Community Assets
The Southwest Metro Region was shaped by
railroads and waterways. Irish, German and
Scandinavian immigrants were the first laborers to
aid in the creation of the Illinois & Michigan (I &
M) Canal in 1836. This shipping canal was at one
time the most significant trading waterway in the
United States. The I&M Canal strengthened the
agricultural industry, offered numerous options for
capturing waterpower, moved passenger traffic and
also served as a major trading route to introduce
the products of the East to the Midwest and points
beyond. The Canal laid the foundation for
Chicago to become a transportation hub. In 1984
the Canal corridor became the first "National
Heritage Corridor."
Illinois' agricultural industry has flourished
because of rich and fertile land like that in the
Southwest Metro Region. The area's proximity to
local markets, industrial and consumer, creates
economic efficiencies for the region. Local corn
was sold as fodder to the stockyards in Chicago
and today food grade products such as corn flour,
syrup and meal are locally refined and then sold to
businesses for further production of items like
cereals and candies. Other natural resources have
also been "harvested" by industry. Quarry
companies have excavated valuable natural
resources such as limestone, coal and sand, much
of which is used in the region.
Today the area is home to a predominately white
community with pockets of African-American,
Hispanic, Asian and other ethnic groups, as well as
a substantial new-immigrant population. Areas
such as Lemont, Joliet and Romeoville keep the
history of the region and the I & M Canal alive
with visitor centers, museums and special events.
Connecting
Communities
Southwest Metro Region
February 28, 2002
What remains of the Canal can be explored by bike or
foot on a trail system and in small parks dotting the
area. The natural history and beauty of the area can be
experienced in the Palos Forest Preserves, where
glaciers formed hills, lakes, ponds and the Sag Valley.
Who We Are and How We Get Around
We gathered at the Main campus of Joliet Junior
College to cooperate on a new vision of transportation
and land use planning for our part of the Chicago
region. We shared a sense of urgency about
transportation planning, fueled by the lack of travel
options in our communities. Although as a group we
are committed to multi-modal travel, we find ourselves
restricted to cars for almost all of our trips. Over 40%
of us have no bus or train transit within a mile of our
homes. Among those who have accessible transit
service, only 9% have service more than twice an hour.
Consequently we took only 1.7 transit trips last month,
on average.
Our ability to walk in our communities is also
inadequate. None of our children walk to school,
although walking is an activity we rank highly.
Even though our transit use is very modest, we are
more able to take transit than to walk to do
errands. The rural character of some communities
impacts "walkability," but even many built-up
areas are deficient in safe pedestrian routes. In
fact, our greatest concern is
safety, not only for pedestrians
who are most vulnerable, but for
all modes of travel. The top two
ways we would improve
transportation in our region are to
improve transit and to improve
pedestrian access.
Our summit was fairly evenly
divided between males and
females, but slightly older than
the general public. Of the survey
respondents who indicated their
racial background, 85% were
white, slightly higher than the
county as a whole. There was
diverse representation from the
disabled community, including
participants who were visually
impaired, hearing impaired (sign-
language interpretation was
accommodated) and wheelchair
users.
Challenges and Solutions
Transit service is infrequent or
unavailable.
The larger cities in our area are
frequent destinations and we need
options other than cars to reach them. We see two
potential transit hubs, in Joliet and Orland Park,
with local service radiating out from each hub.
Increased bus service to high-traffic destinations
like the Louis Joliet Mall would alleviate some
congestion. Our train service to Chicago is sparse.
We would like to have more frequent service,
including weekend service, on the existing lines.
In addition, we would like to investigate other
public transit modes, including trains along the
expressway corridors, commuter boats on local
waterways and commuter service on the Elgin,
Joliet and Eastern rail line.
Transit-oriented development is an economic asset to
our region, as well as a means of getting around more
efficiently. Our region has suffered from a lack of
properly planned transit stations that attract a mix of
nearby housing, jobs and services, increasing
economic efficiency. Instead we spend many hours
and more money than the regional average to
complete our daily tasks.
We would like to work with our village and town
authorities to help support Pace and the RTA.
Planners and development commissions should hold
town meetings to get public input on transit issues so
they would understand how much unmet demand
there is for transit. This includes the demand for
more standard service, more accessible service and
for better paratransit. Most of us are unable to use
transit regularly. Some of us, including children,
seniors and the disabled, find the lack of transit to be
a formidable barrier to accessing basic amenities
such as health care, shops and services and recreation
sites.
6,748.18
6,518.44
6,704.99
6,694.75
6,492.90
6,185.30
5,436.00
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
$5,000
$6,000
$7,000
$8,000
Plainfield
Orland Park
New Lenox
Lemont
Joliet
Burbank
6-County Avg
Averages based on 1997-98 data for houseolds with 2.6 members and income of
$43,000.
Average Auto Cost Per Household
Many of us find it difficult to get around.
The investment needed to provide basic sidewalk
infrastructure is minimal compared to the cost of
new roads. We should have sidewalks in all areas
of the region that are not rural. This is a basic
necessity for some in our population, including
seniors, the disabled and children. Depriving
them of the right to move freely is detrimental to
the vitality of the region. In addition, the
availability of sidewalks is directly related to the
success of transit and of transit-oriented
development. Safety is our highest concern about
our own communities. The lack of sidewalks and
safe crosswalks is a critical issue for us.
Similarly, bicycle infrastructure is inexpensive,
especially if it is incorporated into existing road
projects. Soft shoulders should be paved for use
by cyclists. This would add very little cost if done
during road construction or repair. The paint to
stripe exclusive bike lanes is also very
inexpensive. Provide connectivity between
existing and planned trails. Sidewalks and trails
should be a vital part of the transportation network
and provide access to transit and other modes.
Recreation trails in our region should also be
expanded, including the Old Plank Trail, the trails
along the Des Plaines River and in the Forest
Preserve Districts.
Clustered economic development and a healthy
environment are linked.
If we cluster homes, businesses and services near
to each other and provide ample transit, pedestrian
and bicycle infrastructure we can reap economic
benefits, improve human health and efficiency
and
improve the natural environment. Money and
time spent in traffic can be put to more efficient
uses. Clustering development and keeping it near
existing development helps preserve the valuable
farmland, wetlands, watersheds and rolling forests
that make our part of the region unique.
Incremental planning that provides transit without
pedestrian access, or provides sidewalks without
destinations, or attempts to preserve open space
without containing sprawl will not work. Our
planning officials need to take a comprehensive
approach to weaving all these approaches together
to preserve our natural environment
and promote
economic development.
Our roads and bridges are inadequate
.
Roads will form the backbone of our local travel for
the foreseeable future. We believe that expanding
the capacity of or making more efficient use of
existing roads is a better policy than building new
roads. We support express lanes for car pools, van
pools and buses. We also believe that intersection
improvements such as turning lanes would ease
some congestion problems without consuming huge
tracts of valuable land for new roads. Bridges are a
particular problem in our area. We need additional
bridges across the Des Plaines River to facilitate
inter-regional travel.
Our Vision
We visualize a region where the public is involved
in both local and regional planning. Ideally, there
would be a synergy between a local mix of housing,
jobs and services. Transit would benefit from this
synergy and also contribute to economic
development opportunities clustered around transit
stations. In the future our neighborhoods should be
walkable. We want travel choices that do not
impact air or water quality in our communities.
The benefits and burdens of transportation should
be shared across the region, with a strong priority
given to maintaining infrastructure that the
taxpayers have already paid for. If we were
managing long range planning, we would preserve
agricultural land and open space and rebuild public
infrastructure in communities that have experienced
deteriorating conditions.
Recommendations
Substantially increase transit options
. Increase
frequency and hours of service on existing bus
routes, especially in the Joliet area. Ensure that all
transit meets or exceeds ADA requirements.
Increase bus options for inter-regional travel
between Joliet and Orland Park, Bolingbrook,
Plainfield, Naperville, Lockport, New Lenox (and
to points in between) and to locations like Joliet
Junior College (Route 53 campus) and the Louis
Joliet Mall. A second regional bus hub should be
created in the Orland Park area, with bus service
radiating out to Frankfort, Joliet, Lockport and
Midlothian. Shuttle buses or trolleys should
supplement main line service, especially around
malls, casinos and between lower-density
communities.
