Plans for Four Station Areas
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Transit Friendly Development Guide P L A N S F O R FO U R S T A T I O N A R E A S April 14, 2010 PLANS FOR FOUR STATION AREAS Table of Contents Project Team Introduction 1 Cermak 27 Overview 2 Introduction 27 City of Chicago Planning Principles 2 Transit Access 27 Department of Zoning and Land Use Planning Streets 28 Area Character 30 Department of Transportation Berwyn 3 Master Plan 31 Introduction 3 Block Layout 32 Chicago Transit Authority Transit Access 3 Zoning, Mass, and Scale 34 Streets 4 Streets, Public Space, and Facilities 36 Regional Transportation Authority Area Character 6 Master Plan 7 43rd Street 41 Project Consultants Block Layout 8 Zoning, Mass, and Scale 10 Introduction 41 Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. Streets, Public Space, and Facilities 13 Transit Access 41 205 West Wacker Drive Streets 42 Suite 2125 Area Character 44 Chicago, IL 60606 18th Street 17 Master Plan 45 PLANNING Project Number: 110208000 Introduction 17 Block Layout 46 Transit Access 17 Zoning, Mass, and Scale 48 Streets 18 Streets, Public Space, and Facilities 50 In Association with: Area Character 19 Ross Barney Architects Master Plan 20 10 West Hubbard Street Block Layout 21 Chicago, Illinois 60610 Zoning, Mass, and Scale 23 Streets, Public Space, and Facilities 25 Goodman Williams Group 325 West Huron Street Suite 306 Chicago, Illinois 60610 This study was funded through the Regional Transportation Authority’s (RTA) Community Planning program and by the City of Chicago. The RTA Community Planning program provides funding and planning assistance to municipalities for planning studies that benefit the local community and the Chicago transit network. I PLANS FOR FOUR STATION AREAS Introduction Higher density commercial and residential development densities, The City combined with the strategic introduction of other essential services in close proximity to rail stations contributes to the formation of Chicago is a city of more complete neighborhoods. It also offers residents and workers neighborhoods, each with its greater convenience to needed services, decreases personal vehicle use, and contributes directly to increases in transit ridership, as own character, challenges, well as pedestrian and bicycle activity. Reducing people’s reliance and opportunities. Over on personal automobiles through transit friendly development time, the presence and type reduces overall transportation costs, improves air quality, improves of transportation facilities people’s health and well-being, and reduces undesirable impacts and services have helped on the environment. The Chicago Climate Action Plan identifies shape many of these more than a half-million metric ton carbon dioxide equivalent (0.63MMTCO2e) reduction in greenhouse gas emissions due to the neighborhoods into the decrease in vehicular use that transit friendly development patterns places people experience inspire. and recognize today. Among the city’s transportation The City of Chicago, in conjunction with the Chicago Transit facilities, transit has, and is Authority (CTA) and the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), envisioned to continue to be identified four areas served by rapid transit (rail) service for the development of transit friendly development plans. The four study a shaping force for the city. areas were the following: • Berwyn (Red Line Station): The study area for this station area is bounded by Winthrop Avenue on the east, Balmoral Avenue on the north, Foster Avenue on the south, and Magnolia Avenue on the west. Although largely developed, several big box and auto oriented retail facilities are likely to redevelop in the area. Alderman: Maryann Smith Key Corridors: Foster Avenue and Broadway STUDY AREAS Introduction 1 Transit Friendly Development Guide Planning Principles • 18th (future Green Line station): The study area is bounded by Dearborn Street on the west, Wabash Avenue on the east, 17th Street on the north, Good planning and implementation can produce and Cullerton Street on the south. The study area is a mixture of loft-style, sustainable and meaningful urban environments. The mid-rise, and high-rise development. following key principles were applied during the planning process in the development of master plans Alderman: Pat Dowell for each area: Key Corridors: 18th Street, State Street, and Wabash Avenue • Density should be highest adjacent to transit and • Cermak (future Green Line station): The study area is bounded by should taper quickly as the distance from transit Dearborn Street on the west, Wabash Avenue on the east, Cullerton Street increases on the north, and 23rd Street on the south. The proximity of this area to the western expansion of McCormick Place and Motor Row is significant. • Development should be of a mixed use nature Redevelopment and renovation of properties is occurring along Wabash with retail and service uses on the ground floor Avenue and State Street. and a combination of office, retail, residential, and hospitality uses on upper floors Alderman: Pat Dowell and Robert Fioretti Key Corridors: State Street, Wabash Avenue, and Cermak Road • Ground floors of buildings should have • 43rd Street (Green Line Station): The study area for this station area is transparent facades and doors that open to the bounded by 42nd Street on the north, 44th Street on the south, King Drive sidewalk on the east, and Prairie Avenue on the west. The development pattern in this area is relatively inconsistent and there is potential for strategic infill • Parking facilities should be located in structures development to act as a catalyst for neighborhood enhancement. and integrated into buildings Alderman: Pat Dowell • Streets adjacent to L station entrances should Key Corridors: 43rd Street and Martin Luther King Drive have a high pedestrian, bicycle, and transit orientation Overview • Deliberate and direct connections between The plan for each area focuses on improving the connection between land use transit and development should be planned and transportation by taking advantage of existing and potential L stations in each study area. Recommendations developed for each area were guided • Public open space should be incorporated into by the Transit Friendly Development Guide, Station Area Typology document areas adjacent to station entrances to increase that was adopted by Chicago Plan Commission on December 17, 2009. the visibility of transit and promote pedestrian Plans for each of the four station areas provide recommendations and activity and interaction in the station area guidance for streets and sidewalks, transit facilities, and development. Overall, the station area plans are intended to provide direction to private developers, public agencies, and community groups as specific redevelopment and community enhancement projects and programs are considered. 2 PLANS FOR FOUR STATION AREAS Introduction Transit Access The Station Area Typology developed by the Chicago Figure 2.1 shows bus and rail transit services and facilities Transit Authority in cooperation with the City of Chicago in the study area. The area is served by a Red Line station classifies the Berwyn station area as a Local Activity at Berwyn Avenue and several CTA bus lines as well as Center. Consistent with the description for local activity one Pace route. Average April 2009 weekday ridership centers, the Berwyn area is characterized by the mature for each CTA and Pace bus route in the study area is residential neighborhoods and a mixture of different types summarized below. of commercial development along Broadway and Foster Avenue. Winthrop Avenue east of the Berwyn Station is CTA Bus Lines lined with three, four, and five-story residential buildings, • Route 36: Broadway – 17,489 boardings along with a limited number of smaller primarily residential • Route 92: Foster – 8,031 boardings structures. Broadway is mostly lined with commercial uses • Route 144: Marine/Michigan Express – 1,211 boardings ranging from older two and three-story buildings with • Route 146: Marine/Michigan – 10,674 boardings ground floor retail uses to suburban-style mid-box and strip • Route 151: Sheridan – 22,370 boardings commercial development. Pace The study of the Berwyn area was centered on the Berwyn • Route 210 – 398 boardings station; however, as a result of the short distance between L stations along the section of the Red Line in Edgewater, the Data from April 2009 from CTA indicates that the Berwyn Argyle and Lawrence stations also are referenced in some station averaged 3,296 boardings on weekdays. Proximate parts of this document. to the Berwyn Red Line station are stations at Argyle (south of Berwyn) and Bryn Mawr (north of Berwyn). CTA data The sections that follow, briefly describe the existing land from April 2009 indicated that there were 2,609 weekday use, zoning, built form, and transportation facilities and boardings at Argyle and 4,528 weekday boardings at future recommendations with regard to the area’s urban Bryn Mawr. form. Figure 2.1: Study Context and Transit Access BERWYN Berwyn 3 Transit Friendly Development Guide Streets Figure 2.2 shows the area’s street pattern. Broadway is the area’s primary north/south route, while Foster Avenue is a key east/west corridor. Berwyn Avenue is a significant local east/west street and provides access to the Berwyn L station. Figures 2.3 to 2.5 show existing street cross sections for Berwyn Avenue and Broadway. Streets Figure 2.2 STREETS 4 PLANS FOR FOUR STATION AREAS Broadway and Berwyn Avenue (Typical Sections) Figure 2.3: Existing Typical Section of Berwyn Avenue, West of the Red Line Figure 2.5: Existing Typical Section of Broadway between Balmoral Avenue and Foster Avenue Figure 2.4: Existing Typical Section of Berwyn Avenue, East of the Red Line Berwyn 5 Transit Friendly Development Guide Area Character Commercial The character of commercial development in the Berwyn area varies widely. Development formats range from urban to suburban. Some developments have considerable surface parking areas. Density appears to decrease approaching the Berwyn L station. Residential Residential form varies within the study area. The majority of residential uses are located along Magnolia Avenue and Winthrop Avenue.