Summary Report Funded by the Regional Transportation Authority prepared for Chicago Department of Transportation prepared by Cambridge Systematics, Inc. with MKC Associates URS Corporation O-H Community Partners, Ltd. EJM Engineering, Inc. Final November 2012 South Lakefront Corridor Transit Study Summary Report prepared for Chicago Department of Transportation prepared by Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 115 South LaSalle Street, Suite 2200 Chicago, IL 60603 with MKC Associates URS Corporation O-H Community Partners, Ltd. EJM Engineering, Inc. Final November 2012 Summary Report Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction....................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Study Purpose ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Study Area ................................................................................................................................. 1 1.3 Project Approach and Scope ................................................................................................... 3 1.4 Overview of Public Involvement Approach ......................................................................... 4 1.5 Study Outcome .......................................................................................................................... 5 2.0 Existing Transportation Infrastructure, Services, and Ridership ........................................... 7 2.1 Metra Electric District (MED) .................................................................................................. 7 2.2 CTA Rail ..................................................................................................................................... 9 2.3 CTA Bus ................................................................................................................................... 11 2.4 Key Findings and System Improvement Opportunities ................................................... 13 3.0 Existing Demographics and Travel Markets............................................................................. 15 3.1 Demographics.......................................................................................................................... 15 3.2 Trip Patterns ............................................................................................................................ 16 3.3 Current Trips on CTA ............................................................................................................ 18 3.4 Current Trips on Metra .......................................................................................................... 18 3.5 Key Findings and Market Opportunities ............................................................................ 19 4.0 Existing Land Use and Development ......................................................................................... 21 4.1 Existing Land Uses ................................................................................................................. 21 4.2 Development Projects ............................................................................................................. 23 4.3 Corridor and Node Analysis ................................................................................................. 24 4.4 Key Land Use and Development Findings ......................................................................... 27 5.0 Public Involvement in Selection of Projects ............................................................................. 29 5.1 Stakeholder Identification of Goals and Objectives ........................................................... 29 5.2 Universe of Candidate Improvements ................................................................................. 30 5.3 Public Input on Projects ......................................................................................................... 34 5.4 Potential Projects and Example Improvements .................................................................. 35 6.0 Projects Underway or In Planning .............................................................................................. 37 i Summary Report 7.0 Summary of Evaluation Findings for Example Improvements ............................................. 41 7.1 New Bus Route on 83rd Street ................................................................................................ 43 7.2 Enhanced Bus Service on King Drive ................................................................................... 43 7.3 Rail Station Enhancements .................................................................................................... 44 7.4 Cottage Grove Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) .............................................................................. 44 7.5 Cottage Grove Streetcar ......................................................................................................... 45 7.6 55th Street/Garfield Boulevard Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) .................................................. 45 7.7 79th Street Enhanced Bus ........................................................................................................ 46 7.8 Gold Line .................................................................................................................................. 46 7.9 Transit-Oriented Development ............................................................................................. 47 8.0 Next Steps ........................................................................................................................................ 49 ii Summary Report List of Tables 1. 2006 Typical Weekday Boardings and Alightings from Study Area Metra Stations ...... 9 2. Average Weekday Entering Ridership at CTA Stations ................................................... 10 3. Average Weekday Ridership on Current CTA Bus Routes ............................................. 12 4. Key Characteristics of the Population in the Study Area ................................................. 15 5. Stakeholder Identification of Goals and Objectives .......................................................... 29 6. Evaluation Screening Criteria ............................................................................................... 33 7. Candidate Projects by Category ........................................................................................... 35 8. Comparison of Example Project Improvements ................................................................ 42 List of Figures 1. Map of Study Area ................................................................................................................. 2 2. Characteristics of Work and Nonwork Trips From the Study Area ............................... 17 3. Transit Market Share ............................................................................................................. 20 4. Study Area Land Use ............................................................................................................. 22 5. Alignment of Jeffery Boulevard BRT ................................................................................... 38 6. Location of the Nine Example Improvement Projects ...................................................... 42 7. Stations with TOD Potential ................................................................................................. 48 iii Summary Report 1.0 Introduction The South Lakefront study area currently is served by a variety of transit services, including Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) local and express bus routes, CTA Red and Green Line rail rapid transit, Metra Electric District (MED) commuter rail service and local shuttle routes. Over the years, community leaders have expressed a desire for improvements to the public trans- portation services to meet the area’s current and future transportation and economic needs. The study area includes a diverse assortment of neighborhoods from vibrant, active communi- ties to struggling communities overburdened with vacant lots. Each of these neighborhoods, despite their differences, relies on the same bus routes, rail lines, and roadways to meet their diverse transportation needs. The study was initiated in order to identify gaps in the existing public transportation network’s ability to meet current and future needs and to develop, evalu- ate, and recommend improvements to the public transportation network that can address those needs. 1.1 Study Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify public transportation improvements that will enhance mobility for residents of the study area communities and increase access to jobs located throughout the city and surrounding areas. The study evaluated the costs and benefits of several transit improvement alternatives in order to recommend candidate projects, pro- grams, and policies that merit more rigorous evaluation. Over the last 20 years, the city, businesses, and the civic community have demonstrated strong leadership and commitment in working to address many of the economic and social challenges in the study area. This study further supports this ongoing commitment by encouraging dia- logue among area residents, community leaders, institutions, developers, and city and regional transit and transportation officials. The study developed consensus on the main transit-related issues