newly approved development - will affect some south side bike routes
As reported in the Southtown Star, a large new development proposal has just been approved at 91st & Western. This would be a huge strip mall at the southwest corner of the intersection (across from Beverly Bike).
Right now, 91st St. is one of our few good east-west through routes from Beverly to Evergreen Park (with connections to points west). Having such a huge retail development - and all the traffic that will come with it - at a critical intersection will have a significant impact on cyclists in the area.
This development is sure to require a major reconfiguration of the intersection, 91st St. and Western. I believe this will REQUIRE safe accommodations for bikes and pedestrians under Complete Streets. Please chime in on this aspect if you're a planner or otherwise familiar with whether I am correct on this.
Unless we speak up NOW for bike and ped accommodations, we could be stuck with the results for years and face the potential loss of a good bike route.
Evergreen Park cyclists - I hope you'll join in on this to urge EP government to require bike and ped accommodations around this development. I know there are a few of you out there.
19th ward cyclists - I hope you will also join in and voice your concerns to Alderman Matt O'Shea and to city government in Evergreen Park.
Other south side cyclists - We need you, too. Speak up!
Views: 641
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jane Healy on
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Who do we contact?
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Permalink Reply by Karen McGinnis on
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I will send something to the alderman and city officials I can find on their city page. Is there somthing that can be attached/referred to from Complete Streets? Do you know the name of the developer?
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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on
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Please use the links on my original post to contact Evergreen Park and Alderman Matt O'Shea. I'm working on putting together the appropriate Complete Streets materials and will post that later.
According to the Southtown Star article, the developer is Sterling Bay Companies. They didn't waste any time in putting the Evergreen Park project up on their projects page. Putting in a word to them about including bike racks and bike/ped accommodations could be worthwhile.
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On Complete Streets:
* Fact sheets *
* Slide show *
Current conditions: Eastbound 91st St. on the Evergreen Park side has a right turn lane, through traffic lane and left turn lane at Western. There is a small pedestrian refuge island between the right turn lane and through lane, but no crosswalk across Western. Westbound 91st is one wide traffic lane, with ample room for bikes.
The large development just approved will presumably need more traffic lanes on both 91st and Western. To allow good pedestrian accommodations, there should be a sidewalk on 91st from Western to California, which would allow pedestrians to walk from the neighborhood just west of the current golf course. It's my understanding that the western half of the golf course property (west of the tracks) will belong to Evergreen Park and be used for recreation of some sort, so having a sidewalk there makes even more sense.
If a widened 91st St. included bike lanes, a larger pedestrian island at Western, a crosswalk between the SW to SE corners, and with the bike lane continuing right up to Western, next to the pedestrian island, that would be ideal (but, of course, not as ideal as leaving it the way it is). Bike racks (good design, properly located and installed) at a few locations in the mall would allow shopping by bike and help to reduce traffic volume and parking congestion.
There are many stores in Evergreen Park that have merchandise I might buy, but the stores are in locations that are very bike unfriendly and/or lack ANY kind of bike parking (even makeshift). I would ride my bike to Target in Oak Lawn to shop there before I'd go to most of the big stores in Evergreen Park, because Target has bike racks, accessible from Keeler just north of 95th. I'd give preference to the plaza at 115th & Marshfield (Target, Petsmart, etc.) for the same reason. If we could send the message to Evergreen Park that adding bike racks near 95th St. businesses and having bike routes on nearby streets that lead there could encourage shopping by bike, reduce congestion, and improve sales at their businesses, perhaps they might get it. The idea of increased business with less traffic may sell the message.
I'd love to sell them on the idea that it's not just about 91st & Western, but EP's out-of-date planning/ development model overall, and that making their shopping areas more bike friendly would be an asset.
