© 2 0 1 4 C E N T E R F O R N E I G H B O R H O O D T EC H N O LO GY 1

Transit Deserts IN COOK COUNTY’S 1ST DISTRICT

TransitFuture 1

Transit in the 1st District is provided by three Metra lines, the Milwaukee District West (MD-W), North Central Service (NCS), and Union Pacific West (UP-W), along with the CTA Blue and Green Lines. These rail lines serve a total of 26 stations within the district and provide up to 1,000 trips per week. Outside of rail station areas, several Pace and CTA bus routes provide connection to jobs and rail stations throughout the district.

However, high-quality transit service is severely lacking in the southern part of the district along Roosevelt and Cermak Roads, as well as along I-290 in Oak Park. In these poorly connected areas, over 4% of residents live in transit deserts, which are highlighted in orange on the map. These residents do not have access to high-quality transit (see definitions below), although a strong demand for frequent and high-quality transit service does exist.

residents in the 1st District in 2010 people living in

transit desertshouseholds in transit deserts

jobs in transit deserts

294,571 11,899 4,942 12,377

Living and Working in Transit Deserts

Source: 2008-2012 American Community Survey

Transit Desert: an area that has high demand for transit but lacks access to high-quality transit, meaning that it is more than a half-mile from a rail transit stop and a quarter-mile from high-quality bus service.

High-Quality Transit System: rail transit, bus rapid transit, arterial rapid transit, or bus routes with an average headway of 15 minutes.

Methodology for determining transit deserts: Transit Deserts are identified from block groups that lack access to high-quality transit, but have a potential demand for high-quality transit according to the transit demand model. The variables for determining potential transit demand are the number, per square mile, of seniors (65+), adults (18-64), children, retail and non-retail jobs, and vehicles within a census block group.

290

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1st District

Transit Desert

1/2 Mile Transit Areas

Metra Lines

Highways

Rail Stations

Blue Lines

Green Lines

290

N

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Uneven Access to High-Quality TransitLocated in northwestern Cook County, the 1st District has moderate access to transit. While approximately 139,000 residents live within a half-mile of transit stations, nearly 12,000 residents do not have access to high-quality transit service.

2 TRANSIT DESERTS 1 ST D I ST R I C T

Population Near Transit AreasThe map on the right shows the population density of the 1st District, with the majority of the district having moderate densities. Low-densities are clustered in the southwestern section of the district near Oak Park, where transit is lacking. Most of the central section of the district has moderate to high population densities along the CTA and Metra lines.

Based on CMAP’s projections, by 2040 the population is expected to increase by 15%. Transit supply within the 1st District must keep pace with demand in the years to come.

Transit and Job DisconnectThe map on the right shows the number of jobs per square mile throughout the 1st District, which contains over 74,000 jobs. The highest densities are located around Oak Park and in the I-290 corridor. Approximately 44% of jobs are located within well-connected areas, but almost 17% of jobs are in transit deserts. High-quality transit development would provide access to over 12,000 jobs and stimulate further economic growth within the district.

As projected by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), jobs within the 1st District are expected to grow by approximately 17% by 2040. As employment opportunities in the district increase, transit improvements and expansions would benefit more people working within this district. Investing in high-quality transit would connect residents to surrounding job hubs and eliminate the necessity of driving.

15%Population

10%Households

17%JobsProjected Change from 2010 to 2040, Source: CMAP

Source : 2008 - 2012 American Community Survey

1st District in 2040

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1/2 Mile Transit Areas

Metra Lines

Highways

Rail Stations

Hospitals

290

Green Line

Blue Line

N

1st District

0 - 640

641 - 3,200

3,201 - 6,400

6,401 - 11,000

11,001 - 51,600

Jobs per Square Mile in Block Groups

Note: 2011 Employment data comes from the U.S. Census LEHD website. The maps shows the number of jobs per square mile at the block group level. 640 jobs per square mile is equal to one job per acre. 11,000 jobs per square mile is the threshold for the top 5% block groups in Cook County.

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Chicago Ave

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Galewood

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1/2 Mile Transit Areas

Metra Lines

Highways

Rail Stations

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Green Line

Blue Line

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0 - 7

8 - 20

21 - 50

51 - 81

Population per Acre in Block Groups

Water, Golf Courses, Cemetery, Forest Preserves

Note: Population density represents the number of persons per acre at the block group level. Water, cemetery, golf courses and forest preserves are subtracted out when calculating population density.

