Connecting
Communities
The South Side of Chicago
November 28, 2001
Our communities on Chicago's South Side offer a rich
history marked by legendary blues hideouts, world-
class museums and handsome boulevards. After the
Chicago Fire in 1871, newcomers flocked to unincor-
porated neighborhoods south of the city, quickly
buying prime real estate. The first to inhabit the area
were Irish, Dutch and Scandinavian immigrants in
search of jobs in the burgeoning industrial tracts.
During the era known as the Great Migration (circa
1900 - 1960), African-Americans from the South
arrived in Chicago in search of jobs and equality.
The industrial history of the region is as diverse as its
people. Chicago was the greatest railroad city in the
United States. The stock yards on the South Side
created great demand for rail transport. Rail and local
waterways facilitated the trade of goods such as
lumber, grain, livestock and steel products. The
southern area steel mills introduced thousands of jobs
to the area and spurred expansion of existing rail and
transportation services. Transportation stimulated the
economy of the area as home seekers followed the rail
lines and new communities were developed.
Around the turn of the century, the elevated train was
slowly introduced to the South Side, first reaching to
39
th
Street, later stretching onto Englewood and
Kenwood. The South Side experienced a population
boom in the first half of the 20th century, with some
areas nearly doubling in size. As time passed, racial
tensions in some areas increased and the once bustling
industrial centers closed their doors, putting many
people out of work.
Today the region boasts economically and culturally
diverse neighborhoods, including substantial African-
American, Mexican and Arab communities. The
ongoing demolition of many Chicago Housing
Authority units creates challenges and opportunities.
Many former CHA residents have been forced to relocate
in city and suburban communities that are less well served
by public transportation than their prior homes.
Who We Are and How We Get Around
We came to the summit at Crerar Memorial Presbyterian
Church, at 81
st
and Calumet, from neighborhoods all over
the South Side, including Chatham, Hyde Park, South
Shore, and Morgan Park. Our focus was on the area of
Chicago south of Pershing Road (39
th
Street). We were
about evenly distributed between male and female. More
than 50% of total participants were African-American or
bi-racial. Most of us were above 30 years of age.
Of the 36 of us who participated in the summit, 26
reported having cars. About half of us used transit in the
last month, for a cumulative total of 680 transit trips (or
an average of 40 trips per month per transit user). About
half of us, but not necessarily the same half, walked to
Historic Railroad Communities Rebound
accomplish some of our errands each week. Even with
that many transit and walking trips, our most frequent
mode of travel is still by car.
Eleven of our families have children under 14 at home;
almost half of our families report that children walk to
school some of the time. Of the trips to school that are
made in vehicles, half are by bus and half by car.
Challenges and Solutions
Our greatest concern is access to jobs.
Residents of
our communities have the longest commute times in the
entire region.
*
Our ability to travel to jobs outside our
area, particularly to jobs in the suburbs, would be
facilitated by more comprehensive and better connected
transit service. In our region, the ratio of jobs to
population is four persons for every one job compared
to the North Side where there are three persons per
job.
* *
Although many rail lines cross our communities, rail
transit on the south side tends to be less accessible
than in some other areas of the city. Metra's Rock
Island and SouthWest Service lines offer no stops
until travelers reach the farthest edges of the city.
The CTA's Red, Green and Orange Lines have
intervals between stops of one or one and a half
miles. Consequently fewer of us report rail service
near our homes than in other areas of the city.
In many parts of the city, transit stations are nodes
for businesses and employers. This is less so in
some of our neighborhoods, particularly on the
Southwest side and the area around the old Pullman
and US Steel plants. New developments, such as the
Gateway Park area and the ATA Training Center on
7200 S. Kostner will bring large new workforces
that need transit to the area. Other companies on the
Southwest side still are in need of better transit for
their workers, such as the Nabisco Company and
Stylemaster, both located in the Chicago Lawn
neighborhood. Investing in our communities through
centering commercial development around transit hubs
will increase our communities' vitality, and enable us
to live, work, and travel more conveniently.
The transportation sector, including intermodal rail,
provides a large number of good-paying jobs for our
region and could prove more. We would like to see
additional transportation jobs come to our communities.
The precedent of transportation generating new jobs
and housing on the South Side is one historic precedent
we should repeat.
Transit is an essential service that needs investment
and improvement.
By a very wide margin we see an
increase in public transportation as the most important
way to improve transportation for our communities. We
want transit that is safe, reliable and well connected.
Equitable access is an important value for us. Seniors
and the disabled need better access to CTA buses and
trains. All Metra stations should be accessible by ADA
standards as well. A universal fare card and better
coordination between transit providers would increase
ease of access for all of us.
Infrequent service on some of our bus routes is a major
problem and some buses tend to bunch together,
compounding the problem of long waits between buses.
Express buses would increase our transit options. The
comfort, cleanliness and maintenance of our bus fleet is
not always kept at a high level. Amenities such as bus
shelters would be welcome at many locations.
Metra service on the Rock Island and SouthWest
Service lines bypass most of our communities
. The
Rock Island travels 90 blocks from downtown before
stopping near the edge of the city and the SouthWest
Service covers even more distance without stopping.
The long distance between many CTA rail stations
makes transit less convenient in some of our
communities. We made recommendations for new
stops on CTA and Metra lines and would also like to
see a station in our community for the new High Speed
Rail initiative.
Based on analysis of 1990 data from the Chicago Area Transportation Study (CATS): average commute time for communities
south of Pershing Road in Chicago is 38 minutes; the regional average is 31 minutes.
Based on analysis of 1990 data from the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC).
*
* *
Existing Rail Lines South of 39th Street
A Job Development Opportunity
We felt strongly that existing Red Line service should be
extended to the city limits. Existing rail should be
utilized at a higher level of productivity, by increasing
the capacity of trains on all lines and by innovative uses
of existing track, like the "Gray Line" proposal (which
involves using the in-city Metra Electric Line as a CTA
Line). We would restore the Green Line on
Stony Island.
More innovate shuttle services could also be provided.
The issue of safety was raised regularly. Safety is of
special concern to the elderly, disabled and children. One
inexpensive but effective safety policy would be to allow
riders to get on or stay on a bus at the end of the line (i.e.,
they might ride a brief time in the wrong direction in
order to have the security of being inside a bus.
Altgeld Gardens was cited as an example of a community
that is relatively isolated and in need of transit access.
This community is one of the poorest in the nation. It is
imperative that its residents can access jobs in other parts
of the metropolitan region. We believe that making
transit improvements for the communities that are most
economically deprived is essential to improving the
economic strength of the whole region. Increased transit
connectivity would also contribute significantly toward
improving the overall quality of life for the residents of
Altgeld Gardens.
We need coordinated planning in other areas too.
Accessible, safe and convenient transportation options
are necessary to maximize our mobility without causing
environmental damage. Walkable neighborhoods are
highly desirable, but increasingly hard to find. Road rage
is a constant threat to walkers. Snow and ice keep older
or disabled people house-bound for weeks on end.
Sidewalks are integral to the traditional communities that
we want to preserve or recreate. Pedestrian traffic
encourages local purchases and helps to keep money
circulating within a community.
There are not enough safe bicycle routes and bicycle
riders are not legally regarded as "intended" users of
roads. We advocate policies that clearly promote
walking and bike riding. A relatively small investment in
sidewalks, bike routes and amenities like benches and
bike racks would generate very large dividends. We
would expand programs for linking bicycles with transit,
including bike parking at transit stops, bike racks on
buses and bike transport on trains, both CTA and Metra.
We would go further and create covered bike trails for
winter riding.
We need to better coordinate investments for auto-
mobiles too. Many of the streets in our communities are
in very poor condition. There are many spots on the
South Side where freight rail lines intersect roads and
cause massive traffic jams. Grade separations at 95
th
and Stony Island, at 127
th
and Western, and at 71
st
and
South Shore would alleviate some of the worst traffic
tie-ups. Existing roadways could be more efficiently
used with better signalization and more left-turn lanes.
While we want traffic to move more efficiently, we do
not want it to move at speeds that are detrimental to
either pedestrians, bicyclistsor other traffic.
Parking lots near transit encourage ridership. We
encourage the construction of parking lots near transit
stations, but only where there is not likely to be
significant transit oriented development. Transit nodes
with the potential to be centers of community and
economic activity would not be well served by large
parking lots and should be conserved for job generating
activity. Housing should not be torn down to construct
parking lots or other transportation projects.
We were excited to reach consensus on so many issues
in one meeting. The fact that we could make
significant improvements at very little cost when we
concentrated on pedestrian and bicycle travel was an
important revelation. The common themes between
communities and between different people created a
unifying experience. It was exciting to offer citizen
input on transportation issues; it was a new experience.
While we know that actually constructing some of
these projects requires specialized training, it was
satisfying to find that average citizens often have expert
insight into the problems and solutions facing their
communities.