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My friends Lois and Merle of the Beverly Bike Club sent the following letter to Alderman Matt O'Shea of the 19th ward:
I am sorry we missed your recent town meeting to discuss the above proposed project.For the past couple years, we've been riding our bicycles for exercise and to do our local errands within a 4-5 mile radius to cut down on carbon emissions from our automobile. Through the Beverly Bike Club rides on Tuesday and Thursday nights, we've discovered the neighborhood routes with the least traffic. 91st street is the BEST east/west street. The primary streets of: 87th, 95th, 103rd, and 111th have far too much commercial traffic and buses for safe bicycling. Local Secondary streets such as 99th are compromised by considerable auto traffic from the Dan Ryan Expressway and 107th is blocked by railroad tracks, cemetaries, golf courses etc. Adding huge commercial interests such as Meijers and Menards will kill the peace and quiet currently offered on 91st street. :-( Ride or walk by that property and you will experience the sense of calm and quiet afforded by the green space there.The June 21st issue of the Village View, the local paper of Burbank, Evergreen Park, Hickory Hills, Justice and Oak Lawn, reports on page one that the village of Evergreen Park "would like to see the parcel of property remain undeveloped - a walking path and nature area has also been discussed for this site." It seems that the zoning board is out of sync with residents since it voted to subdivide the property and rezone property east of the tracks as "C" commercial property.Do we really need another concrete jungle? Several years ago our residents paved the alley between 98th and 99th and between Hamilton and Leavitt. Now, one can feel the extra heat absorbed from the sun by day and retained by the concrete into the evening hours. The answer is not more air conditioning conversions which use more electricity and pump out more hot air. The answer is more open, green space, with trees to purify the air.Please add our names to those in opposition to the proposed commercial development at 91st and Western. Many vacant spaces remain on 95th street which should be considered for development first.Regarding empty commercial space in Beverly, has anyone suggested a Trader Joe's grocery? It would fill a niche by offering reasonably priced specialty items.Alderman O'Shea responds:I share your concerns and opposition to the new development at 91st & Western. Unfortunately, as Alderman of the 19th ward I have no authority or input into Village of Evergreen Park Zoning or development matters. However, I do recognize that 91st street is a major pedestrian roadway and do believe it is important to encourage all forms of non automotive transportation. I have asked Anne who you cc-ed on your email to provide me with any specific steps we might take to preserve this area for bike traffic and I would ask you for the same input. I am happy to work with the developers to try and implement any ideas you might have.With regards to Trader Joe's, I believe they would be an ideal retailer for this area. Unfortunately, our repeated attempts to show them available locations in our community have been unsuccessful. While we will continue to send them information, it does seem like they have any interest in coming here.Please let me know if you or other members of the active transportation alliance have ideas about promoting pedestrian travel - related to the new development or elsewhere.He's responding and paying lip service to the idea, but I'm don't think he really gets it. The irony is that this section of 91st St. is currently less than wonderful for pedestrians (overgrown trees and no sidewalks). I'm working on more detail to send to him, and contacting other officials.
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So does this also mean that O'Shea is not the one to contact as he has no input?
Anne Alt said:
My friends Lois and Merle of the Beverly Bike Club sent the following letter to Alderman Matt O'Shea of the 19th ward:
I am sorry we missed your recent town meeting to discuss the above proposed project.For the past couple years, we've been riding our bicycles for exercise and to do our local errands within a 4-5 mile radius to cut down on carbon emissions from our automobile. Through the Beverly Bike Club rides on Tuesday and Thursday nights, we've discovered the neighborhood routes with the least traffic. 91st street is the BEST east/west street. The primary streets of: 87th, 95th, 103rd, and 111th have far too much commercial traffic and buses for safe bicycling. Local Secondary streets such as 99th are compromised by considerable auto traffic from the Dan Ryan Expressway and 107th is blocked by railroad tracks, cemetaries, golf courses etc. Adding huge commercial interests such as Meijers and Menards will kill the peace and quiet currently offered on 91st street. :-( Ride or walk by that property and you will experience the sense of calm and quiet afforded by the green space there.The June 21st issue of the Village View, the local paper of Burbank, Evergreen Park, Hickory Hills, Justice and Oak Lawn, reports on page one that the village of Evergreen Park "would like to see the parcel of property remain undeveloped - a walking