Chicago Area Transportation Study 300 W
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Working Paper 04-01 Non-Central City Expressway Park-n-Ride Lot Preliminary Site Location Analysis for Northeastern Illinois By Arthur C. Nicholas, APA Transportation Planner February, 2004 Chicago Area Transportation Study 300 W. Adams Street, Chicago, Illinois 60606 Working Paper 04-01 Non-Central City Expressway Park-n-Ride Lot Preliminary Site Location Analysis For Northeastern Illinois By Arthur C. Nicholas, APA Transportation Planner February, 2004 Chicago Area Transportation Study 300 W. Adams Street Chicago, Illinois 60606 Abstract The 2020 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) identified the need to study the potential to reduce single occupancy vehicle (SOV) traffic through the provision of high occupancy vehicle (HOV) priority systems that support voluntary mode changes from SOV to HOV, such as carpool, vanpool and transit. This paper defines the potential to locate Park-n- Ride/Park-n-Pool (P-n-R) lots along the major expressway corridors outside the central section of the region. This is an area where suburb-to-suburb and reverse commuting to jobs is prevalent. This report builds on two previous efforts. CATS Working Paper 02-02 (WP 02-02), Non Central City Expressway Park-n-Ride Lot Demand Estimation for Northeastern Illinois, describes phase 1 of the P-n-R lot study, which determined the demand for P-n-R lot spaces at expressway interchanges. This paper, like WP 02-02, relies on the demand analysis and location studies utilized in CATS Working Paper 01-14 (WP 01-14), Park & Ride Lot Demand and Location Survey for the HOV Ramp South Study Area-Milestone #2 Series. This study determined that there are 83 locations where P-n-R lot development would be feasible. The demand for P-n-R lots (WP 02-02) was determined to be 4,199 spaces in 2002 and was projected to be 4995 spaces in 2020 — making current demand about 81% of the long-term need. An analysis of the 83 potential locations determined that: 1. 94% (3,401) of the needed spaces could be accommodated on existing right-of-way (ROW), making land acquisition unnecessary. Two other options for developing P-n-R lots were evaluated. These were: Compatible Use locations, wherein zero- or very-low-cost usage agreements would be negotiated with existing parking lots; and Joint Development, where the implementing agency would purchase the land and lease it back at a discount in return for private development and maintenance of the P-n-R lot. Both of these approaches assume that the P-n-R lot would be part of a commercial development. 2. 54% (1,970) of the needed spaces could be accommodated on an existing parking lot in a compatible use arrangement with existing commercial development. 3. 23% (847) of the needed spaces could be developed through joint development. The need for facilities of this type is validated by the changing travel dynamics of the northeastern Illinois area. The suburban portion of the region is anticipated to have 70.3% of the region’s population by 2030, and 72.9% of its employment. The majority of these households and trips cannot be served by conventional fixed route transit (bus or rail). Thus, by implementing a P-n-R lot program, demand for expressway travel can be reduced by encouraging HOV travel through the provision of a facility that demonstrates to the public that carpool, vanpool and possibly bus rapid transit alternates are being supported. I Table of Contents Abstract.................................................................................................................................I List of Tables ........................................................................................................................II List of Figures.......................................................................................................................II Introduction..........................................................................................................................1 Study Background ...............................................................................................................2 Study Purpose ......................................................................................................................4 Park-n-Ride Lot Demand....................................................................................................4 Study Approach ...................................................................................................................5 Site Rating.............................................................................................................................10 Alternative Development Strategies...................................................................................10 Maintenance .........................................................................................................................12 Signage ..................................................................................................................................12 Park-n-Ride Lot Siting Program........................................................................................12 Conclusions and Recommendations...................................................................................13 Next Step...............................................................................................................................13 Appendix A...........................................................................................................................i Appendix B ...........................................................................................................................v Appendix C...........................................................................................................................x Appendix D...........................................................................................................................xi II List of Tables Table 1. Regional population and employment ...................................................................1 Table 2. Traffic congestion growth for northeastern Illinois...............................................3 Table 3. Travel change by mode, 1990-2000 ......................................................................4 Table 4. Expressway Park-n-Ride lot demand.....................................................................5 Table 5. Pace Park-n-Ride lots adjacent to expressway interchanges .................................10 Table 6. Available land-type by corridor.............................................................................12 List of Figures Figure 1. Potential Park-n-Ride lot expressway location map.............................................6 Figure 2. Typical field survey sheet.....................................................................................7 Figure 3. Field survey sheet criteria.....................................................................................8 Figure 4. Typical aerial survey sheet ....................................................................................9 III Introduction The 2020 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) directed the study of a coordinated system of Park-n-Ride lots serving suburb-to-suburb and reverse commuters, and encouraged the integration of these facilities into plans for roadway reconstruction and capacity enhancing projects. While P-n-R lots do not directly reduce travel time, they provide a facility viewed as necessary for increasing Average Vehicle Occupancy (AVO) of light vehicles on the regions’ expressway system. This working paper is the second of a two-part study to assess the demand for P-n-R lots at non-central expressway interchanges. CATS Working Paper 02-02 initiated the study by determining the demand for P-n-R lots. The objective of these studies is provide evidence of the need for lots to meet suburb-to-suburb and reverse commuting needs by carpool, vanpool and express bus. Therefore, neither the demand analysis nor this site analysis focused on the central portion of the northeastern Illinois region. (See Figure 1.) The forecasts of population and employment that were used to guide the development of the 2030 Regional Transportation Plan predict the continued growth of employment opportunities within the suburban area of northeastern Illinois. The regional forecast of population and employment in Table 1 illustrates employment trends in the suburban areas of the northeastern Illinois region. Projections indicate that 70% of the region’s population and almost 73% of the region’s employment opportunities will be located outside the City of Chicago; this underscores the need to reduce reliance upon single-occupancy vehicle (travel) in the region. While Chicago is well-served by the CTA, and is a destination for all suburban Metra commuter rail service, suburban areas of northeastern Illinois are developed with lower intensity land-use and with a pattern of roadways that does not support bus service on a dense street grid. In addition, the suburbs are defined by a number of large employment centers that attract their labor forces from widely dispersed communities. Park-n-Ride lots are intended to serve just such a workforce. Expressways, as part of this landscape, serve the same function as rail lines. They are the line haul element equivalent of a transit line. P-n-R lots at expressway interchanges are the equivalent of rail commuter parking lots. Table 1 Preliminary population and employment for 2000 and 2030 Area 2000 %of Total 2030 %of Total Population Chicago