Planning Programs and Projects

The RTA and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) partnered together with Elevated Chicago, a collaboration of 17 public, private and nonprofit organizations, to develop two implementation action plans, one in the Washington Park area surrounding the Garfield CTA Green Line station and the other near the Logan Square Blue Line station. The assistance focused on CTA station access, traffic and circulation, community safety, equity, placemaking, economic development and beautification. Public outreach was conducted to generate public interest and engage partners to identify implementable actions.

The RTA partnered with the Village of Itasca to update their Downtown Strategic Action Plan aimed at strengthening the downtown business environment surrounding the Itasca Metra station, guiding development and redevelopment, building on the Village's unique assets in the downtown area including historic buildings, parks and open space, and enhancing opportunities for transit oriented-development.

This project included an examination of nine stations across the region in an effort to diagnosis the reasons for low ridership. The project will include an examination of service levels, current and forecasted ridership, service options, market area characteristics, and the potential for transit-oriented development. A cost benefit analysis of each station's ongoing operations was included to provide an overall set of recommendations for the future of each station.

This project included a transit market and facilities assessment of the I-294 Tri-State corridor from 159th Street Interchange in Markham to the Balmoral Interchange in Rosemont that encompasses a 5-mile radius on either side of the corridor. The assessment identified transit markets along I-294 to inform where future routes and investments in transit infrastructure could be made when the Tri-State is rebuilt, providing incentives for commuters to use public transit.

The RTA partnered with the villages of Park Forest, Matteson and Richton Park to prepare a transportation alternatives study. The study examined the market potential for new mobility services such as local community-based transit services, shared mobility services, and non-motorized transportation alternatives, as well as identified additional approaches to continued land development near transit services.

The RTA assisted the VIllage of Riverside with an update to the Village of Riverside's Zoning Ordinance. The update reflects current development trends and is a step towards implementing the Central Business District Plan that promotes pedestrian oriented redevelopment near the Riverside Metra station while preserving the character of the downtown. The code revisions also align the zoning code along Harlem Ave in a manner that more transit friendly and is based on the recommendations of the Harlem Avenue Corridor Plan, developed by the RTA and Pace. The update also addresses zoning issues related to protecting the Village's national historic landmark designation.

This project assisted the Village of Brookfield with a Developer Discussion Panel to gather guidance and advice from development experts. The objective is to attract development to vacant sites and encourage infill development. The Developer Discussion Panel helped the Village determine goals and needs in order to best utilize the land.

This project developed a plan for two corridors, the East 75th and East 79th Street corridors, between Stony Island Avenue and the lakefront in the South Shore neighborhood. The plan identifies 10 Ideas for Action to improve land use, business retention, housing and connectivity to transit for both corridors.

The RTA assisted the Town of Cicero with a comprehensive update the Town's Zoning Code to better align the code with their recently adopted Cicero Connections Initiative Plan, (funded by the RTA) and the Town's Comprehensive Plan. The project explored form based code elements to create a unified and streamlined zoning code process that will attract development, and will recognize the availability of transit service to explore greater density in commercial neighborhoods, sustainable development principles, and reduced zoning code parking requirements.