Planning Programs and Projects

This project coordinates paratransit services in Kane County into a centralized system that optimizes transportation resources for older adults and persons with disabilities. The sponsors of this project include multiple private non-profit organizations and local units of government.

The Regional Transit Coordination Plan is an ongoing multi-year program aimed at enhancing regional mobility by facilitating seamless travel on public transportation.

As part of the Market Identification and Sensitivity Analysis components of the plan, a transfer Location Study was completed in March 2001 in order to prioritize inter-agency transfer locations for further evaluation. The Location Study identified and classified approximately 300 existing locations throughout the region where it is possible to transfer between two or more transit operators. The study also evaluated another 50 potential locations where transfers could occur based on new rail stations or extensions. Based on the results of this study, three conclusions were established by the project team to guide further coordination efforts. First, it appears that existing transit connections already serve most travel markets to some extent. Second, downtown transfer locations play an important role in regional transit mobility. And third, the project team recommended prioritizing investments in existing locations that either have high rates of transfer activity, or provide critical local or regional connections.

To supplement the Location Study, a survey instrument was developed by the RTA to gauge residents¿ awareness and opinions regarding various aspects of transit coordination. Telephone interviews were conducted by the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Survey Research Laboratory during the second half of 2002. Responses were recorded from over 1000 residents, with approximately one-third each from the City of Chicago, suburban Cook County and the collar counties (DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will).

This project developed a transit-oriented master plan for 2.16 acres of land located immediately adjacent to the Village's Metra station, building off recommendations in the Grand Avenue Village Center Plan completed in 2006. The plan also includes a market assessment of market-supportable densities and transit-supportive uses appropriate for this site and conceptual ideas for various other opportunity sites throughout the TOD area.