There are several communities in Northwest Illinois that should start working together for the good of the region.
First, the three cities of Sterling-Rock Falls and Dixon are just a few miles apart. Each community is connected by four-lane high-speed highways. With the three together having a population over 50,000, combining resources would greatly enhance the quality of life.
The three cities should work on inter-city transit routes. This would be of great help to those who cannot drive or cannot afford to. Also, each city wants to expand its bike-trail network. If all three worked to combine their separate trails into one that would be an impressive bike trail system.
Working together could bring about discussions of other coollaborations such as using the Rock River for a water taxi service, bringing in small conventions to fill the hotel rooms in the communities, and bringing in more retail and industrial business that are sure to bring new employment to all three.
Those three cities – along with Oregon and Byron -- should work together to provide Rock River Canoe packages and work to stretch bike trails to the north, thus creating a cool bike trail along the river from Dixon to Oregon and into Byron. Finally, it's a no-brainier that all five of these towns should constantly talk in terms of a combined cities tourism strategy!
Thinking regionally brings much more power to projects and that can allow for a lot more things to get done.
I'm Phillip LeFevre, and that's my perspective.
