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Sunday, April 13, 2003
The future of transportation in the Chicago area will be on display during the next few weeks.
Chicago Area Transportation Study is getting ready to present a first draft of its Shared Path 2030 transportation study.
For the first time, aspects of the plan will be presented in a special television program prepared by CATS.
The program will be shown on WJYS, a Tinley Park-based television station that transmits on Channel 62 (local cable systems show the station on a variety of channels, check with your local cable company).
The program will be shown today at 4 p.m., Monday at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. and Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
There will be a full-fledged community meeting regarding the plan on April 29 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Orland Park Civic Center, 14750 S. Ravinia Ave. (just west of LaGrange Road).
The television program will be shown, and there will be maps showing the various proposals for highway, rail, bus, freight, bicycle and pedestrian improvements as well as other capital projects throughout northeast Illinois.
Members of the CATS staff will be available to answer questions. There also will be a question-and-answer session and visitors will be able to submit written comments on the draft recommendations.
Visitors can arrive at any time during the four-hour period, but the CATS staff recommends setting aside 60 to 90 minutes to participate in all aspects of the program.
The CATS staff has been working on the draft since June 2001, sifting through a variety of recommendations from various agencies.
These include the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois Toll Highway Authority, Metra commuter rail, Pace suburban bus, Chicago Transit Authority, the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association and even members of the public.
After the hearings, CATS will consider the public comments as well as final "socio-economic" and air quality evaluations.
There will be formal public hearings on the final draft in late summer or fall and then the final plan will be adopted as the region's planning guideposts.
Many of the recommendations are ideas that have surfaced before — and some are rather unique.
One of the more interesting proposals presented to CATS is from Mike Payne, a South Side Chicago resident who wants to "transitize" Metra Electric service within the city of Chicago.
Essentially, Payne proposes that the Metra Electric South Chicago Branch, Blue Island Branch and the main line from 115th Street north be converted into a CTA rapid transit route.
Service would be operated on 10- to 20-minute headways with CTA fares charged. Transfers would be available to other CTA rapid transit lines and bus routes.
Metra Electric service from the South Suburbs (Riverdale and south) and the South Shore Line would continue to be operated as Metra trains, although in-city stops would be limited to 115th Street, the Hyde Park area (probably the newly built station at 55th-56th-57th streets) and the three downtown stations.
Payne calls the proposed service the Gray Line, in line with the CTA's color-coded rapid transit routes.
He estimates the CTA connectivity and lower fares would increase ridership at the inner city stations from the current 5,000 per day to 70,000.
Metra Electric already represents a cross between rapid transit and commuter rail. The line is the only Metra route to utilize electric power, high-level platforms, ticket machines and controlled access to platforms with turnstiles.
Payne suggests using the existing Highliner fleet for the service, so the only capital costs would be the installation of CTA fare machines and the development of turnstiles to accept both CTA and Metra fare cards.
He has a very intriguing idea, but the actual adoption of the proposal — coming as it does from left field and without any support from Metra or the CTA — is probably very remote.
Development of a transit Smart Card, which would allow access to the CTA, Metra and Pace — and maybe even the Illinois Tollway — might be a more practical way to improve connectivity between the various transportation modes.
Metra, Pace and the CTA already offer a Link Up card that allows Metra monthly ticket holders to ride certain CTA and Pace routes during the weekday rush hour, but its use is very limited.
Anyone with an interest in getting around the metropolitan area should check out the TV program and attend the Orland Park hearing — and offer your comments pro and con on the various proposals.
Mike O'Neal may be reached at (708) 802-8095 or via e-mail at: moneal@starnewspapers.com
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