Planning

Planning Programs and Projects

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Year Project Title Program Project Typesort descending Project Partner Budget Funding Source(s) Status
+ 2016 Pace Central Harlem Avenue Corridor Study Community Planning Corridor Planning Pace Suburban Bus $199,500
  • Local
  • Federal
Completed

PROJECT DETAILS

Related Reports

Other Resources

Description

This project completed transit access and land use study with recommended ways to improve transit accessibility while identifying and promoting potential land uses that compliment transit service along the 10 mile stretch of Harlem Avenue, from North Avenue to 71st Street. This project continued the momentum of the previously completed Southwest Conference of Mayors sponsored Harlem Avenue Corridor Project (from 63rd Street to I-80), which has experienced successful implementation efforts. The project area is slated for future Pulse Pulse service, which is an Arterial Rapid Transit service.

Current Activities

The final report was completed in November of 2018 has been shared with Pace and members of the steering committee. Rezoning work is talking place in 2021 and 2022 along the sections of Harlem Ave within Riverside and Berwyn, as recommended in the plan.

Funding Amounts by Source

Source Amount
Local
$39,900
Federal
$159,600
Last Updated 07.28.2021
+ 2013 Ridgeland Avenue Corridor Study Community Planning Corridor Planning Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways $200,000
  • RTA
  • Local
Completed

PROJECT DETAILS

Description

This project developed a multi-modal corridor plan for Ridgeland Avenue from 79th Street to 135th Street in the communities of Burbank, Oak Lawn, Chicago Ridge, Worth, Alsip and Palos Heights. The corridor includes or intersects with five Pace bus routes and provides access to the Chicago Ridge Metra Station. The plan provides recommendations for the corridor that ensure the safe and efficient movement of people while supporting the local economies.

Current Activities

The final Corridor Plan was completed in June of 2014. Meetings were held with some local governments to assist with implementation efforts. In early 2015, the RTA applied for CMAQ funds on behalf of the Village of Chicago Ridge for pedestrian safety improvements around the Metra station as a selected project in the Access to Transit Improvement Program. CMAQ funds were awarded to this project in the fall of 2015.

In 2017 the Village of Chicago Ridge applied to and was awarded Cook County for funding to complete bus stop infrastructure improvements along Ridgeland Avenue as well as to construct a multi-use path along Ridgeland as recommended in the plan. Wayfinding signage, lighting enhancements, ADA curb cuts and median improvements have been installed along the corridor from the Chicago Ridge Metra station to 105th Street.

The Village of Palos Heights continues to make pedestrian access improvements as recommended in the study including the construction of their section of the multi-use path between Route 83 and 127th Street in 2019.

In 2021 the Village of Oak Lawn was awarded Invest in Cook funding for a 10-foot-wide off-street multi-use trail between 87th Street and 95th Street, running along the east side of Ridgeland Avenue. The trail increases connectivity between parks, neighborhoods, and businesses, benefitting the local economy and promoting healthy alternative transportation options. The City of Palos Heights was also awarded funding for the installation of sidewalks on the northeast side of Route 83/College Road and Ridgeland Avenue. This project will fill a significant sidewalk gap and connect the 26- mile Cal-Sag Trail system to the 9.4-mile Tinley Creek Trail System located in the Cook County Forest Preserve. In addition, it will safely link to the Trinity College athletic fields and the Chicago Christian High School to the City’s pedestrian and trails system. Pedestrian signals will also be installed on the north and east leg of the crossings on Route 83/College Road and Ridgeland Avenue to increase safety. The sidewalk will connect to a multi-use path on Ridgeland Avenue. Both of these projects implement the Ridgeland Avenue Corridor Plan.

Funding Amounts by Source

Source Amount
RTA
$160,000
Local
$40,000
Last Updated 09.28.2021
+ 2016 CTA Bus Corridor Slow Zone Improvement Initiatives Community Planning Corridor Planning Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) $318,595
  • RTA
  • Local
Completed

PROJECT DETAILS

Description

This project developed recommendations to improve the speed and reliability of service on two CTA bus corridors, a 7.9-mile section of Chicago Avenue and a 10-mile section of 79th Street. Data analysis was conducted to identify slow zones along both corridors and identify solutions to improve the speed of service in those zones. The recommendations include concept designs, and an implementation plan for the CTA and partner agencies.

