Planning Programs and Projects

The RTA is assisting 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.

The RTA is assisting the City of Berwyn to make transit-supportive amendments to the zoning regulations along the Harlem Avenue corridor from Roosevelt Road to Pershing Road. The result will include code revisions that foster a pedestrian-friendly development style along the corridor, preparing it for future Pace Pulse service. Revising the code along Harlem Avenue is a recommendation for the City in the Central Harlem Avenue Corridor Study.

The RTA partnered with the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to convene a half-day discussion panel of development experts to provide guidance and advice to Village staff. The panel discussed the development climate and potential strategies to prepare for, and attract development to, Village-owned parcels near the Congress Park Metra station.

The RTA provided technical assistance to Chicago's Department of Planning and Development (DPD) and the Albany Park community to pinpoint new and expanded pedestrian and shared space amenities along Kimball and Lawrence Avenues as well as introduce new micro-mobility infrastructure and device parking to advance first and last mile connectivity near the Kimball Brown Line station. New public amenities recommended in the plan included specific locations for improved crosswalks, designated shared bike parking areas, wall murals along the exterior of the Kimball CTA station, a plaza area near the Kimball station, and dedicated bus priority zones for transfer stops of CTA bus routes 81 and 82. The RTA and DPD worked alongside the North River Commission, the CTA and others in Albany Park to finalize short-term, tactical recommendations.

The RTA is assisting the Village of Maywood to amend the Village’s Zoning Code in the downtown area as recommended in the Maywood TOD Plan Update, completed through the RTA’s Community Planning program in 2020. Code updates will foster the type of development envisioned in the plan, address current parking in downtown Maywood, and respond to the historic nature of the area. The project’s focus area includes Lake Street and 5th Avenue.

The RTA is assisting the Village with updating the zoning code in the southeast portion of the Village, from South Claire Boulevard to the Robbins Metra station. Code updates will allow the Village to realize the type of development envisioned in the Robbins TOD and Industrial Areas Plan, completed with support from the RTA and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.

The RTA convened a Developer Discussion Panel to assist the Village's efforts to attract transit- oriented development (TOD) at a vacant ~6-acre site located directly adjacent to the Metra Electric Ashland Avenue station. The Village will benefit from developer expertise on how to attract and consider development proposals that optimize the neighboring transit asset and align with local and regional goals.

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.

The RTA assisted the CTA with developing a strategy for bus route enhancements that will address slow zones, referred to as Bus Priority Zones (BPZs) along CTA Bus Route #8 - Halsted Street. The strategies being developed are in coordination with other transportation analyses along the corridors. Future improvements will work to speed bus operations in persistent congested areas and accommodate expected growth in the North Branch area with improved transit service.

The RTA assisted the DuPage County Department of Transportation to develop its first county-wide mobility framework plan. The plan offers a muti-modal analysis of the County’s existing transportation network and presents a framework of themes, goals, and strategies that the County can use to improve the connectivity and convenience of transit, pedestrian, and bicycle networks. Some of the goals contained in the plan include responding to the changing transportation market and addressing the needs of employers and residents in the County to attract and retain employees and residents.