Planning Programs and Projects

The RTA partnered with the villages of Park Forest, Matteson and Richton Park to prepare a transportation alternatives study. The study examined the market potential for new mobility services such as local community-based transit services, shared mobility services, and non-motorized transportation alternatives, as well as identified additional approaches to continued land development near transit services.

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

The focus of the service coordination component, presented to the RTA Board in May 2003, was to identify and explore options to better serve important regional travel markets requiring improved connections between components of the existing transit system. Fifteen major activity centers were identified based on total employment, social services, regional attractions, or some combination of these important trip-generating activities. Analysis confirmed that while downtown Chicago destinations are well served by transit from throughout the region, suburban and other outlying city destinations are not so well served by transit. For some targeted travel markets, the study identified minor schedule changes that would be cost-effective ways to improve service coordination. Other travel markets would require service additions, which are more costly and less likely to be cost-effective, at least on an incremental basis.

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).

RTA staff assisted the City with updating the 2009 transit service plan for the Station Boulevard Transit system as well as explored other mobility management options for possible implementation. These mobility options will connect residents of the Station Boulevard TOD area with the Route 59 Metra station, helping to increase Metra ridership and reducing vehicle miles traveled to the station. Updates to the plan include the introduction of ways to increase walking, biking and carpooling for Station Boulevard residents, in addition to a future fixed route transit service. The development of a Guaranteed Ride Home program for residents who choose a commuting mode other than driving their own car is also recommended.

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

Recognizing that Information Coordination and Physical Coordination are complementary, the RTA initiated an effort to address both categories simultaneously for existing transfer locations. The information and physical coordination study included an assessment of current information practices targeted to transferring passengers and site visits to 75 priority transfer locations in order to determine necessary modifications in both categories. The focus was on content and specific placement of directional and service information, plus any physical site modifications necessary to improve connections. The results were presented to the RTA Board in February 2003.

The physical coordination component identified 17 interagency transfer locations where physical improvements would encourage travel by transit to regional activity centers. These priority transfer locations either have high rates of transfer activity or provide critical connections. Preliminary concept designs have been prepared for five representative locations.