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Old Posted Jan 29, 2022, 4:52 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Chicago, IL
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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.
Well, if the city "taps the breaks" where are they going to get any of the money for the Invest South/West initiative and the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund? That money practically pours out of the West Loop to the rest of the city. Unless they unseat the more nimbyish aldermen in downtown (looking at you Reilly) then good luck getting that money for development.

How about their affordable housing goals? All the new affordable housing built in the West Loop is wonderful reelection material. Unless the city challenges the prerogative of downtown wards then good luck getting the money for the south and west side projects. It would be idiotic of them to tap the breaks on this. Better to have a traffic clusterf*ck than be accused of not investing in other neighborhoods.
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