CHICAGO | General Developments

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by urbanpln

I drive down this stretch of Archer once a week. It has a lot of character in some areas but will never be a prime location due to its stroad like nature and close proximity to the expressway. A new population of immigrants could give this corridor a boast. It might not meet the expectations of many on this forum but it could be interesting.

It doesn't have to be a stroad though... it should be the south side version of Milwaukee Ave with 1 lane in each direction and bike lanes. Road diet now!

Especially when there's an expressway that parallels it, no excuse for such a huge auto sewer.

[urbanpln]

Originally Posted by ardecila

It doesn't have to be a stroad though... it should be the south side version of Milwaukee Ave with 1 lane in each direction and bike lanes. Road diet now!

Especially when there's an expressway that parallels it, no excuse for such a huge auto sewer.

Totally agree but that would piss off a lot of people on the near southwest side

[Rizzo]

Perhaps in the instance where Archer continues to densify with 4-5 story residential stuff, the residents and businesses on the avenue would feel encouraged by a road diet that would make it more desirable to walk, bike, and even feel safer parking a car versus a 4-lane expressway. In that case the constituents immediately adjacent would have a stronger voice. Of course someone 5 blocks away will want a wider avenue because they can drive to the expressway faster.

[emailspyro@gmail.com]

Do you all think it’s possible to turn some streets into One way streets so that we create ample space for bicycles? For example, what if Wilson, Armitage, Damen etc only ran in one direction with one lane? This would really impact ability to get around but would turn these sheets into bicycle heavens. If you travel Wilson East or West and now you are only able to go East let’s say… is it that big of a deal to use Nearby Lawrence or Montrose instead ?
Why do all our larger streets have to be two way? In Europe that’s not the case…

[Rizzo]

^ One ways are a bad word in planning and avoided because there’s so many problems with one way arterials. It will:

1. Result in higher vehicular speeds as there is no opposing traffic
2. Push arterial traffic to quiet residential streets that’s against the flow
3. Be problematic for buses.
4. Be chaotic at river crossings

Of course narrowing arterials to increase bike and pedestrians accommodations would amazing……for that street only. It would then be hell for pedestrians and bicyclists on quiet residential streets where all that displaced traffic shifts to.

[gandalf612]

Originally Posted by emailspyro@gmail.com

Do you all think it’s possible to turn some streets into One way streets so that we create ample space for bicycles? For example, what if Wilson, Armitage, Damen etc only ran in one direction with one lane? This would really impact ability to get around but would turn these sheets into bicycle heavens. If you travel Wilson East or West and now you are only able to go East let’s say… is it that big of a deal to use Nearby Lawrence or Montrose instead ?
Why do all our larger streets have to be two way? In Europe that’s not the case…

Look at Grand and Illinois in River North (one way arterials) vs Chicago or Division east of the river. Grand and Illinois are so much worse for pedestrians and cyclists. Drivers don't respect crosswalks, take bizarre maneuvers to turn across multiple lanes, just complete pandemonium.

[emailspyro@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by gandalf612

Look at Grand and Illinois in River North (one way arterials) vs Chicago or Division east of the river. Grand and Illinois are so much worse for pedestrians and cyclists. Drivers don't respect crosswalks, take bizarre maneuvers to turn across multiple lanes, just complete pandemonium.

Thank you all for responses. Good points. Clearly not the solution I thought the one ways could be.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by marothisu

New zoning app up to build a new 5 story, almost 70 foot tall, building with 136 apartments and only 34 parking spots at Fremont just south of Weed St. It is currently a surface parking lot and is next to SoNu Digs, near SoNo East, and a block from the new Big Deahl development under construction. It is a block or 2 at most from the North & Clybourn Red Line stop.

Forgot to mention that there will be ground floor commercial space. Wish it were taller, but 136 apartments is a nice size density wise, and ~60 feet to the common roof could be worse. This little area is building some nice density. Hope they can build some more high rises there (I know there was another few nearby planned). Always good to see another surface lot be gobbled up.. Next they need to start gobbling up some of these ultra suburban retail buildings.

Zoning app: https://chicago.legistar.com/Legisla...vanced&Search=

Here's the drawing:

[OrdoSeclorum]

Originally Posted by emailspyro@gmail.com

Do you all think it’s possible to turn some streets into One way streets so that we create ample space for bicycles? For example, what if Wilson, Armitage, Damen etc only ran in one direction with one lane? This would really impact ability to get around but would turn these sheets into bicycle heavens. If you travel Wilson East or West and now you are only able to go East let’s say… is it that big of a deal to use Nearby Lawrence or Montrose instead ?
Why do all our larger streets have to be two way? In Europe that’s not the case…

In Europe, those one ways basically serve the function of urban freeways here.

In Austin, for example, a lot of their main urban roads are one way and I hate it. A four lane-two-way road feels sort of like a two-lane road. A four lane one-way road feels like a four-lane road.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by gandalf612

Look at Grand and Illinois in River North (one way arterials) vs Chicago or Division east of the river. Grand and Illinois are so much worse for pedestrians and cyclists. Drivers don't respect crosswalks, take bizarre maneuvers to turn across multiple lanes, just complete pandemonium.

I disagree. I think one-ways are preferred in a dense downtown environment; out in the neighborhoods it's a different story. And they shouldn't be too wide - two lanes max, with occasional turn lanes at intersections.

As a pedestrian or cyclist, it's easier to keep an eye on approaching traffic if you only need to look in one direction. Drivers can make left turns easier, so you don't get as much chaos at intersections.

