Planning Programs and Projects

The RTA led the Cook-DuPage Corridor study with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to examine a broad range of transportation system improvements to address the mobility needs in the western suburbs of Chicago. The Cook-DuPage Corridor covers a large portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is centrally located in the region. It extends approximately 30 miles from Cicero Avenue (IL50) in the city of Chicago/town of Cicero to the Kane/DuPage county line. Metra's Milwaukee District-West and Burlington Northern Santa-Fe commuter lines form the north and south boundaries respectively. The corridor spans all or portions of 51 municipalities in suburban Cook and DuPage counties and the Austin neighborhood of Chicago, an area that includes over 1 million residents and 750,000 jobs.

The Cook-DuPage Corridor is one of several corridors recommended for multi-modal analysis in the 2030 Regional Transportation Plan (CATS, October 2003). The Plan includes a number of major transit and highway proposals to address congestion and improve mobility in the western suburbs of Cook and DuPage counties. These are: High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes on the west end of the Eisenhower Expy. (I-290); Additional lanes on the East-West Tollway (I-88); Extension of the CTA Blue Line Congress branch to the western suburbs of DuPage County; Ogden Avenue transitway, from Navy Pier to North Riverside; Cermak Road bus rapid transit; DuPage County "J" bus rapid transit corridor, connecting Naperville, Oak Brook, O'Hare and Schaumburg; Inner Circumferential rail service (IHB/BRC) between O'Hare and Midway.

Mobility problems and potential solutions will be examined in three study phases spanning 2003-2010: 1) Travel Market Analysis, 2) Options Feasiblity, and 3) System Analysis. Locally led study components will be undertaken to formulate corridor planning standards and community development and land use plans/policies.

Through this project, Pace created a new ridership forecasting application that utilizes customized market research and mode choice models. Using Pace's South Cook County, Southwest Cook County, and Will County Restructuring Initiatives as the market area for this project, the resulting data and models were used to identify opportunities for service improvements. This forecasting application will be used region-wide in each of Pace's service areas.

Three studies were conducted to study the feasibility, land use, and financing aspects of a new, high-quality and high-capacity transit service in southeast Cook County to provide access to downtown Chicago job opportunities and to complement local economic development efforts.

In 2000 Metra completed the South Suburban Commuter Rail Feasibility Study which examines the potential for implementing Metra commuter rail service on a new radial line to serve suburbs in southeastern Cook and northeastern Will Counties. The proposed route focuses on utilizing the jointly owned tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) and CSX Transportation (the railroad subsidiary of the multi-modal CSX Corporation) between Beecher and Dolton, with several options to connect with other lines to reach downtown Chicago. This Phase I Feasibility Study is the first step in a longer process to ascertain not only the potential demand for this proposed new service, but also how it might reach eventual implementation. The Study was a collaborative effort, sponsored by the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association (SSMMA), who provided the necessary funding. The Study is organized into four major tasks or milestones, all aimed at providing a methodological and objective means of formulating Study recommendations. The four major sections are: Existing Conditions, Potential Operations, Future Plans, and Capital Improvements.

Phase I - Land Use and Local Financing Study Study completed in 2005 with sponsorship by Village of South Holland and South Suburban Mayors & Managers Association (SSMMA)

The Phase I Study was conducted to explore key land use and financial planning considerations related to a potential commuter rail connection between Chicago's downtown Loop district and various communities southeast of the City. A primary goal of the study was to ensure that residents, businesses and organizations would have a say in how communities could support and plan for commuter rail. This included discussion about station locations, development potential in the area around stations, generation of required local matching funds for station design and construction.

Phase II - Land Use and Local Financing Study Study completed in 2007 with sponsorship by South Suburban Mayors & Managers Association (SSMMA)

The Phase II Study, examines in more detail several recommendations in the Local Finance chapter of the Phase I report. It also presents information on how the communities can begin to initiate formal intergovernmental agreements to govern creation, management and oversight of a joint funding pool to help pay for the land acquisition and construction of stations and parking facilities along Metra's proposed SouthEast Service commuter rail line.

The RTA is assisting the CTA with developing a strategy for bus route enhancements that will address slow zones along CTA Bus Route #8 - Halsted Street. The strategies are being developed in coordination with other transportation analyses along the corridors. The improvements will work to speed bus operations in persistent congested areas and accommodate expected growth in the North Branch area with improved transit service.

The RTA is assisting Pace to prepare a corridor study examining South Halsted St. between the Pace/Metra Harvey Transportation Center and the Pace Chicago Heights Terminal. Goals of the study are to increase transportation resilience, encourage transit-oriented development (TOD), and improve pedestrian accessibility, sidewalks, crosswalks, access to developments, and connectivity. The study will include coordination with Harvey, South Holland, East Hazel Crest, Homewood, Glenwood, and Chicago Heights.  The study will also offer strategies to prepare the corridor for Pace Pulse service and will identify future high frequency service station locations.

This study was conducted by the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference in cooperation with DuPage County. The DuPage Area Transit Plan included both a short term and long range transit plan for the County. Throughout the development of the plan stakeholders from the county including elected officials, county and local community staff, and area residents were engaged through an extensive grass roots public involvement process to provide input into the plan. This process resulted in the identification of quality of life issues with respect to the provision and availability of transit service in the County.