Final design for Redefine the Drive proposes lakefront highway with no transit priority

IDOT and CDOT recently hosted an open house to share their final preferred alternative for the redesign of North DuSable Lake Shore Drive. The North DuSable Lake Shore Drive Phase 1 Study is looking to improve the corridor by improving safety and mobility, addressing infrastructure deficiencies, and improving access and circulation. According to the agencies, the 7-mile corridor from Grand Ave to Hollywood Ave has as many as 170,000 vehicles per day 

After a years-long process, alternatives that would’ve included light rail transit, tunnels or causeways, or a local street with dedicated bus lanes were all ruled out. According to information shared, light rail was dismissed because the alignment along the lakeshore would require passengers to board or transfer to/from E-W bus routes at or beyond the urban edge and wouldn’t be able to directly serve destinations inland from NDLSD. No clear transit mobility improvements would be created compared to existing or improved NDLSD express bus services and would require specialized vehicles, maintenance shop and storage yard according to the agencies.

According to materials from the agencies, the selected alternative, dubbed ‘The Essential’, would significantly improve access and comfort for pedestrians and cyclists; would reduce transit delays by 7 minutes while improving reliability, rider comfort, and lakefront access; improves automotive safety and operations while minimizing cut through traffic; and reduces the footprint in Lincoln Park with no additional miles of ramos and lanes.

As IDOT and CDOT finalize the study, they will have community-focused design discussions with community members through 2024 and into 2025 with a final public hearing in 2025 before they complete the study in 2025 to become eligible for federal funding. A timeline for securing funding and initiating Phase 2 detailed design is undetermined.

See the full set of before and afters below: