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Old Posted Jan 29, 2022, 4:31 AM
rivernorthlurker rivernorthlurker is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ardecila View Post
Well, assuming the city doesn't tap the brakes as some are now calling for (see editorial in Crain's last week).

The Loop has a huge volume of infrastructure serving it to enable all that density. Fulton Market has only 2 L stops on the Green/Pink Lines no less, no Metra access and no direct connections to the North Side except the traffic-choked and overcrowded Halsted/Ashland buses. If you want to drive, most of the intersections in Fulton Market are still 4-way or 2-way stops, no stoplights. They get overwhelmed and gridlocked with only moderate traffic levels.

Hard to see how this growth can continue much longer unless the city finds better ways to handle transportation in/out of the area. Covid gave them a headstart since all of those shiny offices are sitting unused, but I don't think the city will have anything at the end of the pandemic when workers come flooding back, except maybe some better gates at the Metra crossings. The Fulton streetscape was nice and certainly makes walking more pleasant in the neighborhood, but it's not gonna help tens or hundreds of thousands of people come and go daily.
Great points.

I'd argue there are 3 L stops though, Ashland, Morgan, and Grand. Grand will actually be closest to many of the new developments north Of Kinzie like 330 N Green and many others - and it's on a different line. Also Fulton Market is just as accessible to Ogilvie as much of the western Loop is. Instead of hoards of commuters walking over bridges over the South Branch to the Loop from Ogilvie, many will end up walking west over the Kennedy to Fulton. It's the same distance in many cases and Ogilvie's entrances extend all the way up to Randolph. I think a Metra stop will come eventually as well. Also I think there will be a lot more people living in Fulton than the loop which is pretty devoid of residential internally.

But yeah, I think we might be in for a shock after the pandemic is over with all the new construction in Fulton and how much more congested it might be.

Rethinking this, it would probably be a nightmare boarding any of the L (Ashland, Morgan, Grand) trains outbound from the Loop during rush hour, though the Brown and Red are the worst. The Merchandise Mart brown/purple line comes to mind going north. It's basically impossible to get onto during rush hour.

Maybe the 'tapping the breaks' is to adjust zoning more towards residential which they've already started to do. https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/03...fulton-market/ This is a major reason the Loop is so congested, it's all commercial.

Last edited by rivernorthlurker; Jan 29, 2022 at 5:04 AM.
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