Envision Evanston should include new multimodal transit plans
Evanston faces serious challenges in the coming years: high commercial vacancy rates, long-term declining enrollment in our schools and skyrocketing housing costs. An increasing financial burden on property owners and renters to fund our municipal needs will only exacerbate these woes.
The newly released Envision Evanston 2045 draft plan presents several policy solutions, including the elimination of minimum parking requirements and the loosening of development restrictions on residential lots. These changes have proven effective in other midwestern cities, and are desperately needed in our community to promote housing affordability, economic vitality and environmental sustainability.
Like a home’s foundation, our transportation network is the load-bearing structure that supports our city’s growth. Greater commitments to improving transportation can guarantee Envision Evanston’s success and reassure those with concerns about its impacts. Recent letters from and articles about our neighbors, including Sharron Perino, Jordan Stark, Alan Cubbage and Aaron Rosen, underscore the demand for a new approach. Pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders and drivers all agree that our current system is inadequate.
Evanston’s Bike Plan was last revised in 2014, and our Multimodal Plan dates to 2009. Like our zoning code, bold revisions to these plans are also needed to unsnarl traffic, cut pollution and emissions, improve safety and boost mobility for Evanstonians present and planned.
The Envision Evanston draft plan incorrectly labels many of our painted bike lanes as protected, including on Asbury Avenue, Emerson Street and Howard Street, providing a false impression as to the current state of our facilities. Recommendations largely echo our existing Complete Streets ordinance, but its results have been piecemeal and disappointing. The recent resurfacing of Main Street, as well as the planned reconstruction of Green Bay Road, have failed to include any bike lanes.
Similarly, a redesign of the Church Street and Dodge Avenue intersection near Evanston Township High School proposed street widening, narrower sidewalks and removing protected bike lanes, which we at ETA have opposed. Progress has been slow in addressing our inaccessible transit stations, hundreds of missing or unmarked crosswalks, regional trail gaps and 30 miles of roads missing sidewalks. Sustainable transportation modes must be prioritized to support increased development while meeting our Climate Action Response Plan goals to minimize carbon emissions.
First, we must commit to the construction of a comprehensive bikeway network — separate from sidewalks and road vehicles, connecting both local amenities and regional trails. This will benefit not only cyclists, but will greatly reduce conflict between pedestrians and drivers, too. Through a data-driven analysis of speed limits, truck routes and traffic volumes, ETA has developed the following plan to achieve desired accessibility and safety outcomes per Federal guidelines. Our “minimum mobility network” should, by these standards, comprise 43.5 miles of striped lanes and 31 miles of separated (protected) lanes or paths. Of these totals, we have only 13.9% of the separated routes and 6.3% of the striped lanes needed at present. This network would enable residents of all ages and abilities to walk or roll safely across our city, freeing parking spaces and road capacity for the most essential car trips. We urge this framework be included in revised bike/multimodal plans:
Second, we must invest in public transit. The installation of elevators at CTA Purple Line stations for those with limited mobility, disabilities and strollers or large luggage, should be a priority — especially at Central Street and South Boulevard near Evanston’s Hospitals and Ryan Field. There is currently no timeline for such improvements. Constructing new rail stations in south Evanston along the CTA Yellow Line, which was studied in 2007 finding significant economic benefits and ridership potential, receives no mention in the Envision Evanston plan. Of the more than 300 bus stops in Evanston, the vast majority lack shelters. Where shelters are present, many are of an outdated design which cannot fit a mobility device. All of our bus stops should have modern and accessible shelters, real-time arrival displays, and “bump-outs” so buses do not cross turn lanes or bike lanes to load. This will also help calm traffic, make waiting passengers more visible for safety and speed service by reducing dwell times. Evanston must also work with its regional transportation partners to advocate for improved timetables and reliability, particularly in southern and western neighborhoods, which have suffered drastically from repeated waves of service cuts.
Finally, we need actionable and binding process changes to ensure needed improvements are implemented. Existing revenue streams, such as parking or vehicle registration fees, should be dedicated to constructing the complete bikeway network. A provision similar to Evanston’s existing Inclusionary Housing Ordinance could require developers to contribute into a fund for bus and rail station improvements. Plans for the 1.5 mile North Shore Channel Trail extension, lakefront path improvements along Sheridan Road, and protected lanes on Chicago Avenue and Church Street, must be accelerated. And all upcoming Capital Improvement Projects, including those scheduled for Lincoln Avenue, Central Street and the remainder of Main Street, should be viewed as generational opportunities for infrastructure upgrades. Sidewalks, bus shelters, traffic calming and — as car velocities and volumes warrant — buffered or concrete-protected bike lanes must be included as non-negotiable elements of every road redesign.
Envision Evanston 2045 is the catalyst we need to make these vital changes. Our outdated mobility plans must be reevaluated within the context of new land-use aspirations. Evanston is well-positioned; by embracing our shared values, utilizing our unique geographic advantages and building upon the qualities which already make our community so desirable, we can guarantee a bright future.
To ensure the success of Envision Evanston 2045, pedestrians, bicyclists and transit riders must be prioritized and empowered through a transportation system aligned with our economic and climate goals. We encourage all to read and consider the proposal, and to provide your thoughts on how transportation improvements can be a greater focus of these plans. Feedback can be submitted to envisionevanston2045@cityofevanston.org, or via survey by Dec. 17 in English or Spanish.
