Recommendations
Expand Commuter Rail
Establish new high-quality rail service from the eastern part of the Calumet region to Chicago. The corridor roughly
defined as between the Bishop Ford Freeway and the state line is without such service. Provision of such service
would offer the region an alternative to congestion on the existing roadway
network.
Expand Pace Service
Expand the hours of operation of existing Pace bus service, provide addi-
tional service along arterial streets where there are gaps in the network,
especially along Cicero, Kedzie, Cottage Grove, Burnham and Joe Orr Rd.
Establish express routes along expressway corridors in the eastern part of
the region to connect with downtown Chicago. Expand the hours of
paratransit service to include post-afternoon operation. Provide shuttle van
service from senior and apartment complexes to mainline bus routes, transit
centers and medical facilities.
Revitalize Downtowns with Transit
Steer new retail and commercial development to sites near transit centers,
especially existing communities' downtowns. Existing and planned Metra
stations and Pace Transportation Centers should be prime candidates for
focused retail recruitment and retention.
Improve Access to Transit Service Information
Increase the number of outlets where information on transit service may be obtained. Community service sections of
local telephone directories should prominently list telephone numbers, service maps and schedules for area transit. Bus
stops, rail stations, village halls, community centers and post offices should provide transit maps and schedules.
Redevelop Brownfields
Focus coordinated redevelopment efforts on existing abandoned industrial sites or brownfields, including de-contamina-
tion and investments in existing transportation assets leading to these sites; sites in Riverdale, Dixmoor and Harvey are
of particular concern. Brownfields are also potential locations for additional retail centers, especially in underserved
communities. The Calumet region is laced with highways, railroads and waterways, making industrial retention and
brownfield site redevelopment advantageous for various commercial enterprises and the community.
Expand Walking & Bike Trails
Expand the region's multi-use trail network, filling in gaps in the existing network, especially along Thorn Creek.
Establish a system of bike lanes and paths to connect residential subdivisions, shopping districts, job centers and educa-
tional institutions. Construct sidewalks around and connecting medical facilities, schools and retail/commercial centers
with their surrounding residential communities. Incorporate bike lanes and sidewalks into all roadway rehabilitation
projects.
Connecting
Communities
Calumet Region
April 7, 2001
Most Likely Mode
0
5
10
15
20
Transit
Bike
Walk
Car w/other
Car alone
Number of Persons Using Mode
How We Get Around
Following the typical suburban pattern, we reach the
majority of our local destinations by car, driving alone.
"Driving alone" ranked first in survey results of summit
participants, followed closely by "driving, with others."
Biking, walking and transit were less frequently used
options. On average, we take one opportunity per week
to walk to perform errands, but four people walk almost
every day and 14, some of whom are rural, don't walk to
do errands at all. Two people took transit on a daily basis
in the previous month, however the remainder took an
average of less than one trip by transit in the prior month.
On average, our households average two cars and 2.7
members.
The top destinations that we want to reach locally are
Lincoln Mall and the other stores in the U.S. 30 corridor,
Orland Square Mall to the west on 159th Street, River
Oaks Shopping Center in Calumet City and Governors
State University in University Park. Primary employment
destinations for us and our neighbors are either of the Ford
plants in Ford Heights or Hegewisch or downtown
Chicago.
Community Assets
From post-war bedroom communities and industrial
towns bordering Chicago on the north to productive
farmland in its far southern reaches, the Calumet region,
or South Suburbs of Chicago, are a study in contrasts.
Spanning parts of two counties, southern Cook and
eastern Will, the Calumet region was once the industrial
powerhouse of the Chicago metropolitan area. Its
strategic placement at the southern tip of Lake Michigan
led to the construction in the early 20th Century of
railroads, waterways and highways that still criss-cross
the region today. Heavy industry found the Calumet
region well-suited for easy access to markets throughout
the Midwest and on both coasts. Steel and auto pro-
duction came to dominate the region's industrial sector.
