Citizens for Appropriate Transportation (CAT)
The Eisenhower Transportation Corridor

EISENHOWER TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR

The Eisenhower Corridor has three modes of transportation - expressway, CTA Blue Line, and rail freight tracks. Roads, transit buses, pedestrians, and bicyclists cross the Corridor.

The expressway has six lanes of through traffic from east of Austin Boulevard to Mannheim Road. Currently the Ike carries about 200,000 vehicles a day. The Chicago Area Transportation Study estimates that there will be 270,000 vehicles a day in the Year 2020 - a 35 percent increase. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) wants to add two more lanes as high-occupancy vehicle lanes. IDOT wants to restrict the HOV lanes to vehicles with three or more passengers and move the center ramps at Austin and Harlem to the side, which is likely to require some property acquisition.

The CTA Blue Line has two tracks, but the original design has extra right-of-way to allow for construction of an Express Track in the future. To accommodate the two HOV lanes within the existing ditch, IDOT would like to acquire some of the CTA's right-of-way. If this means eliminating the possibility of ever building an Express Track, we should oppose IDOT's plans.

The CSX has three freight tracks through part of Oak Park and two tracks in the rest of Oak Park. Wisconsin Central has trackage rights. CSX wants a higher vertical clearance if the Ike is rebuilt.

Both Pace and the Chicago Transit Authority have bus stops at CTA Blue Line Stations.

Pedestrians walk across the bridges (in an unfriendly pedestrian environment) and walk to the CTA Blue Line Stations.

Bicycle riders use the bridges and have their own set of needs.

Rick Kuner - July 2002

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