path and nature area has also been discussed for this site." It seems that the zoning board is out of sync with residents since it voted to subdivide the property and rezone property east of the tracks as "C" commercial property.Do we really need another concrete jungle? Several years ago our residents paved the alley between 98th and 99th and between Hamilton and Leavitt. Now, one can feel the extra heat absorbed from the sun by day and retained by the concrete into the evening hours. The answer is not more air conditioning conversions which use more electricity and pump out more hot air. The answer is more open, green space, with trees to purify the air.Please add our names to those in opposition to the proposed commercial development at 91st and Western. Many vacant spaces remain on 95th street which should be considered for development first.Regarding empty commercial space in Beverly, has anyone suggested a Trader Joe's grocery? It would fill a niche by offering reasonably priced specialty items.Alderman O'Shea responds:I share your concerns and opposition to the new development at 91st & Western. Unfortunately, as Alderman of the 19th ward I have no authority or input into Village of Evergreen Park Zoning or development matters. However, I do recognize that 91st street is a major pedestrian roadway and do believe it is important to encourage all forms of non automotive transportation. I have asked Anne who you cc-ed on your email to provide me with any specific steps we might take to preserve this area for bike traffic and I would ask you for the same input. I am happy to work with the developers to try and implement any ideas you might have.With regards to Trader Joe's, I believe they would be an ideal retailer for this area. Unfortunately, our repeated attempts to show them available locations in our community have been unsuccessful. While we will continue to send them information, it does seem like they have any interest in coming here.Please let me know if you or other members of the active transportation alliance have ideas about promoting pedestrian travel - related to the new development or elsewhere.He's responding and paying lip service to the idea, but I'm don't think he really gets it. The irony is that this section of 91st St. is currently less than wonderful for pedestrians (overgrown trees and no sidewalks). I'm working on more detail to send to him, and contacting other officials.
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I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, he doesn't really have any control, because he let the opportunity for 19th ward input slide by. On the other hand, I'm trying to send a message to O'Shea that bike and ped issues matter, and that things like this need to be on his radar. Even if he gives lame answers like the one I got, I think I'd rather see people keep bugging him about it.
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I've got another angle of attack for you. I did a bit of research on the developer, Sterling Bay. Patrick O'Connor looks like the best contact. According to the web site, he manages the construction and development dept., supervising new construction. It also mentions that he previously founded a bicycle touring company, so it would appear that cycling is at least on his radar.
If we work on the assumption that this thing is probably too far along to kill and that we may only be able to influence its direction somewhat, emphasizing the idea that there are many cyclists in the area, and that if he wants their business for this mall, rather than alienating them and never having them as customers, having bike and ped accommodations built into the configuration of the strip mall and access to the mall (along 91st St. and at intersections) is in his best interest if this project is to succeed. We need to sell the idea that risk of alienation of Beverly residents is extremely high due to the traffic issue, and that safe bike and ped access is critical.
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On another note, I'm looking at the MT trail map to ride tonight and don’t see a connection between 95th St and 105th?
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That section is ON-street. See the route here on MapMyRide. There is signage in both directions.
Note: The northbound route is slightly different due to 1-way streets. Coming from 105th/Vincennes, you need to cross Vincennes and go NNW on Charles, then W on 104th St. to Prospect. The rest of the route is the same in both directions.
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My letter to CDOT:
I don't know if this plan is on your radar, but it's of great concern to many 19th ward residents, especially those in Beverly.
http://southtownstar.suntimes.com/business/6077016-420/mall-approve...
Due to the shared intersection at 91st & Western and the shared boundary along Western, it's my understanding that CDOT must have input on the final plan. Our alderman gave almost no advance warning on this proposal or Evergreen Park's vote to approve it, so many of us feel that he's sold us out. After writing to him, he responded that he was providing the developer's traffic study to CDOT. I don't know if he's done that, or if this traffic study would really give a fair assessment of the big picture.