West Loop for example could use some more one-ways going north-south. I'd love to see Halsted and Green turned into a one-way pair, or Racine/May.

[gandalf612]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Drivers can make left turns easier, so you don't get as much chaos at intersections.

Except drivers are without exception idiots and they cannot be trusted to know which way the one way cross streets go, and end up turning from middle lanes, stopping awkwardly in the middle of the intersection, running red light because there space in an adjacent lane past the intersection. There's a quite popular Twitter account that's almost entirely videos from a one way street intersection downtown that a guy takes out his window while WFH. I'll try and remember the username, when you see the videos you'll very quickly take back your claim of less chaos.

[west-town-brad]

Originally Posted by ardecila

As a pedestrian or cyclist, it's easier to keep an eye on approaching traffic if you only need to look in one direction.

never never never never never would I just look one way before crossing a one way street. the way people driver here.... no chance.

[west-town-brad]

https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/12...city-approval/

I think it's fun to see new transit projects but honestly I'm so perplexed by this plan to extend the red line so far south at the cost of $3.6 billion (current budget, expect it to be 2x), when we have existing transit lines running through communities that need transit access, but have no usable stations. Stations either that are boarded up, have been torn down, or never existed.

that includes the Green Line on the west and south sides, Brown Line on the near north side, Blue Line on the west side.... how many stations can we get on existing lines in neighborhoods with comparable population levels for the cost of this project to 130th street?

to have a transit line running through your neighborhood with no usable station feels like a giant F-U to those residents.

[ardecila]

Not really the thread for this discussion, but the best thing I can say about Red Line Extension is that maybe it creates an appetite for more transit expansions after 3 decades of nothing. And seeing the big gantry putting up the new Red Line viaduct in Edgewater has created some genuine excitement too - people are happy to see big things being done for transit instead of just more highways. If only our leaders would take note and put forward a big transit package like LA/Seattle/Denver, or what SF is gearing up for.

Originally Posted by west-town-brad

never never never never never would I just look one way before crossing a one way street. the way people driver here.... no chance.

Obviously you glance the other way, but you don't have to actively monitor two directions of traffic like a Frogger game.

Originally Posted by gandalf612

Except drivers are without exception idiots

I'm with you so far. I travel a lot for work and Chicago drivers seem uniquely aggressive and impatient compared to drivers on both coasts. The Midwest and South are really the worst car culture.

and they cannot be trusted to know which way the one way cross streets go, and end up turning from middle lanes, stopping awkwardly in the middle of the intersection, running red light because there space in an adjacent lane past the intersection. There's a quite popular Twitter account that's almost entirely videos from a one way street intersection downtown that a guy takes out his window while WFH. I'll try and remember the username, when you see the videos you'll very quickly take back your claim of less chaos.

All of these things happen at regular 4-way intersections too. Shitty aggro drivers don't magically get better in the presence of oncoming traffic.

[Jibba]

Originally Posted by ardecila

I'm with you so far. I travel a lot for work and Chicago drivers seem uniquely aggressive and impatient compared to drivers on both coasts. The Midwest and South are really the worst car culture.

I've heard this from people who move here from out East. It's upsetting to hear about; I would have thought aggressive, non-respectful driving would be a national thing. It's really been pathetic here the past couple of years.

Belmont by me finally received some minor improvements between Ashland and Clark (sidewalk bump-outs at crosswalks, painted bike lanes [instead of sharrow]). I noticed recently that Ashland has pedestrian-oriented traffic calming measures at certain intersections in the 4000 blocks (flexible bollards to try to curb cutting corners(?)).

Playing the averages, driving behavior probably tracks with median income, sadly.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Forgot to mention that there will be ground floor commercial space. Wish it were taller, but 136 apartments is a nice size density wise, and ~60 feet to the common roof could be worse. This little area is building some nice density. Hope they can build some more high rises there (I know there was another few nearby planned). Always good to see another surface lot be gobbled up.. Next they need to start gobbling up some of these ultra suburban retail buildings.

Zoning app: https://chicago.legistar.com/Legisla...vanced&Search=

The project is from CityPads who will target kind of smaller units, although not all of them totally small (i.e. 1 bedroom apartments could go around or above 700 sq ft). They have a few other projects like this more in like Edgewater and Evanston.

I totally forgot this is the site of the formerly proposed Aloft hotel site. There's also a bldup page about a parking lot across the street but I'm not able to view it. Anyone have access? (https://www.bldup.com/projects/1520-n-fremont)


Rendering from Crains:

[Jibba]

S side of School just W of Clark


E side of Clark just N of Belmont

[marothisu]

Proposal for 47th & St. Lawrence. This is for 6 stories, 70 feet tall for 26 new units (3 of which will be "affordable") with retail space, a medical office, fitness center, and restaurant as well as 37 parking spaces. The commercial space (counting the fitness center) will be nearly 47,000 sq ft of this.

Currently a vacant lot. There was a 6 unit + commercial building issued a permit for part of the vacant lot across the street to the west in late October.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Jibba

S side of School just W of Clark

This is across the street from the new-ish 8 story Panorama residential building too.

E side of Clark just N of Belmont

The site of this was a long time surface parking lot. Across the street from that 7 or 8 story building put up a handful of years ago and another one at 6 or 7 stories.

[r18tdi]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Proposal for 47th & St. Lawrence.

Same project?

https://chicago.urbanize.city/post/c...r-wellness-hub