Public Meeting #2 May 18, 2011 Comment Summary by Category

Transcription

1 Multi-modal Options The mode of transportation which should be used is an increased option of mass transit. Light rail should be added. Express rail with Park N Rides will provide a short, safe means of getting to/from Downtown. Please make public transit a parallel project. Focus on better public transportation. Improving exits and on ramps, widening the shoulders certainly is necessary, but the main push must be improving and extending the Blue lines. Raised monorail system from Blue Line down Prairie Path to DuPage. It will leave path open for hiking and biking. The roads need to be widened and public transit needs to be extended. Maintain the Prairie Path with new roadway improvements. Extend the Blue Line; extend the Green Line; add a northsouth Metra line on IL 59. Trains/buses are the way to go. Mass transit is much more efficient than cars. The multi-use will not only give us a healthy alternative to getting to Chicago, but it will also double as a place for gathering for bike rides, walks etc. thus enhancing our lives. Prefer expanding public transit options over highway only options. We support adding the Blue Line extension, possibly buying and putting Metra lines on the CSX railway, and adding other forms of transportation (monorail, bus lanes). Alternative public transit options need to be fully considered. The RTA Cook-DuPage Corridor study outlines a number of these transit options that would reduce inbound/outbound congestion along I-290. We must have better interconnected public transit, with easy transfers across the different systems. I strongly support: 1) HRT to Oak Brook; 2) AGT to Oak Brook; 3) non-motorized pedestrian and bicycle improvements. The best strategy for reducing congestion, improving mobility and safety, and creating better access to jobs in the I-290 corridor is to make it easier for travelers to use transit, biking, and walking for work commutes and other trips. We need to reform and expand the CTA and Metra options in order to be a viable city of the future. Public transportation isn t an option for me due to the nature of my work. While improving the blue line should be part of this improvement, many people like myself simply can t abandon their vehicle in favor of public transportation. Left Hand Ramps If you accomplish nothing else, please get rid of the left-lane on and off ramps at Harlem and Austin. Redo Austin and Harlem ramps to right side of expressway. I can personally attest to the very high frequency of serious accidents with injuries near Austin. I agree with changing the Harlem and Austin ramps to righthand ramps, but am concerned about losing my home under eminent domain. Move all exit/entry lanes to right side. The areas I see the most need for improvement seem to be the left side exist at Austin and Harlem. The left exits are unique in the minimal intrusion of our limited space, and giving up space for modern off ramps is moving in exactly the wrong direction. 1 I-290 Public Meeting #2

2 Arterial Highway Congestion Include DesPlaines Avenue in the arterial study. As a resident of Forest Park, the areas I see the most need for improvement seem to be the loss of the lane at Austin, and the congested area at DesPlaines which spills into the Eisenhower. Include Harrison from 1 st to Austin and frontages roads for safety of people and vehicles. Widening of Roosevelt Road seems like a bad idea given the current streetscaping recently funded by Berwyn, Oak Park and Cicero. Great north south linkage along Mannheim corridor to people mover system would be great. The project should not seek to increase traffic on local arterials such as Ridgeland Avenue. Like to see roundabouts to help with arterial congestion. Environmental Considerations I live near the expressway in Oak Park and have always been concerned with the pollution levels from traffic through my neighborhood. I adamantly oppose any alternative that would increase traffic, such as adding a lane, because of the increase in pollution, both sound and other environmental pollution. Focus on greener alternatives and cost effective improvements. If a green goal and an environmentally conscious community and country is truly what we are looking to achieve than we need to create and make that commitment along 290. Different type of materials for roads other than asphalt. Please be aware that the Forest Park Community Garden is located on the northwest corner of I-290 and Harlem Avenue. I am concerned about impacts to the garden. Protect existing green space by closing dangerous interchanges and replacing them with transit alternatives. More mass transit and fewer cars would reduce air pollution, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and reduce greenhouse gases. CTA Blue Line Extension with Road Improvements The Blue Line should be extended. Please be advised that Fenwick High School advocates the inclusion of CTA Blue Line Rapid Transit Service from Forest Park to Hillside as part of any expansion of the Eisenhower Expressway west of the DesPlaines River. I think extending the blue line is a great idea and adding lanes would definitely ease the congestion. Even just extending the Blue Line to Hillside could lessen strain on highway. Bury the train under the highway. Blue and Green Lines should be extended. Park & Ride lots at termini. Extending the CTA Blue Line (in concert with other improvements) will be a step in the right direction in meeting all three goals. Socio-economic factors must also be considered such as increased GHG emissions as a direct result of increased Sidewalks, Bike Paths I really enjoyed seeing the suggestions that included adding bicycle lanes along 290 to connect downtown with the western suburbs. Please consider connecting the Prairie Path east into the city. Bike and pedestrian amenities should be improved at Austin, Lombard, East and Oak Park Avenue. Most important at Austin and Oak Park Avenue very high traffic areas. 2 I-290 Public Meeting #2