Current Activities

Final reports for both corridors were completed in the summer of 2018 and are linked below in Study Documents. The City has budgeted funds to make a number of the recommended improvements along the corridors. The first intersection to be reconfigured in 2019 was Chicago/Milwaukee/Ogden, with additional Chicago Ave. corridor work completed in 2019. The City was also awarded Invest in Cook funding from the Cook County Department of transportation to begin building some of the improvements recommended for the 79th Street corridor. In October 2019 Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot announced the City of Chicago will devote $20 million in new funding for the Bus Priority Zone Program designed to improve bus travel times and make service more reliable on seven core routes.

Funding Amounts by Source

Source Amount
RTA
$254,876
Local
$63,719
Last Updated 06.03.2020
+ 2022 Pace Far South Halsted Street Corridor Study Community Planning Corridor Planning Pace Suburban Bus $290,000
  • RTA
  • Local
Programmed

PROJECT DETAILS

Related Reports

Other Resources

Description

The RTA will assist 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.

Current Activities

Procurement of consultant services is underway. RTA staff expect this project to begin in Fall 2023.

Funding Amounts by Source

Source Amount
RTA
$235,000
Local
$55,000
Last Updated 05.22.2023
+ 2020 Chicago Auburn Gresham 79th Street Corridor Plan Community Planning Corridor Planning Chicago $134,990
  • RTA
  • Local
In Progress

PROJECT DETAILS

Related Reports

Other Resources

Description

The RTA is assisting the City of Chicago with an initiative to provide transformative changes along the 79th Street commercial corridor within the Auburn Gresham community areas. A plan will be developed to serve as a guide for future housing, retail and transportation investments in the community.

Current Activities

The consultant has drafted an initial set of recommendations and received feedback from the City, Transit Agencies and the Steering Committee. Work is now underway to fully develop each recommendation to be included in the plan.

Funding Amounts by Source

Source Amount
RTA
$128,990
Local
$6,000
Last Updated 08.16.2023
+ 2007 Kane County Randall Road Pace Route 529 Plan Community Planning Corridor Planning Kane County $125,000
  • Local
  • Federal
Completed

PROJECT DETAILS

Related Reports

Other Resources

Description

This project examined ways to coordinate land uses, improve access and signage, and optimize transit operations along Randall Road in Kane County.

Current Activities

This project was completed in December 2010. In spring of 2011, Pace was awarded an FTA grant for $800,000 to install bus shelters and sidewalk connectors along the Randall Road Route #529 study area. All shelters under this grant have been installed at 28 stops along the route, along with necessary sidewalk connectors in certain locations as recommended in the plan.

In late 2013 Pace received CMAQ approval for Pedestrian Infrastructure Improvements along various Pace Routes. This project funds concrete pads and sidewalks, implementing recommendations from the Kane County Randall Road Pace Route 529 Plan.

Additionally, Pace was awarded in December 2011 a grant from the RTA's Innovative Coordination & Enhancement (ICE) program for the installation of bus pads along Randall Road as part of this project.

Funding Amounts by Source

Source Amount
Local
$25,000
Federal
$100,000
Last Updated 07.28.2021
+ 2004 Niles Bus Oriented-Development Plan for Milwaukee Avenue Community Planning Corridor Planning Niles $100,000
  • RTA
  • Local
  • Federal
Completed

PROJECT DETAILS

Description

This plan explored transit oriented development opportunities along Milwaukee Avenue within the Village of Niles. The plan focused on strategies to improve transit facilities and services within the context of an overall effort to improve the function and aesthetics of the Milwaukee Avenue corridor. Improvements to transit facilities, new pedestrian amenities, streetscaping, traffic circulation, access to businesses, and potential redevelopment opportunities are major components addressed in the plan. Coordination with existing Pace service and the Niles Free Bus service was also explored.

Current Activities

This project was initiated in March of 2005 and is now complete. The Niles Village Board approved the Milwaukee Avenue Plan on January 24, 2006.

The Village of Niles continues to implement the BOD Plan recommendations to improve transit-oriented development and increase access to transit. Since 2008, the Village has installed paver crosswalks, decorative fencing, new traffic signal poles with arms, street furniture, sidewalks, pedestrian light poles, and street trees along Milwaukee Avenue. These improvements foster pedestrian and transit environments while spurring community and economic development.

Through the CMAP Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program, a Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan was completed, and adopted by the Village in March 2014. This plan identifies steps the Village can pursue to further develop the pedestrian and bicycle networks throughout the Village.

