[BCNnet] Soliciting Environmental Input for the North Lake Shore Drive Study Project

[Luscombe, Mark]

I am the President of Fort Dearborn Chapter of Illinois Audubon.  Fort Dearborn Chapter has become involved in the North Lake Shore Drive Study Project to make sure that concerns about migratory birds are represented in the planning process.  This email is designed to update birding groups on the current status of the study and to request input for the April, 2014 task force meetings that are designed to proposed solutions for identified problems.  Inputs from concerned birding organizations and other interested parties are being requested by the end of March, 2014.

Background

The North Lake Shore Drive Study Project is a study through 2016 to lead to the rebuilding of North Lake Shore Drive in Chicago from Grand Avenue to Hollywood Ave. Key members of the project study group are the Illinois Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Chicago Department of Transportation, Chicago Park District, and Chicago Transit Authority.

The goal of the project study group is to develop transportation facilities that fit into surroundings, improve safety and mobility, and preserve and enhance the scenic, economic, historic, and natural qualities of the area.  The study area includes all of Lincoln Park in Chicago.  It is anticipated that an Environmental Assessment and possibly an Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared and submitted before construction can be commenced.  The project study group has solicited input from the various stakeholders through setting up several task forces and public meetings.

Fort Dearborn Audubon serves on the Park Users and Environmental task forces.  Other task forces are the transportation, business and institutional, and three geographic area (Grand Ave. to Diversey Ave; Diversey Ave. to Montrose Ave.; and Montrose Ave. to Hollywood Ave.) task forces.

Environmental issues being considered include:  social, economic, historical resources, archaeological resources, air quality, highway traffic noise, plants and wildlife, water quality, floodplain, wetlands, hazardous waste, land use, parks and recreation, soils and geology, and visual resources.

Problem Areas Identified

Some of the general problem areas that have been identified include:

Reduce congestion and improve mobility
Improve safety
Improve transit
Improve east-west access
Provide and expanded and safer bicycle and pedestrian facilities


Problems identified by the Park Users Task Force include:

Lack of safety and comfort at access points
Lack of lighting
Lack of amenities along trail and secondary trails, way finding (access points), mile markers, water fountains
Trail safety; inconsistent trail design, lack of separation at crossings, lack of separation of users
Pedestrian tunnels and corners; Oak Street and Division curve, North Avenue bridge
Design of road, trail design, trail infrastructure, accessibility points, junctions and entry points
Trail widens and constricts at various points for all users, sand blows onto path, ability to plow; path materials
Poor safety, accessibility and congestion to and from Lake Shore Drive
Insufficient public transit, lack of dedicated right-of way along North Lake Shore Drive, poor access into park on transit, Lack of accessible transit for tourists
Lack of communication to drivers exiting North Lake Shore Drive that they are entering a different traffic environment
Signage
Cubs traffic/Addison access
Poor safety and accessibility to and from lake front path, inadequate lighting
Lack of emergency pull-offs
Trees hide streetlights, more adequate lighting because the sodium lights go off and on randomly
Emergency phones

Problems identified by Environmental Task Force include:

Carbon neutral highway that minimizes environmental impact, improving air quality, reducing noise, and/or generating energy
Too much congestion, not a good route for the bike community, allocation of space
Need to move traffic efficiently and safely, slower?
Not safe: poor lighting, traffic speed enforcement, isolated underpasses, gapers delays, pedestrian crossing access/signage
Transit: time saving efficiency versus driving, multi-model transit corridor - not a highway
Extreme traffic congestion at Montrose/Wilson/Lawrence, cross streets, during summer, beach recreational high season
North Lake Shore Drive is obsolete for today's needs:  not positioned for future trends with bikes and pedestrians, based on 1930 design trends
How do we encourage transportation other than automobile use?
East/east west movements, transit not linked, routes ineffective for pedestrians
How do we deal with conflicts between pedestrians, bikes, dogs, cars, birds, etc.?
Lakefront trail facility doesn't suit the demand:  too narrow, too crowded, general confusion, poor flow, poor signage, extreme competition among users, poor lighting, safety concerns
Construction/renovation may have negative impact on natural and restored habitat in study area
Storm water runoff can negatively impact resources; natural resources (Lake Michigan), city resources (storm/sanitation sewers)
How do we encourage resiliency of the shore line and a natural connection to the lake?
How to minimize negative storm water impacts, encourage more storm water flow back into the lake?
Keep higher speed trail users away from natural areas
Improve and expand natural habitats
Improve public restroom facilities and security near natural habitats
Direct lighting where needed and minimize light diffusing into sky

With an area in such high use as Lincoln Park and North Lake Shore Drive, there are of course many interests represented on the task forces with sometimes complementary and sometimes competing interests.

Action Request

The upcoming April, 2014 task force meetings will seek to identify possible solutions to identified problems.  A specific date for the meetings has not yet been set, nor a specific date for a follow-on public meeting.  For example, one of the solutions being considered is to do a lake fill between Grand Ave. and Oak Street to widen traffic lanes, create interchanges with Ontario and Chicago Avenues, widen the lakefront trail, and add native plantings.  More information about the North Lake Shore Drive Study Project can be found at their website:  www.northlakeshoredrive.org.

I would appreciate any inputs from Chicago area birding groups and other interested parties as to ways to improve the north lake front area from Grand Avenue to Hollywood Avenue for migrating birds.  It would be helpful to have those inputs by the end of March, 2014.  I have already submitted to the project study group BCN's green paper "The Lake Michigan Flyway:  Chicagoland's Role in the Miracle of Bird Migration" by Terry Schilling and Christine Williamson.  You may reply by email or by mail to the address indicated below.

Thank you for your inputs.


Mark Luscombe
President
Fort Dearborn Chapter
Illinois Audubon Society
1619 N. Vine
Chicago, Illinois 60614
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