CDOT Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld Discusses Loop BRT Plan at July CCAC Lunch

CCAC would like to thank Chicago Commissioner of Transportation Rebekah Scheinfeld for discussing the Central Loop Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project at the July CCAC lunch meeting. The project will ease cross-town travel between the West Loop and Michigan Avenue by adding bus-only lanes with dedicated boarding stations on Washington and Madison streets in the Loop. In addition, an intermodal transfer facility will be built on Jackson adjacent to Union Station, and a new pair of protected bike lanes will be created on Washington and Randolph streets. The BRT lanes will be used exclusively by seven CTA routes which together branch out from the Loop to serve the city's northwest, west, and far south sides, improving not only east-west travel in the Loop but citywide bus service as well.

CDOT is currently meeting to discuss the project with stakeholders including building owners and civic nonprofits as a prelude to a public information campaign. The project is expected to commence construction in spring 2015 with a projected autumn 2015 opening date. 

Visit the City of Chicago's Loop BRT Page

Download the City of Chicago's Loop BRT Fact Sheet (PDF)

CCAC Members and High-Level Stakeholders Explored Downtown Access Options at Central Area Transportation Workshop on July 16

High-level stakeholders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors joined CCAC members for the invitation-only Central Area Transportation Workshop on Wednesday, July 16 at Magellan Development in downtown Chicago, with emcee Avi Lothan, Founding Principal, Lothan Van Hook DeStefano Architecture.

The event provided a forum to discuss ways to improve access to downtown, and was the first in a planned series of CCAC workshops based upon the chapter-by-chapter recommendations of the 2009 Central Area Action Plan.

In opening remarks, CCAC Chairman Gregory Hummel noted that key elements of Chicago’s rapid transit system have reached capacity and expansion is essential if the city is to continue to grow and prosper. The goal of the Transportation Workshop is to examine and build consensus around potential projects identified in the Central Area Action Plan and review the proposed “Central Area Connector,” an outgrowth of the 1990s Circulator.

The agenda began with three morning panels exploring current transportation plans, priorities, and needs in the Central Area moderated by Stephen Schlickman, Executive Director, UIC Urban Transportation Center.

The first panel, "The Regional Perspective", examined the overall transportation needs of downtown Chicago within the context of citywide and region-wide policy, as well as funding options and constraints, with panelists including:

• MarySue Barrett, President, Metropolitan Planning Council
• Randall Blankenhorn, Executive Director, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning; and
  
• Kathy Tholin, CEO, Center for Neighborhood Technology.
  

The second panel, "The Cultural Connection: The Needs of Institutions and Tourism", assessed the transportation needs of downtown visitors, with particular emphasis on the Museum Campus Area, with panelists:

• Michelle Boone, Commissioner, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
• Richard Lariviere, President and CEO, The Field Museum; and
• Don Welsh, President & CEO, Choose Chicago.
  

The third panel, "The State of the Agencies: Issues Facing the Current Systems", took a close look at the current plans and priorities of the key transportation agencies serving downtown Chicago, with agency representatives including:

• Lynette Ciavarella, Senior Division Director-Strategic Capital Planning, Metra
  
• Luann Hamilton, Deputy Commissioner, Chicago Department of Transportation
  
• Michael McLaughlin, Vice President-Planning and Federal Affairs, Chicago Transit Authority 
• Mark Pitstick, Acting Director for Plannning and Market Development, Regional Transportation Authority; and
  
• John Yonan, P.E., Director, Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways.

After the panels, the CCAC working team comprised of members and development leaders broke into two groups. The Red Team, led by Jon DeVries, Director, Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate at Roosevelt University, took a deep dive into the outstanding plans and projects from 2009's Central Area Action Plan to identify potential projects to move forward.

The Blue Team, led by Mr. Schlickman, examined and explored consensus for proceeding with the Central Area Connector, a plan proposed by Ed Zotti, Planning/Transit Consultant, to address both transit capacity and quality-of-life issues in downtown Chicago by creating a new transit line providing improved crosstown service. The line would connect the West Loop with Navy Pier to the north via River North, and potentially with Museum Campus and McCormick Place via the South Loop. The Connector is based upon ideas first raised in the legacy Loop Circulator plan from the early 1990s. Potential modes include Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), light rail, and aerial guideway.

Leaders and stakeholders were welcomed back at 4:00 p.m. for a final presentation by the working team. CCAC will examine the working team recommendations at its next meeting in September 2014.

CCAC appreciates the leadership of Mr. DeVries, Mr. Lothan, Greg Van Schaack, Senior Managing Director, Hines, Douglas Voigt, Director of Urban Design and Planning, Skidmore Owings and Merrill, and Mr. Zotti, which ensured the workshop was a great success!

CCAC would also like to extend our thanks to our Central Area Transportation Workshop sponsors:

View Workshop Web Page

Download Agenda (PDF)

Download Sponsor Sheet (PDF)

Visit the City of Chicago's Central Area Action Plan Page

Download the Action Plan Transportation Chapter (PDF)

View Coverage in Crain's Chicago Business

View Coverage in the Chicago Sun-Times

Gary Airport Charrette Participants Report Back at July CCAC Meeting

At the July 8 CCAC meeting, members heard a report from the leaders organized by CCAC and the Alliance for Regional Development who participated in the June 13 Gary/Chicago International Airport planning charrette. In response to a special invitation from Gary, Indiana, Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, CCAC Executive Director Kelly O’Brien worked closely with Gary Mayoral Advisor Bo Kemp and Steve Forrer, Executive Vice President of AFCO/AVPORTS, the City of Gary’s real estate development partner, to coordinate the participation by CCAC and the Alliance. 

The charrette breakout teams focused on topics including airport development, off-airport development, transportation, and sustainability. Final presentations by the charette working teams before a distinguished panel of local elected officials as well as community stakeholders and members of the public were a great success, and will be helpful to all partners as redevelopment efforts move forward.

In their briefing to CCAC members, charrette leaders summarized the vision proposed for the airport and surrounding land. An “aerotropolis” model could be used to guide the planning process. In this model, airport redevelopment would be used as a catalyst for growing employment, population, economic activity, and tourism in the surrounding area, with an emphasis on sectors that benefit from airport proximity, including warehousing, retail/wholesale, logistical/industrial parks, business/office parks, hotels/casinos, exhibitions/conferences, and uses that capitalize on Foreign Trade Zone designations.

To accomplish this vision, a master plan would need to be devised to guide the identification of potential parcels and environmental remediation areas, and help strategize efforts to attract charter and commercial flights back to the airport. Throughout the process, the needs and concerns of local residents and property owners would need to be taken into account on a comprehensive basis to ensure the support of all stakeholders.

CCAC would once again like to thank Erik Andersen and Tyler Meyr (Forum Studio), Luke Leung and Jason Stanley (Skidmore, Owings and Merrill), Chuck McCoy (LendLease), Tom Siwula (C&S Companies), and Steve Wilson (urban designer/architect) for their participation in the Gary Airport charrette. Members will be kept apprised as redevelopment efforts move forward.