Currently, 91st St. is designated as a bike route on the Chicago side of Western. There is no designation on the Evergreen Park side, but traffic is usually light, so no special accommodations are needed to make it suitable for bikes under current conditions. From what I've heard, this new development will have an entrance/exit on 91st St., which is likely to change traffic conditions significantly. 91st St. is one of our few good east-west bike routes to get across Western. It is frequently used by Beverly and Evergreen Park cyclists. The new traffic volume will destroy that, unless bike accommodations are added, which may be a tough fight with Evergreen Park's bike-clueless city government. Apparently Evergreen Park also wants a stoplight at 92nd Pl. & Western, which will increase the chances that southbound traffic will back up beyond 91st St. on a regular basis. Traffic volume at 91st & Western is very likely to impact north Beverly residents' ability to use Western or even cross Western.
Pedestrian accommodations are minimal now. There is no crosswalk from the southwest corner (development site) to the southeast corner. There is no sidewalk on the Evergreen Park side of Western or along 91st west of Western. I understand that you have no control over conditions on the Evergreen Park side. I'm offering this additional info to provide a complete picture.
There is a lot of anger and frustration among Beverly and Evergreen Park residents and business owners. The current road and intersection configurations in the area are already maxed out for hours every day. Western tends to be gridlocked from about 92nd Pl. to 98th St. for at least 3-4 hours every day. Turning traffic onto 95th St. is a big factor in that gridlock, which is aggravated by the enormous Wal-Mart/Sam's Club strip mall on the northwest corner of 95th & Western and the railroad crossing at 2600 W. 95th (busy freight corridor). Between mall traffic and train delays, it's common to have half mile traffic backups along 95th in both directions. The same freight line has a crossing on 91st St. just west of the proposed development, so adding this retail density could completely clog 91st, affecting access to/from north Beverly at Western.
North Beverly has cul de sacs on nearly every street that could connect with Western. Small businesses on Western opposite the development will suffer, because many of them have only on-street parking. We'll probably see gridlock from 89th to 99th or beyond every day once the project is built. Western is a speedway north and south of the gridlock area, then traffic suddenly hits the brakes. We don't want this new development at all. Evergreen Park residents were voicing their objections at the public meeting where the plan was approved. It seems that the only people who really want this development are the developer, EP mayor and cronies, and the corporations that will have stores there. It really belongs on 95th St., in one of the many vacant commercial lots, rather than ruining a beautiful green space and a good, functional street.
The scope of this project would be impossible without a major reconfiguration of streets and intersections, which should trigger Complete Streets requirements to force Evergreen Park to include bike lanes and sidewalks on 91st St. and a pedestrian refuge island and any other needed safety measures at 91st & Western. Even if we get that, they'll probably build this monstrosity without bike racks. I am writing to the developer (http://www.sterlingbay.net/) to push for bike and ped accommodations, assuming there's no way of killing this monster so late in the game. I noticed that their developer manager previously started a bike touring company, so perhaps he has a clue about bike issues going into this (http://www.sterlingbay.net/pages/team/oconnor.php).
Is there IDOT jurisdiction on Western? If so, I'm not sure if the net effect will be good or bad. Regardless, the current road configuration is pushed to capacity too often now without the burden of this enormous retail complex, and will require a thorough, unbiased study and creative, well-considered solution.
I would be grateful for your assistance in directing this to the appropriate people in CDOT regarding traffic studies and street/intersection design.
This will affect thousands of people in the 19th ward and surrounding areas, most of them in Chicago, so we would appreciate whatever CDOT can do to mitigate the damage that this project will cause.
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I got confirmation from CDOT that IDOT does have jurisdiction on this section of Western, and that the traffic study has been provided to IDOT for review. I haven't heard back yet about whether their review is complete.
Meanwhile, Active Trans and LIB are following up on this issue. Hopefully they will be successful in educating Evergreen Park officials about Complete Streets requirements, the impact this project will have on 91st St. as a bike route, and how providing good bike and ped accommodations can help reduce the traffic burden this project will create.
I'd like to offer a big THANK YOU to Active Trans and LIB for their help on this issue. More updates when I've got 'em....
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