Planning Programs and Projects

The RTA has awarded $55,000 to the City of Harvey for Phase I engineering needed to build future improvements that include an on street bike lane along portions of 155th Street between Broadway Ave and Lexington Ave, as well as three crosswalks along the corridor in the City of Harvey. The project envisioned will resurface the roadway as a prerequisite to installing the bike lane and making intersection improvements that will directly support access to Pace bus route 364 as well as to the Harvey Transportation Center and the Harvey Metra Electric station.

The RTA awarded $55,000 to the Village of Hazel Crest for Phase I engineering tasks needed for future improvements that include a side path connector, raised crosswalks, and pedestrian scaled lighting at key intersections in the Village. The side path connector would widen the existing sidewalk from 5 feet to 8 feet on 170th Street from Park Avenue to Dixie Highway. Additional improvements would include pedestrian lighting and raised crosswalks at key intersections. The widened side path would serve pedestrians accessing the Hazel Crest Metra Station that serves the Metra Electric line as well as Pace riders using Route 356 which crosses the study area along Wood Street.

The RTA awarded $55,000 to the Village of Niles for Phase I engineering needed for future improvements that include a side path along Dempster Street between Cumberland Avenue and Milwaukee Avenue in the Village of Niles. Proposed improvements include a 10 foot side path, ADA ramp improvements at signalized intersections, and other associated tasks that include potential utility relocations and fence improvements. The proposed side path would connect existing Pace transit stops on Dempster, two of which are being upgraded to Pace Dempster Pulse Line stations (Cumberland, Milwaukee). One would remain as a stop for the Pace Bus Route 250 (Dempster @ Grand), which currently lacks sufficient pedestrian access.

The RTA awarded $55,000 to the City of Waukegan for Phase I engineering activities needed for various improvements to ADA compliance, pedestrian access, and wayfinding signage at Waukegan's downtown transit hub. Proposed improvements would include a mid-block flashing beacon pedestrian crosswalk on Sheridan, painted crosswalks at Washington and Spring, and realigned curbs and ramps at intersections to improve pedestrian safety. Also proposed are safety improvements for motorists in the area, including left turn pavement markings and 3-way stop signs and stop bars that indicate motorists to yield to pedestrians. The proposed improvements would serve pedestrians accessing the Waukegan Metra station on the Union Pacific North line as well as Pace bus route 565, 568, 571, and 572. 

This project funds phase II engineering and construction to remove and replace curb ramps and blended sidewalk areas to comply with ADA standards in 21 locations within the Village. Improvements will consist of removing and replacing sidewalks, curb ramps and curbs, adjusting frames/grates to meet final grade, Hot-mix asphalt pavement patching will be utilized to restore pavement areas. Thermoplastic pavement marking and landscape restoration shall also occur as part of this improvement. Locations selected focus on those areas traveled by residents to access the Metra Bellwood station and Pace bus stops within the Village.

This project funds Phase II engineering and construction of sidewalk network improvements that will provide access from residential neighborhoods south of St. Charles Road to Pace Bus Route 313. Work will be completed for sidewalk gaps along Lee Boulevard, Morris Avenue, Rohde Avenue, Spencer Avenue, and Jerele Boulevard.

The RTA awarded the Village of Cary construction funding to develop the Depot Plaza in downtown Cary, as envisioned in the Cary Downtown Strategic Plan. Improvements will include an open-air plaza with artificial turf, shelter for bicyclists and pedestrians waiting for the McRide bus service, ride sharing, taxis, and outbound Metra service,  modifications to the sidewalk to increase walkability and improve pedestrian safety, built in planters to add color and character, and new benches.

The Chicago Department of Planning and Development seeks assistance to conduct a corridor study of Archer Avenue, from Halsted to Cicero, to evaluate land use, zoning and development  opportunities with a focus on areas around the CTA Orange Line stations. The City will use the plan to identify key development opportunities along the corridor, align vision for the corridor with land use and zoning recommendations, and create a strategic implementation plan for the Archer Ave corridor. The study team will include the Chicago Department of Transportation to understand opportunities for enhanced pedestrian mobility and safety, bike lanes and mobility hubs, and ways to leverage the CTA public transit assets. The City desires to increase transportation resilience along the corridor as well as identify strategies to attract investment and encourage transit-oriented development in a way that will attract new retail development and jobs while retaining existing  businesses.

The Village of Morton Grove seeks RTA assistance to develop  the Dempster Street Corridor Plan. The study area would travel the length of Dempster Street from Central Avenue on the east to Harlem Ave on the west, within the Village limits. Over the past two decades, major shifts in transportation infrastructure, demographics, the environment, and the economy have affected the established Dempster Street corridor and produced new challenges. An updated Dempster Street Corridor Plan will help Morton Grove respond to those shifts and address emerging issues head-on. The recent addition of Pace’s Pulse bus rapid transit service have improved Dempster Street’s function as an efficient transportation corridor. However, issues related to shallow lot depth, access management, evolving parking needs, and adjacency to established single-family neighborhoods have hindered the corridor’s ability to function as an economic engine for the community. The Corridor Plan is needed to provide a cohesive vision for Dempster Street that identifies parking solutions, leverages and connects transit assets, expands retail and employment-generating development, and identifies complementary opportunities for new housing. The Village desires a new vision for the Dempster Street corridor to encourage reinvestment, support existing and future business, and provide needed services and amenities to the community. In addition, the Village hopes to broaden diversity in housing choices along the corridor, attract investment and development, and better manage parking.

The RTA has awarded $53,628 to the Village of Ford Heights for Phase I engineering needed to improve the sidewalk network, add concrete pads to select bus stops, and install ADA-compliant crosswalks at key intersections surrounding the Pace Route 357. The bus route runs through the center of the village and forms a loop around the future 60-acre mixed-use New Town Center development. There are currently significant gaps in the sidewalk network that connects these surrounding areas with bus stops, and most crosswalks in the area are faded and are not ADA-compliant.