Contact Contact

Explore 2021 RTA Local Planning projects and successes in interactive implementation report

July 14, 2022

Implementation Blog Banner 1110x545 1

Every year, the RTA’s Local Planning department assists local governments throughout northeastern Illinois on projects that build on the strength of the region’s transit system through two programs: Community Planning and Access to Transit. These programs provide funding and technical assistance for local governments to plan for pedestrian friendly, multi-modal, equitable, and accessible communities.

The RTA recently published its 2021 Local Planning Implementation Story Map, an interactive report of 21 RTA-supported projects around the region that are starting soon, in progress, or recently completed.

Six Access to Transit projects that were completed in 2021 are detailed in the report, including


  • Phase I engineering in the City of Harvard for pedestrian access improvements along US Route 14, IL 173, Marengo Road, and Ayer Street
  • Construction of over one-half mile of sidewalk in the Village of Lake Villa along Cedar Avenue, Central Avenue, and Lake Avenue to offer better connections to the Lake Villa Metra station
  • Construction of new sidewalk in Northlake that fills gaps along Wolf Road near its intersection with North Avenue, plus the construction of bus shelters for stops along Pace Route 309
  • Phase I engineering in the Village of Berkeley for the construction of new sidewalk along Lee Boulevard, Morris Avenue, Rohde Avenue, Spencer Avenue, and Jerele Avenue
  • Pedestrian improvements in Melrose Park on Broadway Avenue near the Melrose Park Metra station, including the installation of in-road warning lights, crosswalks, and additional signage
  • Construction in the Village of Park Forest on a 5-foot-wide sidewalk along eastbound Lincoln Highway/US Route 30 from Orchard Drive to the village’s eastern boundary and Brookwood Drive.


The report also includes details on seven Community Planning projects accepted in 2022 following a competitive application process. These projects range from developer discussion panels to transit-oriented development (TOD) plans to corridor plans and studies.

After a project is completed through the Community Planning program, the RTA monitors local efforts to implement recommendations from these projects. The implementation report features a map displaying some of the steps taken by local governments throughout the region to advance recommendations from Community Planning projects, highlighting eight of these implementation actions. For example, in Crystal Lake, a developer broke ground on the 95-unit Crystal Lake & Main multi-family development featuring 48 apartment units and 51 townhomes less than one-quarter mile from the Crystal Lake Metra station. The Village of Elmwood Park purchased a vacant 17,500-square-foot lot adjacent to the Elmwood Park Metra station and is seeking redevelopment proposals, potentially for senior housing. In Chicago’s South Loop, construction began on the Southbridge development, an 877-unit mixed-use, mixed-income multi-family development.

Overall, the projects included in the implementation report show progress toward the goals of Invest in Transit, the RTA’s regional transit strategic plan adopted in 2018. Moving forward, the RTA will continue to assist communities around the region in tackling immediate and emerging planning issues, soon under a new five-year strategic plan to be adopted in 2023.

Read more in the 2021 Local Planning Implementation Report.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

* indicates required
Type your email address here
What emails would you like to receive from the RTA
Tagged in: Access to Transit | Community Planning | RTA | TOD

Related Articles

22 RTA 0922 RTA selects projects for Access to Transit program, bringing bike and pedestrian improvements throughout the region

The RTA has selected nine new projects for its Access to Transit program, which provides funding to municipalities to complete engineering and construction f...

March 21, 2024
Rtacab RTA launches new, rider-focused Citizens Advisory Board

Following through on a key recommendation from our Transit is the Answer strategic plan, the RTA is excited to launch a newly expanded Citizens Advisory Boar...

March 21, 2024
Low line RTA’s Community Planning Call for Projects with a new Transit Station Activation pilot category aims to fund initiatives that make stations and bus stops more welcoming

Imagine stepping off the train at the end of your workday and being greeted by a local artist exhibit, or a farmers’ market with healthy food to browse and b...

March 12, 2024
2402227 RTA 01 RTA gathers riders and regional officials for Safety and Security Summit, announces Transit Station Activation grants

On February 27, the RTA joined with CTA, Metra, Pace, the City of Chicago, State of Illinois, and other municipal and social service partners to host a cross...

March 1, 2024
02 Feb TIA Anniversary Reflecting on progress one year after adoption of Transit is the Answer

February marks the one-year anniversary of the RTA Board of Directors vote to adopt Transit is the Answer, the regional transit strategic plan that serves as...

February 15, 2024
22 RTA 1518 2 Far South Halsted Corridor Study prepares for future Pace Pulse service

A new RTA Community Planning project kicked off in late 2023 as a crucial step in bringing Pace Pulse service to Chicago’s south suburbs. The Far South Halst...

January 25, 2024
RTA
CTA
Metra
Pace
Copyright © 2022 Regional Transportation Authority. All Rights Reserved.