South Shore High School Students:
Increasing Mobility to Enhance Their Futures
SPECIAL REPORT
ADDENDUM TO THE
The South Side of Chicago
Connecting Communities Summit
Future leaders in the South Shore community
gathered at South Shore High School
*
on February
13
th
, 2002 to outline their vision for community
mobility. Eleven freshmen and sophomores and two
City Year Chicago volunteers participated in creating
this vision. Participants clearly understood the way
transportation affects their community's well-being.
South Shore mini-summit attendees were ready to
fully engage themselves in designing plans to
promote safe, accessible and reliable transportation.
Students at South Shore High School are predomi-
nately Black, as is the surrounding community. Of
the thirteen mini-summit participants, 10 were Black,
one was Hispanic and two were White.
Attendees had a broad vision to improve many
aspects of the community. The importance of
access to jobs was a major theme. Concerns for the
safety of pedestrians, public transit riders and
automobile users were raised. Moving people safely
at all hours of the day in all neighborhoods via foot,
bike, public transit or automobile needs to be ad-
dressed. Alleys are particularly dangerous because
of obstructed vision and automobiles traveling at high
speeds. The environment was also a primary
concern. Air and water quality could be improved if
more people had an opportunity to choose between
different modes of transportation, including cleaner
modes like walking and biking. Students noted the
varying levels of transit service on Chicago's South
Side. Better connections between different types of
transit would reduce total travel time and increase
safety levels for everyone, especially youth who
need the option to travel independently. Participants
suggest all of these themes be considered when
developing transportation plans.
*
South Shore High School, at 7529 South Constance Avenue, is one of the schools selected by the Board of Education for the
new "Small Schools" initiative.
Public transit was reported as the most frequently used
method of getting around. Traveling in a car with others
and walking were the next most likely ways South
Shore students travel. Most respondents did not have a
drivers' license, so driving alone was not an
option. While some enjoy bicycling, it was one of the
least used methods. Mini-summit participants men-
tioned poor cycling conditions as the main reason for not
biking more frequently. Four respondents walk on a
daily basis to do their errands.
All of the participants indicated a bus stop located near
their home, and 38% have nearby train service. Living
near transit stations did not ensure adequate service.
About half of the respondents reported low service
frequency with four respondents reporting service once
an hour and three had service less than once an hour.
In the previous month, seven attendees took transit
logging a total of 349 trips. At that level of use, regular
transit users average 50 trips per month. Average
household size was 4.6 persons; eight households
included children under the age of fourteen. Three-
quarters of these younger children walk to school.
Mini-summit participants often visit Ford City Mall,
Evergreen Plaza, the McDonald's at 79th & Phillips,
South Shore High School and neighborhood parks. The
area near the Belmont El station and downtown loca-
tions such as the Sears Tower and Navy Pier are aso
frequented. Students were well aware of the relation-
ship between service and accessibility on the South Side
and the need for better access to jobs in other parts of
the region. Transportation could also promote economic
development in South Side communities that lack jobs.
Participants voiced the need to increase the overall bus
service and extend service hours on the South Side.