Post-War suburban expansion fueled by easy access to
the automobile and fast electric commuter trains brought
new residents to old towns like Riverdale, Harvey,
Homewood and Flossmoor. The booming American
economy of the post-War era fueled industrial expansion
as more industries migrated south from Chicago for
cheaper land and more space. The steel mills and auto
assembly plants in Riverdale and Chicago Heights
hummed. Culture followed to meet the needs of a
growing population. Thornton College, now South
Suburban, Governors State University and Prairie State
College opened and expanded. Recreational pursuits
were easy to come by as the region's creeks and rivers
became corridors for the Cook County Forest Preserve
District.
Over the last decade of the 20
th
century, the Calumet
Region has continued to undergo change, with a contin-
ued influx of blacks and Hispanics seeking the American
dream of a single family home on a larger lot. Residential
development continues to take place on the fringes of the
region, with new housing developments being built in
Richton Park, Country Club Hills and Park Forest. The
Calumet region also struggles to cope with economic
decline in older portions of the region as new investment
occurs in undeveloped agricultural areas to the south and
west and in Indiana.
Who We Are
The Calumet region is probably the most racially diverse
of any Chicago suburban area. Year 2000 census data
show that the the African-American population continues
to grow, with equal numbers of both blacks and whites in
many towns that had been exclusively white just two
decades ago.
Participants in the Citizen Transportation Plan
Connecting Communities summit on April 7, 2001,
reflected this diversity with whites making up 64 percent,
African-Americans 32 percent, Native Americans 5
percent and bi-racial or other groups, 5 percent. Repre-
sented among us were members of faith-based organiza-
tions, disabled persons, bicycling advocates, environmen-
talists, transit riders and motorists.
We came from across the region, from the rural town of
Beecher to the inner-ring suburbs of Riverdale and Calu-
met City. Women predominated, making up 73 percent of
those in attendance. Unfortunately, there was no partici-
pation from youth. Of the persons attending, a smaller
number than the general population had children under 14
in their households.
Our Vision
We desire a region that understands the relationship
between transportation and pollution and undertakes
efforts to mitigate transportation's negative effects on air
quality and open spaces. We want to maintain and
preserve the region's existing assets, reinvest in aban-
doned industrial sites, or brownfields, and encourage
economic development in depressed communities.
Our vision for the Calumet region reflected all of the
goals as outlined in the first Citizen Transportation Plan.
Survey results revealed that we strongly support the
principle of public involvement in local and regional
planning processes to bring about our vision for our
communities. We also expressed a strong desire to be
able to shop at traditional suburban downtowns with a
mix of housing, jobs and services. We expressed a
preference for walkable, pedestrian-scale communities
with easy access to shopping, schools, recreation and
medical facilities. We envision a community where all
residents can take advantage of the region's amenities by
transit, walking or by bike. The ability of seniors, the
disabled and children to have full, meaningful lives with
transportation independence is important to us.
Challenges and Solutions
Good transit enhances economic development
efforts.
Good transit service is an incentive for pro-
spective employers. To stem the social consequences of
unemployment and under-employment, we also view
transit as necessary to connect those most in need in our
communities with economic opportunity in other parts of
the Chicago region. We feel redevelopment of
brownfields for new job-generating industrial and
commercial development would benefit our region.
Provision of attractive, convenient transit service to these
redevelopment sites is a priority. Downtown Chicago,
the Ford Assembly Plants and suburbs to the northwest
of Chicago are logical destinations for improved transit
service from the Calumet region.
Preferred Transportation Projects
0
5
10
15
20
Build roads
More bike access
Improve transit
Better pedestrian access
Multiple responses were allowed
Jobs and economic development are a high
priority.
