Chicago at ‘Crossroads’ (Again): More Roads or Better Transit?
How pragmatic can it be that a resurrected transportation “solution,” already deemed inappropriate for a city and its mayor that insists on growing through mass transit and other ‘green’ initiatives, is on the table again? This new/old idea to build a “Crosstown Express” through the city is intended to alleviate truck congestion.
As Jacky Grimshaw, Vice President of Transportation Policy at CNT, puts it “We now know from extensive research and experience that we cannot build our way out of congestion.” The practice of building to mitigate congestion has been shown to, in actuality, increase transportation. An alternative-and much more appropriate-approach would be for Chicago to seriously think about transportation solutions that don’t focus exclusively on accommodating more cars.
Cost implications also need to be considered for this resurrected idea. The proposed corridor is not wide enough for required freeway-type lanes. In today’s real estate market, acquisition of the homes and businesses along the 22-mile stretch will eat up a significant proportion of limited transportation funds. Also, as the city, county and state are seeking more financial resources, the tax revenue lost as a result of the potential change of use would come as a blow.
Planners and policymakers should also consider what ultimately happened to the funding for the original Crosstown proposal. That money was eventually redirected to other critical transportation projects: the construction of the Blue Line extension to O’Hare International Airport and the Orange Line.
CNT supports a more sustainable solution that would increase transit facilities and expand transit services; not provide more roadways. Current studies into the Mid-City Transitway utilize an abandoned railway enbankment just east of Cicero Avenue and other abandoned rail rights-of-way.
It is worth repeating (see our “D-Day for Transit Town” blog from January 29) the idea that Chicago was planned to be the hub of the nation’s transportation system and a city that could plan on the availability of a collective asset-mass transportation-to keep everyday travel expenses at 3-5 percent of a family’s expenses. Today, when the average travel cost is really more like 20 percent (and for many it is as high as 30 percent), can Chicago really afford to revert back to 20-year old ideas already rendered unfeasible?
Let’s focus on the real issue: the underfunding of the RTA? See previous blog.
