Planning Programs and Projects

Lake County combined three separate dial-a-ride services, operating in the Central Lake/Shields township area, into one service. The project initially calls for Shields Township to operate separately while the Fremont and Central Lake partners (Fremont Township, Libertyville Township, Villages of Libertyville and Mundelein) are combined. The service provides expanded dial-a-ride transportation in Lake County to seniors and individuals with disabilities residing in Central Lake County. Five municipalities and Lake County sponsor the project.

The RTA partnered with the City of Crystal Lake to create a transit-oriented development plan for the areas surrounding the Crystal Lake and Pingree Road Metra stations. The project created a development strategy for increasing the density in these areas with the goals to strengthen pedestrian walkability and to expand mixed use and transit supportive land uses for increased travel efficiency.

This project, by initially integrating the services of four dial-a-ride projects, now serves a geographic area covering seven communities, providing transportation services primarily for older adults and individuals with disabilities. This project will continue to integrate and coordinate dial-a-ride services currently being provided throughout McHenry County. Dial-a-ride service for seniors and people with disabilities is also provided throughout Greenwood, Dorr, Grafton, Nunda, McHenry, Marengo and Riley Townships. Three service extensions are included to serve the Fox Lake Metra Station, Valley-Hi nursing home/McHenry County Division of Transportation, and the Park and Ride lot in the Village of Lake in the Hills.

This project funded technical assistance to Pace to conduct a corridor study of North Avenue between Harlem Avenue and York Road. This study aligned with the goals and objectives of the Pace Vision 20/20 plan as well as addressed regional concerns expressed in the CMAP GOTO 2040 plan. Recommendations include providing improved access to current Pace and CTA bus services, providing improved connections for people walking and biking, transportation and land-used tactics to improve the corridor for future Pace Pulse service, and some redevelopment concepts for two sites with redevelopment opportunity along the corridor.

This project included the installation of a five foot wide sidewalk along the south side of US30 / Lincoln Highway in the Village of Park Forest from Orchard Drive east to the Village limits at Rockwell Street, and then south along an undeveloped right-of-way to connect to an existing sidewalk in a residential neighborhood on Farragut Street. This is a segment of 2,425 linear feet and is the final segment of a greater project to build needed sidewalk connections along US30 from the eastern Village limits to the 211th Street Metra station.

The RTA, City of Evanston, and Village of Skokie will cooperate in a corridor level travel market analysis to explore the potential need for new intermediate stations on the CTA Skokie Swift (Yellow Line) and extension of the line north and/or south to serve existing and emerging travel markets. The corridor is expected to span all or portions of Evanston, Skokie, Morton Grove, Glenview, Northfield, Northbrook and portions of the far north side of Chicago. This study will complement a recently completed Location Feasibility Study which looked at optimal locations for new stations and a north extension to the Old Orchard Road area within the village of Skokie based on physical feasibility. The travel market analysis will assess the ability of line extensions and new intermediate stations to efficiently and effectively serve current and future corridor travel needs; and their impact on existing transportation services.

This is a general public, demand responsive paratransit service that provides service predominately for senior citizens and persons with disabilities in the urban portions of Kendall County.

The WTW program provides small, short-term, low-interest loans to low-income families for the purpose of purchasing or repairing a car to get to work, childcare, and to pursue educational or job training opportunities. The project funding will be used to support operating costs associated with client screening and case management, and for a small loan guarantee pool. This project will replicate other JARC projects that have been successfully implemented in other parts of the country.