change.
• Coordinated with regional officials on alternative approaches — improving safety at existing intersections rather than widening the corridor.
• Made the case that road capacity isn't the problem — overdevelopment elsewhere in the county was driving cut-through traffic, and a wider 143rd Street would simply pull more of it through Homer Glen.
• Organized community meetings to inform residents about the proposed scope and what it would change.
• Coordinated with regional officials on alternative approaches — improving safety at existing intersections rather than widening the corridor.
• Made the case that road capacity isn't the problem — overdevelopment elsewhere in the county was driving cut-through traffic, and a wider 143rd Street would simply pull more of it through Homer Glen.
In the room and on the ground
Heidi addressing the Village Board — Special Meeting on the road projects, October 3, 2023
Neighbors rallying to Save 143rd Street — the community’s sign points to Heidi
Why this matters — for everyone
• Unnecessary expense for taxpayers. Road-widening is one of the most expensive line items in any county capital budget. Homer Glen residents pay those taxes.
• Loss of property and trees. Widening always takes private land. Mature trees that take decades to grow disappear in a week.
• Induced demand. The traffic engineering research is clear: wider roads invite more cars, not fewer. The "fix" makes the underlying problem worse over time.
• Speeds up the suburb. Once 143rd Street becomes a five-lane corridor, the neighborhoods on either side stop feeling like Homer Glen and start feeling like every other I-355 satellite.
• Loss of property and trees. Widening always takes private land. Mature trees that take decades to grow disappear in a week.
• Induced demand. The traffic engineering research is clear: wider roads invite more cars, not fewer. The "fix" makes the underlying problem worse over time.
• Speeds up the suburb. Once 143rd Street becomes a five-lane corridor, the neighborhoods on either side stop feeling like Homer Glen and start feeling like every other I-355 satellite.
We shouldn't be widening 143rd Street. We should be asking why we're absorbing the traffic from developments that other towns approved without us. As Mayor, I'll push back on infrastructure decisions that turn Homer Glen into a pass-through for someone else's growth.
— Heidi Pacella
What Heidi will do as Mayor
• Formally oppose any 143rd Street widening proposal that lacks community consent
• Request alternative engineering studies focused on safety improvements rather than capacity expansion
• Bring transparency to Will County's project pipeline so residents see what's coming before plans are finalized
• Coordinate with other affected municipalities to push back on regional decisions that hurt local character
• Request alternative engineering studies focused on safety improvements rather than capacity expansion
• Bring transparency to Will County's project pipeline so residents see what's coming before plans are finalized
• Coordinate with other affected municipalities to push back on regional decisions that hurt local character
Push Back on Capacity Expansion
Heidi will represent Homer Glen residents — not pass-through traffic from someone else's growth.
Take the Pledge