Tri-State Corridor
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I Introduction and Background Chapter II Al i gnments: Alignments Determined Not Feasible. ... .. 5 Alignments Determined Feasible .... .. ... 7 Chapter I II Alternatives 11 Outlines and Alternatives . .. ... .. ... .. 1 3 Chapter IV Conclusions and Next Tasks . 45 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The Regional Transit Needs Assessment Phase I Report (completed by RTA in 1982) identified two corridors where high traffic volume and trip demand suggest the potential for a high level of transit service. These corridors are designated the North Cook Corridor and the Tri-State Corridor. The purpose of this report is to portray the feasibility of expanded transit in the Tri-State Corridor in the form of express bus or light rail. The Tri-State Corridor is broadly defined as the western Cook County suburbs and eastern DuPage County. Four primary activity centers are present within the corridor; (1) Elk Grove Village Industrial Park, (2) Midway Airport, (3) O'Hare Airport, and (4) Oak Brook Retail/Commercial Center. Addition ally, linkage to the Desplaines Avenue Station on the CTA Congress line and to the Chicago and NorthWestern Railway in Des Plaines are possible. Exhibit 1 shows the corridor study area and the major trip generators contained therein. Two modes are considered in this preliminary evaluation, light rail and express bus. Light rail vehicles may be either self-propelled diesel or electric powered. Final selection of mode and vehicle type is dependent upon route alternative, cost, ridership demand, environmental impacts and operating limitations. Some of the alternative routes wi l l be evaluated with more than one mode. Others have only one appropriate mode and will be evaluated accordingly. It must be recognized that this effort is one of determining feasibility. Its intent is to examine possible alignments (links) on which express bus or light rail could operate, to utilize these alignments as "building blocks'' in the development of alternatives, and to evaluate the alternatives so formulated in terms of physical feasibility, environmental issues, and transit demand. In perspective, the corridor study area is quite large (6 miles wide by 20 miles long). It has four major activity centers (identified above), and can be served by a variety of transit modes. As such, it is necessary to assess a large number of alignments and alternatives in order to identify the transit possibilities. This is viewed as the first stage of a three stage process which is characterized by successive elimination of alternatives, and refine ment/analysis of surviving alternatives in more detail. The final stage of this process will be the identification of the one "best" alternative for implementation. At that point, the project would progress to implementation. The remainder of this report is organized as follows: Chapter II evaluates alignments (links) within the corridor in terms of their physical feasibility. Those which are identified as feasible are then used as "building blocks" in the formulation of a lte rnat i ves. 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111u.111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 ~ McHENRY ~ LAKE Exhibit 1 I Har:~d I Tri ·State Corridor ~ .,,~ Study Area 'tc~ "-14:, ~~~ "> Lake Michigan ~111111111111111111111!!111 1 11111 1 111111111111111111111 11 111111111111111111111111.!.! ll lliil ll lll ~KANE ~ ~ i !!Iii§ 1111il I Elgin ~ Study Area Townships ECK fl'llOVt! ~ M A INE z .,0 5 0 4 L.EVOE:N PROVISO ~ ., A1\lfQ ~ •·DE ,.Q LVON8 •. a "'l w ~ ~ o a 0 ll MAJOR ACTIVITY CENTERS 1. O'Hare Airport 2. Oak Brook Center 3. Midway Airport 4. Elk Grove Village (industrial park) 2 EXHIBIT Chapter III portrays the alternatives which have been formulated using the alignments of Chapter II as building blocks . The alternatives are presented in annotated outline form with a map showing each. Chapter IV discusses the conclusions reached at this stage of the study, and outlines the remaining steps to the completion of the Phase I effort. 3 CHAPTER II ALIGNMENTS A series of right-of-way alignments have been evaluated to determine their feasibility for use as transit routings. Alignments Determined Not Feasible Preliminary evaluation has eliminated the following alignments because of high vehicular traffic, insufficient right-of-way, and/or inability to adequately and efficiently serve the target area. Mannheim Road (LaGrange Road) Mannheim Road (LaGrange Road) forms the principle north-south arterial in western Cook County. There is considerable commercial and residential development along the road from 55th Street on the south through O'Hare and north of the airport into Des Plaines. Right-of-way availability varies along the route but is sel dom wide enough to provide light rail service. Express bus service is possible, however, it must mix with the normally heavy traffic flow. This factor minimizes the express component thereby making the route little more