Recommendations - Increase transit (continued)
Coordination of bus and train schedules needs improvement. Train schedules should be drastically increased on
existing lines, including more weekday trains and weekend trains
. New rail stations should be built at Elwood,
Laraway Road, Lockport, Manhattan, Minooka, New Lenox, Romeoville and Shorewood. Park-and-ride lots should
be built at these new or existing stations: Homer Glen, Lemont, Lockport, Manhattan, Minooka, New Lenox,
Shorewood. New transit options include electric train transit along I-55 and I-294, a new line between Minooka,
Shorewood and Joliet, and passenger service on the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern line.
Expand options for pedestrians, bicyclists, seniors, the disabled and children.
Install sidewalks all over our
region, especially in Crest Hill, Frankfort, Homer Glen, Joliet, Lockport, Mokena, New Lenox, Orland Park and
Plainfield. Ensure that sidewalks and crosswalks are safe and accessible for children, the disabled and seniors.
Improve traffic enforcement as well as infrastructure to ensure the mobility and safety of seniors, children and the
disabled. Enforce handicapped parking zones. Create a comprehensive network of bicycle routes throughout the
region; pave shoulders on all rural roads, expand off-road trails and stripe bike lanes in urban areas. Provide bike
parking and other amenities at transit stations. Allow bikes on Metra trains.
Develop with sensitivity to the environment.
The important agricultural and water assets of this region can best be
preserved by clustering development near existing communities. Local and regional planning should emphasize
preservation of open space, creeks and shallow aquifers. Create a connected network of open space, especially
between greenways and forest preserves. Land use and transportation planning should be coordinated so that properly
planned transit stations become an economic asset. Mix commercial, retail and residential uses and provide multiple
modes of travel between uses. Encourage residential development that uses predictable connections to facilitate
pedestrian and transit travel.
Redesign, repair and retrofit our roads and bridges
. Existing roads could better accommodate traffic if they were
used more efficiently. Widen existing roads rather than build the I-355 extension. Both I-294 and I-55 would benefit
from express lanes for car pools, shuttle buses and van pools. Intersection improvements would facilitate the free
flow of traffic, especially on three major arterials: US-45 intersections with 143
rd
, 151
st
, 159
th
and 179
th
Streets; 159
th
Street intersections with Cicero, Wolf, Bell and State; and 195
th
at LaGrange Road. Widen 159
th
Street. Ramps
should be improved at Weber Road and I-55, the I-355/I-55 intersection, and US-30 and I-80. Bridges are needed in
Lemont, in Fairmont and at Division Street in Lockport. Grade separations at congested locations like Cedar Road
and Route 30 (at the juncture with the Rock Island Line) would significantly increase traffic efficiency. Re-engineer
the 9th Street bridge in Lockport to resolve safety and visibility issues at the railroad crossing.
The Southwest Metro Region Connecting Communities summit participants came as individuals and
as members of groups. The people who helped plan the summit came from the following groups:
Human Action Community Organization (HACO)
Institute for Public Policy and Administration, Governor's State University
Lincolnway South Corridor Against the Tollway (LSCAT)
Business and Professional People for the Public Interest
Chicago Design Consortium
Chicago Metropolis 2020
Chicago Rehab Network
Chicagoland Bicycle Federation
Citizen Action-Illinois
Council for Disability Rights
Environmental Law and Policy Center of the Midwest
Friends of the Chicago River
Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct
Organization
Interreligious Sustainability Project
League of Women Voters of Illinois
Metro Seniors in Action
Metropolitan Planning Council
Mid America Institute on Poverty
Sierra Club
Sustain
The Citizen Transportation Plan is a project of the Chicagoland Transportation and Air Quality
Commission, part of the Center for Neighborhood Technology, 2125 W. North Ave., Chicago, IL 60647,
773-278-4800, ext. 2030. Visit us on the web at www.cnt.org/2030.