Pace continues to advance Transit Signal Priority (TSP) and Arterial Rapid Transit (ART) along the corridor. Through an RTA Innovation, Coordination, and Enhancement (ICE) project, Pace will test the integration of transit signal priority technology that will allow CTA and Pace buses to interact with multiple types of traffic signal systems located on the same arterial.

Pace received a CMAQ grant in 2014 to fund the following components of Milwaukee Avenue ART from Jefferson Park to Golf Mill: Phase 1 Engineering, stations, real time information, ART vehicles, and queue jump lanes (where appropriate), which are elements of the Pace TSP Planning for the Milwaukee Avenue Arterial Rapid Transit. Pace held public open houses for its Milwaukee Avenue ART service in 2015 to solicit feedback.

Milwaukee Avenue will be the first Pace ART line - now titled Pace Pulse - to be implemented. Construction on shelters and other supporting infrastructure will begin in summer of 2017 with an expected opening of the line in 2018. For more information regarding the Pace Pulse program, visit http://pulse.pacebus.com/.

Funding Amounts by Source

Source Amount
RTA
$10,000
Local
$10,000
Federal
$80,000
Last Updated 07.28.2021
+ 2019 Chicago 31st Street Little Village Corridor Study Community Planning Corridor Planning Chicago $80,000
  • RTA
  • Local
Completed

PROJECT DETAILS

Related Reports

Other Resources

Description

The RTA assisted the Chicago Department of Transportation in identifying access to transit and mobility improvements along 31st Street from Sacramento Avenue to the city limits, particularly for non-auto users (pedestrians, transit riders, and bicyclists). This work included collecting and aggregating data of travel trends and traveler demographics in the study area and assisting with community outreach to obtain consensus on plan recommendations. The final plan includes block-by-block improvements that can be made to improve the environment for people walking, biking and using transit, thereby improving walkability and safety.

Current Activities

Work on the project began in May of 2021 and was completed in April of 2023. CDOT is now working to identify funding sources and a strategy to implement the plan recommendations. The RTA will continue to monitor for implementation activity. The plan can be found under Related Reports.

Funding Amounts by Source

Source Amount
RTA
$64,000
Local
$16,000
Last Updated 08.16.2023
+ 2018 Chicago - South Shore Corridor Study Community Planning Corridor Planning Chicago $146,031
  • RTA
  • Local
  • Federal
Completed

PROJECT DETAILS

Related Reports

Other Resources

Description

This project developed a plan for two corridors, the East 75th and East 79th Street corridors, between Stony Island Avenue and the lakefront in the South Shore neighborhood. The plan identifies 10 Ideas for Action to improve land use, business retention, housing and connectivity to transit for both corridors.

Current Activities

The Chicago Plan Commission adopted the plan in May 2020 and in June announced the award of Neighborhood Opportunity Funds to two projects that will rehabilitate two vacant storefronts along 79th Street, $52,500 for rehab and build-out for a new co-working space at 1642 E. 79th Street, and $90,000 for renovation and reuse of a vacant building​ for an architecture studio at 2320 E. 79th Street.

In February 2021 Mayor Lori Lightfoot joined the groundbreaking ceremony of the Sisters in Cinema Media Center on East 75th Street at Yates. The Center will house gallery space, a 45-seat theater, editing and computer lab, offices, and classroom and conference space. The Center is scheduled to open in September of 2021.

In the spring of 2021 the City released a two-part RFP for a 1.7-acre site that includes vintage, low-rise buildings and for vacant land adjacent to the Cheltenham station on Metra’s Electric Main Line. The RFP goals include the construction and rehabilitation of transit-oriented housing and ancillary uses. Bids are due August 31, 2021.

The RTA continues to monitor implementation and offer assistance to the City as requested.

Funding Amounts by Source

Source Amount
RTA
$28,729
Local
$7,302
Federal
$110,000
Last Updated 05.18.2021
+ 2022 Sauk Trail and Torrence Ave Corridor Study Community Planning Corridor Planning Sauk Village $180,000
  • RTA
  • Local
Programmed

PROJECT DETAILS

Related Reports

Other Resources

Description

The RTA will assist 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.

Current Activities

Procurement of consultant services is underway. RTA staff expect this project to begin in Fall 2023.

Funding Amounts by Source

Source Amount
RTA
$171,750
Local
$8,250
Last Updated 05.22.2023