attractive than the present West Towns Route 330 which averages 13.6 passengers per hour, or 33.7% of the inner suburban system average*. York Road York Road provides only limited right-of-way for any light rail system south of Irving Park Road in Bensenville. Although standard four-lane right-of-way exists in some areas, particularly near Grand Avenue, the road is primarily two lanes or sub-standard four lanes and heavily congested. Except for office complexes at Cermak Road there are no major traffic generators south of Butterfield Road. York Road is currently served by West Towns Route 332 which travels between Oak Brook Shopping Center and Randhurst Shopping Center. ~unning time is approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. Patronage is very low, 8.6 riders per hour, or 35.7% of system average for outlying suburbs*. * January through March 1982. 5 Burlington Northern The Burlington Northern (BN) travels through moderately dense residential areas between the Indian Harbor Belt and Route 83. There are seven existing commuter stations along this portion of the railroad. The primary drawbacks with this right-of-way are it is heavily used for BN mainline and local freight, as well as RTA commuter rail, and the service area is well south of the target area in DuPage County. Milwaukee Road West Line The Milwaukee Road also travels through both residential and industrial areas between the IHB and Route 83. This routing would have to traverse a major rail yard, the Bensenville Yard. It would also compete with existing commuter and freight services. Grand Avenue Grand Avenue passes through commercial and residential development east of the Tollway. Industrial areas are located near the intersection with Mannheim Road and west of York Road. Only limited right-of-way is available and current traffic loads on this artery are near maximum. Lake Street Lake Street is immediately north of the C&NW Proviso Yard east of the intersection with the Tollway. West of the Tollway it runs in conjunc tion with or parallel to 1-90. This routing is attractive because of dense industrial land uses along the Cook County portion and west of York Road in DuPage County. The primary barriers to using this route are very limited right of way availability and a complex interchange at the Tollway, North Avenue and 1-90. North Avenue North Avenue is six lanes divided with turnoffs east of the Tollway. It is four lanes sub-standard through a residential district in Elmhurst, west of the Tollway. Maximum peak hour traffic loads and limited right-of-way on this artery prevent its use for any light rail service. 6 Aliqnments Determined Feasible All or portions of the following alignments have been determined to warrant further evaluation and have been included as building blocks in formulating alternatives. Some of the alignments have been assimilated into more than one alternative. Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad/Soo Line Railroad This alignment will provide right-of-way from Midway to 0 1 Hare and north of 0 1 Hare to Des Plaines. It also provides excellent access to the industrial developments along 25th Avenue north of Cermak Road through Schiller Park and southeast of 47th Street to Midway Airport. At the same time, this route has convenient access for residential areas throughout the eastern portion of the corridor. The Indiana Harbor Belt (IHB} operates a minimum of three tracks north of 47th Street to the IHB yard at North Avenue. North of the yard two tracks operate to a connection with the Milwaukee Road in Franklin Park. The Soo Line connects with the IHB between Grand Avenue and the Milwaukee Road. It then travels north forming part of the eastern boundary of 0 1 Hare. Although only a single track exists north of 0 1 Hare along Mannheim Road sufficient right-of-way exists for more trackage. The benefits this route offers are: 1) excellent accessibility to dense residential and industrial areas; 2) existing track and right-of-way from Midway through north of 0 1 Hare, much of which is grade separated; and 3) possible interface with four commuter rail lines, existing bus routes, and rapid transit at both Midway and 0 1 Hare. The primary problems incumbent on this route are conflicts with freight traffic on this major freight interchange corridor. Chicago & NorthWestern West Line The C&NW travels through both residential and industrial neighborhoods between the IHB and Route 83. It could also detour north east of the Tollway and travel through industrial parks in Northlake, Franklin Park and Bensenville. This track continues along the western edge of O'Hare and north into Des Plaines. The primary problem associated with this route is traversing the Proviso Yard. Although this is one of the most highly used track segments in the C&NW system, it is not precluded from further consideration. 7 Illinois Central Gulf The ICG has a single track operating southeast between the intersection of Route 83 and the C&NW West Line, and the intersection of the IHB and Roosevelt Road.