As the Calumet region has aged and many
industrial jobs have migrated elsewhere, the need for
economic development has become an important
priority of local elected officials and residents. The
need to develop more job opportunities is the back-
drop to discussions in local media, in city councils and
township halls and was so at the
Connecting Com-
munities summit. We feel there is a dire need for
economic development and job creation in the older
industrial communities of our region. Several commu-
nities have been hit hard by industrial decline and are
suffering disinvestment and other social problems.
Relieving congestion would improve our quality of
life.
Relieving congestion points in the existing trans-
portation network would enhance economic develop-
ment opportunities, improve access to jobs and
improve our quality of life. Several viaducts and
railroad grade crossings along 159th Street and the
junction of the Bishop Ford Expressway and Kingery
Expressway are the most congested spots in the area.
Viaduct expansion and grade separations would
alleviate railroad/highway congestion and better transit
service would entice some out of the cars clogging
congested highways. Bus service should be increased
along Torrence Avenue and Halsted Street, major
North-South arterials that parallel the Bishop Ford.
The lack of commuter rail service in the eastern part of
the region is a disincentive to use transit. Parking lots
and station amenities should be improved at existing
Metra Electric stations, but are only a short-term
solution to the congestion faced by the communities in
the eastern segment of the region. Express bus service
should be expanded along existing expressways to
speed travel to the Loop and to the west for coordi-
nated connections with existing Metra service to
downtown.
More transit means more choices.
We believe that
greater investment in attractive, convenient transit
service is preferable to construction of additional road
capacity. We are not satisfied with transit service in
our region. Despite survey results that indicate the
private auto is our overwhelmingly chosen mode for
local trips, we are willing to use quality public transit if
it is provided. The level of service provided in this
region is inadequate for our families' needs.
The Calumet Connecting Communities summit participants came as individuals and as members of groups.
Some of the groups that helped plan the summit include:
Human Action Community Organization
Lincolnway-South Corridor Against the Tollway
RURAL
Shut This Airport Nightmare Down
Ministers Conference of South Cook County
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.
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
Pace is the primary transit service provider in the
Calumet region as Metra maintains only one service
route, the Electric District line between University
Park in the southwest part of the region and Chicago.
As currently configured and provided, there are many
gaps in existing bus service. The geographic cover-
age and duration of service need to be expanded.
The primary Pace transfer points in the region are the
Harvey Transportation Center and the Chicago
Heights Transportation Center, leaving many residen-
tial districts without convenient access to bus service.
Bus service is infrequent, often once an hour or less,
and usually does not operate much past weekday
rush periods and rarely on weekends.
Additional north-south bus service should be estab-
lished on Cicero Ave., Pulaski Rd. and Cottage
Grove Ave. and east-west service augmented
on159th Street, Lincoln Hwy/211
th
Street and
instituted on Joe Orr Rd. All the shopping areas and
hospitals have Pace service, but unless one lives on
the Pace route that directly serves these regional
destinations, they cannot effectively be reached
except by car. Shuttle van service should be added
to connect connect apartment complexes and senior
centers with expanded bus service on arterial
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 and Policy Center of the Midwest
Friends of the Chicago River
Connecting Communities Regional Partners
We are in agreement that transportation is one of many
assets that can build economic and community strength
in the Calumet region. The diversity of our back-
grounds did not dilute our unity of vision. We want the
Calumet region to be a vibrant, socially and economi-
cally diverse region with more and better transportation
choices. We need to strengthen our communities so
that all residents can meet their needs close to home.
And we want better transit, bike and pedestrian access
to education, jobs, shopping and medical care for all,
including seniors and the disabled. In order to achieve
these goals, we want our public officials to act coop-
eratively to insure our voices are heard and we want to
be a part of the decision-making process that deter-
mines what projects get built in our communities.
lighting along sidewalks, at transit centers and at bus
stops. To enhance safety, implement cooperative
agreements between police departments that may have
jurisdiction over transit routes passing through more
than one community.
streets, nearby transit centers and medical facilities. To
further improve the attractiveness of transit, improve