Living and Working Near Rail Rapid

TransitTransit Area

DistrictPopulation Households Jobs

47% 50% 43%

© 2 0 1 4 C E N T E R F O R N E I G H B O R H O O D T EC H N O LO GY 3

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0 6 123Miles

90

290

355

55

294

94

88

94

LakeCounty

DuPageCounty

Schaumburg

Oak Park

Skokie

Oak Brook

Des Plaines

Addison

Summit

Cicero

Highland Park

Evanston

Glenwood

Wheeling

ArlingtonHeights

294

O’HareAirport

MidwayAirport

Metra Stations

Interstate

Job Location for Residents of 1st District

0 - 10

11 - 100

101 - 500

1st District

County Boundary

> 501

88

Need for Commuting OptionsThe map on the left shows the distribution of jobs for residents of the 1st District. The majority of residents work in three major job hubs: the Loop (34%), the I-90 corridor (7%), and the I-290/I-88 East corridor (8%). Small percentages of residents are also employed in Elmhurst, the IL-64 Corridor, Oak Park, and at the University of Chicago. Currently, commute times to these major job destinations using available transit ranges from 35 minutes to reach the downtown Loop to over 60 minutes to reach the I-90 Corridor. Increased high-quality transit would allow people to reach these employment centers more efficiently.

Source: toddata.cnt.org

Transit Usage for 1st District CommutersThe chart below shows the percentage of 1st District residents living within a half-mile of a rail rapid transit station who use transit to get to work. The CTA Green Line has the stations with the highest ridership rates; nearly half of the residents living near the Ridgeland stop take transit to work. The CTA Blue Line and Metra lines have moderate ridership rates, with 15-31% of residents living near the top stations commuting via transit.

Commuting via Public Transit(Top 3 Rail Stations For Each Line in the 1 District)st

CTA Blue Line

24%20% 19%

CTA Green Line MilwaukeeDistrict West

Union PacificWest

Fore

st P

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Har

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47%

41%39%

23%

18%16%

31%

26%

15%

MD-W,MD-N,

NCS

4 TRANSIT DESERTS 1 ST D I ST R I C T

R2. Blue Line West Extension: The extension would connect the 1st District to the I-290 and the I-88 East corridors, which are major job hubs for residents in the 1st District.

R7. Blue Line Rehabilitation: Improvements to the existing Blue Line would increase service efficiency.

R11. Airport Connector Express: Connecting O’Hare and Midway airports, this line would provide transit access to residents living in the district’s southern transit deserts and connect to jobs along the I-90 corridor.

R13. Lime Line: This north-south rail line would connect residents north to Jefferson Park and south to the Red Line extension.

B4. Roosevelt Road ART: The east-west ART would run parallel to the 1-290/I-88 East corridor and give access to adjacent job centers.

B6. Harlem Avenue ART: The north-south route would run from Milwaukee Avenue to 95th Street, and would provide transit access to residents in the southern part of the district.

B10. Cermak Road ART: This east-west bus line would run through the I-88 East corridor and connect to job centers inside and outside the district.

B19. Mannheim Road ART: Stretching from O’Hare to Oak Brook and Orland Square, this route would connect residents to job and employment centers in the western suburbs.

ABOUT THE TRANSIT FUTURE CAMPAIGN

Transit Future is a campaign to build a 21st Century transit system in Cook County, making the region more livable, economically competitive, and environmentally sustainable. Efficient and affordable public transit helps link people to jobs, reduces congestion, and fosters sustainable economic growth. Transit Future’s mission is to build broad support in Cook County for increased, impactful, and immediate investment in an expanded regional public transportation system. More information is available at transitfuture.org.

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0 6 123Miles

Major Job Destination

Transit Desert in 1st District

1st District

Rail Project Improvements

Pace ART Projects

Metra /CTA Lines

Transit Improvements

The Lime Line

Cermak Road ART

Roosevelt Road ART

Mannheim Road ART

Blue Line West ExtensionR2

Airport Connector ExpressR11

R10

Blue Line RehabilitationR10R7

R13

R13

B19

B10

B4

Harlem Avenue ARTB6

R13

R11

R7R2

B6

B4B10

B19

LakeMichigan

DuPageCounty

Note: Arterial BRT (ART) is a combination of Transit Signal Priority (TSP), roadway improvements including queue jump lanes, and Intelligent Bus System (IBS) technology along arterial routes. For more information, please refer to: http://www.pacebus.com/sub/vision2020/arterial_brt.asp

What Do You Think?• How would Transit Future’s vision benefit you and your community?

• Would you be more likely to use the transit system with the above projects in place? Why or why not?

• What other improvements would encourage you to use transit?

Contact Jacky Grimshaw (jacky@cnt.org) with your ideas, and learn how you can get involved in regional transportation planning efforts to make sure it enhances transit service and increases connectivity for you.

Transit Future’s Vision Would Benefit the 1st DistrictTransit improvements and expansion would provide more access to available jobs and public transit within the 1st District. Eight projects would directly benefit the district: