Chicago Transit Authority CIRCLE LINE ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS STUDY SCREEN 3 PRESENTATION SLIDES September/October 2009 SLIDE: CIRCLE LINE ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS STUDY Federal Transit Administration’s New Starts Process September/October 2009 SLIDE: Schedule for Tonight’s Meeting -- Structure of the meeting -- Questions and answers process * Submit your comments in writing on comment cards * Similar comments submitted tonight will be answered in groups to maximize questions answered in time allowed * All comments will be addressed and posted on CTA’s Web site – www.transitchicago.com * An interpreter for the hearing impaired is available SLIDE: Public Involvement Meeting Schedule -- CTA Open House, Circle Line Alternatives Analysis Study: The Chicago Transit Authority invites the public to a presentation of a recommended locally preferred alternative for CTA’s proposed Circle Line. Open houses are scheduled as follows: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 6 – 8p.m. (presentation will begin at 6:15 p.m.) University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Molecular Biology Research Building 900 South Ashland Avenue (Marshfield entrance) Chicago, Illinois Wednesday, September 30, 2009 6 – 8p.m. (presentation will begin at 6:15 p.m.) Bucktown / Wicker Park Chicago Public Library Second Floor Community Room 1701 North Milwaukee Avenue Chicago, Illinois Thursday, October 1, 2009 6 – 8p.m. (presentation will begin at 6:15 p.m.) Benito Juarez Community Academy 2150 South Laflin Street Chicago, Illinois SLIDE: Tonight’s Speakers -- Darud Akbar – Moderator * Chicago Transit Authority -- Jeffrey Busby – Strategic Planning Manager * Chicago Transit Authority -- Jim Czarnecky – Project Manager * AECOM SLIDE: Outline of Presentation -- Status of the alternatives analysis study * New Starts overview * Review evaluation process -- Screen 3 preliminary findings * Expansion of the study area * Completing the alternatives analysis study * CTA recommended locally preferred alternative -- Public involvement process SLIDE: STATUS OF THE STUDY SLIDE: FTA’s Required New Starts Process Flow chart of the New Start Process: Concept Development, Alternatives Analysis Study (present stage), Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Impact Statement, Final Design, Construction, then Operation. SLIDE: Alternatives Analysis (AA) Studies -- Requirement for federal funding for transit expansion (FTA New Starts Grant Program) -- Identifies transit opportunities and ensures all practical solutions are considered -- Ensures planning is consistent among all new starts projects -- Opportunity to provide information and receive public input -- Identify recommended locally preferred alternative (LPA) SLIDE: FTA’s Evaluation Process -- Progressively fewer alternatives are studied with additional evaluation criteria until a recommended locally preferred alternative (LPA) is identified. -- Flow chart illustrates process of examining a universe of alternatives, application of evaluation criteria, and narrowing options during each screen of the Alternatives Analysis Process to arrive at a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) -- Allows for public involvement at each screening step SLIDE: Purpose and Need -- Riders must now travel through Loop to get to most destinations * Access to neighborhoods * Regional job centers * Civic and educational institutions * Transit between suburbs and city -- Connect existing CTA and Metra systems SLIDE: Evaluation Process – Detail -- Screen 1 – Reviewed universe of alternatives * Eliminated alternatives that were not suitable * Three public involvement meetings – May 2006 -- Screen 2 – Detailed definition and comparative evaluation * Specific alignments, transit ridership, and capital costs * Evaluate and identify the strongest alternatives * Three public involvement meetings – September 2006 -- Screen 3 – Final definition and evaluation * Refine strongest alternatives to best serve the Purpose and Need * Present recommended LPA and supporting data to the public and solicit feedback SLIDE: Screen 1 & 2 Public Involvement Process -- More than 500 people attended public meetings -- Met with stakeholders and elected officials -- Approximately 550 comments submitted and answered -- Significant media coverage SLIDE: Screen 1 & 2 Public Involvement Process -- Based upon public input….. * Numerous comments submitted to examine alternatives outside of original study area * Expanded study area * Extended north to Lawrence * Extended south to 79th Street * Extended west to Cicero SLIDE: SCREEN 3 ANALYSIS SLIDE: Screen 3 Expanded Study Area -- Response to public request -- Seeking cost-effective solution to Purpose and Need -- Cicero Bus Rapid Transit and Heavy Rail Transit -- Modified rail routings -- Map of Expanded study area * North boundary: Lawrence Avenue * South boundary: 79th Street * West boundary: Cicero Avenue SLIDE: Expanded Study Area Alternatives -- Cicero Bus Rapid Transit * Kimball/Lawrence to Jefferson Park * Jefferson Park to Midway via Cicero Avenue * Midway to 87th/Dan Ryan via 79th Street -- Cicero Heavy Rail Transit * Jefferson Park to Midway Airport to 87th using existing freight railroad corridor * Brown Line terminus at Kimball Avenue to Jefferson Park (Brown Line extension elevated or underground along Lawrence Avenue) -- Map of Cicero Avenue corridor illustrating the connections at the Brown, Blue, Green, Pink, Blue, Orange, and Red Lines SLIDE: New Routes -- North side (Red/Purple/Brown Lines) to Midway Airport and to Ashland / Archer (Orange Line) * Serves new travel markets * Does not use Red Line Subway in the Central Area * Does not serve downtown -- Map showing potential Circle Line alignment. The corridor begins at the Brown Line station at North & Clybourn, connects with the O’Hare Blue Line Station at Division & Milwaukee, the Pink/Green Line Station at Lake/Ashland, Congress Blue Line Station at Ogden, Pink Line Station at Roosevelt/Paulina, and the Orange Line Station at Ashland, and uses the Orange Line to connect to the Red Line at a new Chinatown Station. SLIDE: Refined Alternatives -- Lower Cost Full Circle Alternatives * Profile options with various elevated segments * Serves downtown with full circumferential service -- Map of refined alternatives: * Map illustrating a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Route * Map illustrating a Heavy Rail Transit (BRT) Route SLIDE: Alternatives Considered -- Flow chart illustrating the Alternatives Analysis process with the screening of alternatives and public involvement input process. At each step, the number of alternatives considered increased before arriving at a Locally Preferred Alternative. SLIDE: Evaluation of Alternatives Matrix -- Matrix of alternatives and rating criteria. * Alternatives considered are: New Cicero Alternatives (Bus Rapid Transit and Heavy Rail Transit options), New route alternatives utilizing Ashland & Ogden (Heavy Rail Transit to Midway and Heavy Rail Transit to Ashland / Archer options), and Refined Screen 2 Lower Cost Alternatives (Bus Rapid Transit, Heavy Rail Transit Ashland and North Avenue, and Heavy Rail Transit Ashland/Ogden options) * Criteria used to compare are order of magnitude capital costs, annual operating costs, annual projected ridership for 2030, annual user benefits in millions of hours, and annual project cost per hour of user benefits compared to the no-build. -- CTA recommendations are for Refined Screen 2 Lower Cost Alternatives (Bus Rapid Transit, Heavy Rail Transit Ashland and North Avenue, and Heavy Rail Transit Ashland/Ogden) are recommended for the long term vision and the premise of a Locally Preferred Alternative. This provides for future connections as identified in the purpose and need. SLIDE: Long Term Vision -- Provides future connections identified in Purpose and Need -- Many alignment alternatives identified for connection between Green/Pink Lines and Red/Brown/Purple Lines -- Selection requires additional environmental analysis and consideration of capacity constraints -- Map illustrating various potential alignments identified between the Red/Brown/Purple lines on the north side to the Pink & Green Lines at Ashland & Lake. SLIDE: Recommended Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) -- Connection between Orange and Pink Lines -- New connection stations (to Metra and CTA rail lines) -- Provides improvements consistent with Long Term Vision -- Can be implemented incrementally - Map illustrating the LPA * Route beginning on the North Red Line * Proposed Circle Line to utilize existing underground Red Line tracks * Potential future station at 18th / Clark to connect with a potential future Metra station at Archer * Proposed Circle Line to utilize the existing Orange Line tracks between 18th Street and Archer Avenue * A new track alignment that is an Orange and Pink Line connection * Proposed Circle Line to utilize existing elevated Pink Line tracks * A new station at Cermak – Blue Island * A potential future station at Ashland to connect with the Metra BNSF * A new station at Roosevelt Road * A new station connecting the Pink and Blue Lines and Congress / Paulina. * A proposed turn back at existing Pink / Green Line Ashland Station. SLIDE: Benefits of the Agency Recommended LPA -- New rail connection between Pink and Orange Lines -- Four new stations -- Decreased congestion on elevated Loop structure -- Essential component of the Long Range Vision -- Improved connectivity for southwest neighborhoods and activity centers * Illinois Medical District * Midway Airport * Chinatown SLIDE: Recommended Locally Preferred Alternative -- Capital Cost (inflated to estimate the year of expenditure): $1.1 Billion -- Capital Cost: $1.0 Billion -- Operating Cost: $22 Million -- Projected 2030 Ridership: 10 million SLIDE: Next Steps -- Obtain public feedback on results -- Board approval of the recommended locally preferred alternative -- Update long range plan -- Develop implementation plan SLIDE: Your Feedback -- Interpreter and translators are available -- