MEETING SUMMARY. RE: Transportation, Access, and Connectivity Working Group #1

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1 MEETING SUMMARY DATE: June 14, 2016 TIME: 9:30AM - 11:30AM LOCATION: 77 West Jackson ATTENDEES: Madeline Shepherd, MPC Sonali Tandon, CTA Jason Navota, CMAP Allison Buchwach, Metra David Kralik, Metra Nelson Chueng, City of Chicago George Bellovics, IDNR Suellen Burns, IDNR Ders Anderson, Openlands Brenda McGruder, CDOT Paris Tyler, CTA Jim Merrell, Active Transportation Alliance Cindy Fish, Fish Transportation Group Aneesha Marwah, Goodman Williams Group Sarah White, The Lakota Group Cade Sterling, The Lakota Group RE: Transportation, Access, and Connectivity Working Group #1 ITEMS DISCUSSED: Project Team US EPA (funder) Chicago Park District (lead agency) o Tetra Tech (engineering) The Lakota Group (community outreach, planning, landscape architecture) Goodman Williams Group (market research) Fish Transportation Group (intermodal transportation planning) Project Scope & Timeline Existing Conditions Analysis (winter-spring 2016) Concept Development (summer 2016) Final Plan Development (fall-winter 2016)

2 Project Goals Consider, and integrate past Calumet-Area planning efforts Develop a community-supported vision o Community outreach is a primary goal of this effort o The SE Chicago communities suffer from, "planning fatigue." Outline strategies for land use and transportation improvements that result in the implementation of a network of ecological, cultural, and recreational resources o Locally and regionally Working Groups Working group sessions (2 meetings) o Transportation, access, and connectivity o Recreation, community, and commerce o Nature, and environment Working group executive committee (4 meetings) o Made up of members from the three working groups o Review and comment on draft deliverables before public consumption o Help encourage participation in public outreach events External Stakeholders o Review and comment on draft deliverables before public consumption o Help encourage participation in public outreach events Study Area Overview 12 community areas 220,000+ residents 7 CPD owned or managed properties o Park 566 "Claire Schafer" o Steelworkers Park o Van Vlissingen Prairie o Big Marsh o Indian Ridge Marsh o Hegewisch Marsh o Whitford Pond (Leased WMRD site) 2 privately owned properties o Lake Calumet (Illinois International Port District) o Mittal Woods (ArcelorMittal USA) One of the last remaining large contiguous pieces of riverfront property 2

3 Transportation & Access Challenges and Opportunities General: Ease of access varies from site to site o Local vs regional destination will be dependent on ease of access o Large natural areas adjacent to vast industrial corridors o The calumet river and the areas active rail roads impede transportation CDOT kicked off their Pullman transportation study two months ago. o Focus is on on-street transportation o The project team will stay in contact with CDOT in order to provide collaboration Transportation needs exist beyond connections to and between the (9) sites o Connections to and between community areas o Connections to and between other regional open-spaces Solutions exist beyond the current infrastructural constraints. The project team's efforts will need to focus not only on near-term goals, but long-term, big picture endeavors. Pullman to East Side and Pullman to Big Marsh are priority connections to make The region has experienced year after year of disinvestment and deferred maintenance. o There could be an opportunity to couple infrastructure improvement projects in the study area with improved bike trails in the right of way and improved at grade, or grade separated crossings Commuter Rail, CTA Rail, & CTA Bus: Limited Sunday and Holiday service The Metra Electric has the highest proportion of Saturday supplied service in the region Improvements at Kensington Station (115th Street) is a priority for increasing increased regional connectivity. Increasing access and connectivity should have a twofold purpose o Increasing access to the parks and between the parks o Increasing access to the communities adjacent to the parks Foot traffic and improved opportunities for economic development Metra has many flag stops during off-peak hours but they are actively reducing this number The Red-Line Extension to 130th Street will have an immense impact on improving access. o Currently working on the draft environmental impact statement o Will provide much needed access for low SES communities to parks and open space, access to job opportunities, and access to retail markets o Potential to incorporate a bike trail as part of the project Especially from Kensington State to Beaubian Woods Plenty of land, but MWRD would need to allow access on their service roads The CTA is expanding bus service in the region o #4, #71, and #26 bus 3

4 o Jeffery Jump (BRT) At grade train crossings are a huge impediment to bike travel. o Several trains are using parts of the study area as an impromptu switching yard This is especially true on Avenue O Trains can block major roadways for over one hour 9-10 times per month This forces pedestrians to cross dangerously o Illinois Commerce Commission hearings on crossings across Burnham Avenue A petition for an order to permit the construction and maintenance of a multiuse trail bridge over the tracks of the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad, CSX transportation Inc., and the Norfolk Southern Railway Company. Bikes: CDOT doesn't assume responsibility for managing off-street bike trails o This makes them difficult to implement The Burnham Greenway extension from Brainard Avenue north to 126th Street has been designed and engineered, but the funding is held up with the State Budget Impasse. The Cal-Sag Trail extension has received funding from multiple sources including the IDNR o Many municipalities have agreed to pay for sections of the trail through either their general budget or through other funding means o The Blue Island segment has a large funding gap due to a substantial re-design o The individual municipalities agreed to move forward with the project jointly and no single municipality can move forward until they all have adequate funding. The Wolf-Lake trail extension on IDNR property (Wm. Powers SRA) has been conceptually designed and has funding in place for phase one engineering o The City of Hammond has agreed to construct trails in Indiana to support the Wolf-Lake project but are waiting to do so until the IDNR moves forward. o The FPCC have completed sections of the trail North of Wm. Powers SRA The Millennium Reserve Trail Planning Map has been updated using the most recent data from CMAP and can be found on their website. The bike park at Big Marsh is going to be a catalyst for change in the study area. The challenge will be directing visitors safely before the necessary infrastructure is put in place o In the meantime, visitors will be forced to use 103rd street to Stony Island Avenue which is highly dangerous due to high traffic volumes and poor road conditions o Not having infrastructure in place prior to the recreational demand will create movement that is not anticipated. This can be both good and bad. Off-road bike trails and several bridges will be a priority. o The good news is that local and regional land owners are very willing. They just lack funding. o It was recommended that the project team identify the three most critical locations for bridges to be constructed. Connections West to East, from Pullman to Big Marsh, are more critical than connections North to South. o The North end of Lake Calumet is of special interest because it could create this much needed connection. 4

5 o This is a top 5 priority for the IDNR A connection adjacent to Harborside was discussed, but the golf course has consistently refuted this idea because of safety concerns. Waterways: Existing non-motorized waterway transportation studies o Lake Michigan Water Trail o IDNR Chicago River and North Shore Channel Corridors Study The Illinois International Port District has been an impediment to waterway access in the past o Homeland security concerns o Limited by its economic mission There is hope that, with new management, the Port District will be more amenable to nonmotorized and motorized transportation in the Calumet Industrial Corridor There is concern with non-motorized boating on the Calumet River o This river is a high risk, difficult waterway for experienced boaters due to barge traffic and other ocean going vessels as well as high seawalls, and pollution. There are many restrictions for motorized boating on the Calumet River that might impede implementing a water-taxi type service o Speed restrictions o A lack of convenient and safe drop-off locations on public property Coordination + Communication: Millennium Reserve o A conduit for cooperation in the area o A clearing house and discussion forum that encourages partnerships o Is in the process of shifting towards 501c3 status State Agency Task Force o Has a lot of potential for positive change but hasn't done much since the budget impasse The budget impasse makes all things very difficult from the state level, to local municipalities o Brings together many groups that would, most likely, not communicate otherwise ArcelorMittal o Has done more in Indiana than they have in Illinois but they certainly seem willing to be a participant Donnelly Foundation o Has a conservation focus and little interest in recreation Chicago Community Trust o Has a leading interest in community and economic development o Private foundations such as the CCT don't directly fund public agencies. The money often needs to be channeled through non-profits with 501c3 status such as the Active Transportation Alliance 5

6 Local Government o There is strong aldermanic support in southeast Chicago, especially in the 10th ward o Increasingly strong support from state representatives and senators o Increasingly strong support from Cook County Especially from the Forest Preserves of Cook County Chicago Metropolitan agency for Planning o Has potential to engage in a unique way because of its status as a quasi-government agency Friends of Big Marsh o Currently engaged in development at Big Marsh as well as connections into adjacent communities o Could play a bigger role Active Transportation Alliance o Can play a role in guiding and funding critical infrastructure projects The priority is 103rd street to Stony Island avenue and improved access on south Doty avenue Next Steps: Open House #1 on July 19th from 5:30-7:30 o Promotion of this event by the end of the week Working group #2 in September The draft existing conditions report will be finalized and made available for review All working group documents and a summary will be posted to the project website next week 6