Planning Programs and Projects

Individuals with disabilities are transported from their homes to Community Learning Centers and to a variety of other activities including grocery shopping, medical appointments, volunteer opportunities and recreational activities.

This project will construct new sidewalk on the east side of Wolf Road between the Prospect Heights Metra station and Willow Road. This will connect to a previous phase of the multi-use path on Wolf Road that goes north from Willow Road to Palatine Road. The project also includes the installation of pedestrian signals at Camp McDonald Road.

This dial-a-ride service will operate weekdays in Antioch, Avon, Grant, and Lake Villa townships. A portion of the service will be a flexible route connecting three Metra stations on the NCS Line and Milwaukee District - North Line with residential areas to offer greater access to employment opportunities primarily for individuals with limited mobility and other transit dependent populations. The service expanded its boundaries in December 2012 to include Waconda and Fremont Townships. Lake County implemented the service January 11, 2010.

This project will fund Phase I engineering necessary for sidewalk, crosswalk, and other intersection improvements along Sauk Trail and Torrence Avenue. Future improvements will fill sidewalk gaps and make ADA and safety related improvements at key intersections along Pace Bus Route 358.

The project will add access improvements to the Chicago Heights Pace terminal located at 16th St. and Vincennes Ave. They include replacement of existing sidewalks, adding ADA-compliant crosswalks, a bus staging lane and covered bike parking.

In August, the CTA began installing over 1,300 tactile bus stop signs, with Braille and raised letters, on 12 routes.   These signs provide information about the exact bus stop location to customers who are blind or have visual or cognitive disabilities.

New signs have already been added to each stop on #20 Madison route. The placards will be added to these 11 routes within the next year:

• #4 Cottage Grove
• #X4 Cottage Grove Express
• #9 Ashland
• #X9 Ashland Express
• #12 Roosevelt
• #49 Western
• #X49 Western Express
• #63 63rd
• #66 Chicago
• #79 79th
• #157 Streeterville/Taylor

The RTA is assisting the Village of La Grange to update their current transit-oriented development plan adopted in 2005. By updating this plan, the Village seeks to address current construction market dynamics,  changes in the retail industry, and changing commuting habits to poise the community to take advantage of future redevelopment opportunities. In particular, the Village seeks to invite redevelopment on the West End, which has seen no new development since 2005.  The proposed study area encompasses the Central Business District of La Grange, the West End Business District, and other properties within less than one quarter mile from each Metra Station in La Grange. 

The RTA assisted the Village of Homewood to prepare a transit-oriented development plan for downtown Homewood and areas surrounding the Homewood Metra and Amtrak station. Leveraging the ongoing station renovations, the goals of the planning study included identifying strategies to attract investment and development, retaining existing character/historic preservation, and increasing access to transit services in the downtown. With a locally-driven planning vision, the plan presents strategies and projects to foster Downtown population growth, identify new uses for vacant buildings, increase transit ridership, and increase the number of people visiting and spending time in Downtown Homewood. 

The RTA is assisting the Village of Sauk Village to prepare a corridor study focused on segments of Sauk Trail (from Cottage Grove to Torrence Avenue) and Torrence Avenue (from Sauk Trail to US 30). The goals of the study include developing strategies to: improve pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and access to transit services, attract investment and development, and reduce motor vehicle speeding and crashes.