3 I would ride my bicycle more if safety was assured. No bike lanes next to car lanes. Please consider bicycle and pedestrian crossings/paths for your design. The initial alternatives do not include improvements for pedestrian and bicycle crossings at Oak Park Avenue or at the Home Avenue pedestrian bridge. North-south pedestrian/bike routes need to be added at DesPlaines and/or Harlem. Please use this reconstruction as an opportunity to improve conditions for pedestrians accessing CTA median stations. As an Oak Park resident, I strongly urge for improvements in pedestrian and bicycle transportation in the Ike corridor, specifically at all crossings and more pedestrian bridges if possible. Please consider the inclusion of a parallel lane for cycling commuters, similar to the lake front path of LSD. Highway Access Construct an elevated highway over the present expressway with limited access and egress. Make more lanes for the ramp for 294 south. Different on and off ramps in the most congested areas. Relocate traffic control lights. Please consider the enormous interchange of I-290/I-88/I The feeder from I-88 where it slows to one lane is extremely dangerous when it becomes the fast lane on I-290. Improvements to entrance/exit ramps needed for improved safety. This will include the need to address the substandard ramp configurations at various points which makes merging onto the expressway dangerous and contributes to congestion such as 25 th Avenue. I think that having exits/entrances on both sides of the Eisenhower contribute to the congestion. Traffic would benefit from not having to merge at Manheim. The 294/290 interchange needs to be addressed. This is a major interchange and the current configuration squeezes 290 east bound traffic to one lane due to 294 south bound There is room to improve it and make it flow. Restricting access from other roads would help. Double decker the expressway. Could an elevated in/elevated out express lane be a possibility? Purpose and Need The issue of improving air and noise quality in the ditch (especially through residential areas) needs to be included. The following conditions need to be included at Oak Park Avenue, Home Ave and East Ave over I-290: Improved conditions for pedestrians, Suggested interchange Improvements, Suggested pedestrian and bicycle improvements. Needs talks about safety for all users but focuses exclusively on cars. Identify freight, mainly trucks, as a unique user of the facility. Please include truck volumes/truck routes/truck safety information/truck performance measures in the Purpose and Need. Although the third Project Need talks about all transportation modes, the three identified needs only refer to roads and sidewalks. Roadway improvements can meet the three needs listed, but transit improvements cannot, leading to an unfair evaluation. (a perceived road bias throughout) The DP&N constitutes, with noted exceptions herein, a reasonable synopsis of the highway-oriented issues it addresses; however, it omits key elements contemplated by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) guidance on statements of Purpose and Need for transportation projects and does not reflect the latest developments in the field of transportation 3 I-290 Public Meeting #2

4 The draft Purpose and Need Statement, which essentially guides which alternatives are chosen, does not include transit improvements under the Improve Facilities Deficiencies section. IDOT s most recent draft of the Purpose and Need Statement (April 2011) does not meet FHWA policies and requirements. For the record on the Purpose and Need. The project needs to address mobility and commerce. CTA Blue/Green Line Extension without Road Improvements Expanding the Ike should be off the table. Extend the Blue Line west along the Prairie Path. Extend the Blue Line west. Extending the Blue Line out to Oak Brook along existing infrastructure would reduce congestion by meeting the commuting needs of traditional and reverse commuters. The best option for reducing congestion seems to be extending the CTA Blue Line (and improving its service). Extend the Blue Line, make it cleaner and safer and I think you may have a solution that will save lots in oil consumption, congestion and our tax dollars. Proposed Blue Line extensions on Butterfield Road and Roosevelt Roads would economically devastate the Village of Hillside. Residential/Community Considerations Plantings as a wide barrier may be an attractive alternate to tall retaining walls and noise walls. Expanding (the Eisenhower) would be devastating to those communities surrounding the area. Because we live on the north side (of the Eisenhower), the noise, especially the CTA trains, is extremely excessive. Do not extend Blue Line through River Forest on old rail tracks. Way too close to single family homes. One way to expand the highway without encroaching farther on private land would be to have the blue line be a subway all the way and use its current space for cars. In the summertime, I am unable to sit on my rear deck and hold a conversation for all the noise. Are studies being conducted to measure the level of noise? And how much more noise will the projected improvements produce? What, if anything, will be done for noise abatement? Nothing like noisy trains to bring down property values. I am against the expansion of the Ike since it will have a detrimental impact to a historic community and will only perpetuate our reliance on automobiles. Not only would widening disrupt my neighborhood with increased traffic congestion, research and experience in previous highway expansion projects show that widening highway lanes does not result in improved traffic conditions. The level of noise, soot and air pollution is already a detriment to the quality of life in this area, further widening this expressway will exacerbate these issues. Proposed Bus Transit Route on the Prairie Path would totally disrupt the residential community of Hillside and defeat all the past progress of creating greenways connection communities. Socio-economic factors must also be considered such as increased GHG emissions as a direct result of increased Widening the Eisenhower Adding another lane to the Eisenhower Expressway is not a solution it is an addition to the problem. Widen IKE to 4 lanes to Cicero. I strongly oppose adding a lane to the Eisenhower. Add lanes to avoid congestion. Construct additional general purpose lanes. First priority should be to take space from rail NOT frontage road. Optimizing existing footprint is fine. 4 I-290 Public Meeting #2

5 Extending the fourth lane all the way to Manheim would be a tremendous help. Just restripe, continue four thru lanes between Central and Manheim, decrease lane widths to 11 foot, eliminate shoulders as needed. More lanes will simply lead to more cars, more pollution, and continued congestion. No to widening 290. I favor the following solutions: 1) First- add a 4 th lane to the Eisenhower between Austin and 25 th Avenue. Negotiate with the CN Railroad to purchase their right of way through Oak Park so the road can be widened in the existing trench. The Ike does not need to be widened. What is needed is 4 lanes in the proposed stretch of road. Maybe do east bound 4 th lane first, then west bound later after more money becomes available. I am opposed to expanding the Eisenhower expressway. Widening the Eisenhower is not a cost-effective or environmentally sound solution to reduce traffic congestion. This is a time of great opportunity to place Chicago at the forefront of modern transit. Expanding the Ike is not the solution. Other Transportation Recommendations Rapid bus on Prairie Path? No way! Cap the IKE at Oak Park Avenue should allow for commercial redevelopment and removal of air right restrictions, while cap at Austin should connect Barrie and Columbus Parks. I strongly oppose: 1) HOV lanes; 2) Expressway expansion/improvements; 3) Arterial improvements. This project should seek to increase the efficiency and capacity of the expressway to encourage use of this roadway as the primary east-west route in the west Chicago region. Unfortunately, I avoid use of Ike now, as it is an unreliable route. This was not what the state had in mind when they built this road. Raised reversible express lanes; suspension bridges; reconsider cemetery policy. I would love to be able to take public transportation that runs 24/7. Study Process Huge improvement, at least the impression of improvement, in considering alternatives. Little examples of success stories elsewhere. Study area artificially stops at Cicero Avenue. Any valid study must continue east to Congress Avenue. I oppose this entire project and I hope that it is not funded. It will cost far too much and this state cannot/should not afford the expense at this time. Illinois is broke, who is going to pay for this? In closing, we agree with the majority of the analysis presented in the report and hope that our comments are taken into consideration as this process moves to the next level. Eisenhower should be a toll road, increased toll during rush hour. No bus lanes. I really like the people mover concept. I am against tolls, we have enough tollways! And transit. No more! 5 I-290 Public Meeting #2