Our Vision for Our Communities
We are very energized by the opportunity to look
at the region's future and offer our vision for a
brighter tomorrow. We are resolute in believing
that the public should be involved in regional and
local planning on a continuous basis, not just
periodically. We envision a region where citizen
input results in more walkable neighborhoods,
well planned transit stations that create economic
activity in our communities, and a local mix of
housing, jobs and services near our transit
stations. Our ideal region would fairly distribute
the benefits and burdens of transportation among
communities and would reuse and rebuild existing
communities. As citizen planners we would
assure that air and water quality are protected as
we make our transportation investment decisions.
We have a clear and very strong consensus that
investment in public transit is fundamental to
achieving this vision.
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.
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
Connecting Communities Regional Partners
The South Side Connecting Communities summit participants came as individuals and as members of groups.
The people who helped plan the summit came from the following groups:
Center for Urban Politics & Policy,
at Chicago State University
Crerar Memorial Presbyterian Church
Greater Southwest Development Corporation
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
Greater Washington Park Community Development Corp.
Southeast Chicago Development Commission
University of Chicago Environmental Center
Recommendations
Create local jobs as well as access to jobs in other areas.
Transit oriented development is one way to create businesses, services and
jobs near our transit stations, provide local economic development, reduce the need to drive, and increase the city's tax base. This kind
of redevelopment can and should happen without tearing down existing housing stock. The efficiency of traditional, dense
communities, with easy access between jobs and housing should be preserved where it exists now and recreated where there is vacant
land near transit stations. In other areas, existing freight rail lines can be an asset in redeveloping areas hard hit by the demise of the
Pullman and US Steel companies with new transportation industries. Employers and transit agencies should work to find ways to make
the reverse commute more affordable for minimum wage workers. Access to capital for minority business development should be
encouraged. The manufacture of rapid transit passenger trains and buses should happen locally.
Build on existing transit assets.
Existing bus service needs to be enhanced on both North-South and East-West routes, especially the
55
th
Street, King Drive, Cottage Grove and Avenue O buses. Express buses and more frequent service were suggested as
improvements to increase transit use. More bus shelters, and seats in existing bus shelters, should be added to accomodate seniors and
the disabled. The CTA needs to resolve equipment, maintenance, driver, and vehicle replacement issues more efficiently. Unlimited
CTA and PACE transfers within a two hour time period should be considered, rather than the three-ride limit, since those with less
access to transit should not be financially penalized. Shuttle bus service should be instituted at: 1) Midway Airport to Lake Shore
Drive; 2) Garfield Blvd. Red/Green Line stops to Hyde Park; and 3) several sites radiating out from the 95
th
Street station.
The Red Line should be extended to the city limits; new stations should be built at 58
th
/59
th
Streets, 102
nd
Street and 111
th
Street. A new
Green Line Station should be constructed at 63
rd
and Stony Island, with a mile of new track from the current terminus. New Metra
stops should be built at locations that best connect service with the CTA. We should investigate the Gray Line proposal. Existing
Metra stations need to be rehabilitated, including better lighting and security. CTA, Metra and Pace should work cooperatively toward
a universal fare card and coordinate their services better. Improve signage at Metra stations and increase the number of places where
CTA and Metra stations connect for transfers.
Planning traditional neighborhood development will increase our transportation options.
Sidewalks and bicycle routes need to
be improved or constructed in all of our communities, but especially near transit stops. We need to facilitate the use of transit in
combination with walking or biking by providing bus shelters and other pedestrian amenities, installing bike racks at train stops and on
buses, and allowing bicycles on Metra as well as on the CTA at off-peak times. There is a need for immediate improvements to bicycle
and pedestrian infrastructure on East-West streets. The city should redirect some snow-removal capacity from the streets to the
sidewalks, especially around transit and in commercial areas. Existing roads and traffic flow could be improved with better signals and
more left turn lanes, being mindful of the need to integrate automobile traffic with pedestrian and bicycle travelers. Build parking lots
near transit sites such as63
rd
Street and the Dan Ryan, 95
th
Street and the Dan Ryan, 119
th
Street and Ashland Avenue, 138
th
Street and
Avenue O, and multiple use parking options for shared space between commuters and grocery shoppers. Parking lot development
should not conflict with economic development opportunities.
Provide more and better opportunities for the public to be involved in transportation planning.
The city, the state, the county
and the transit agencies should all increase the opportunities for public comment early in a planning cycle, rather than telling the public
what will happen after plans are finalized. We clearly understand the impact of transportation on jobs and community development.
When our communities are threatened or blessed by transportation plans, we should be the first to know and have the opportunity to
shape or re-direct the plans to benefit local neighborhoods.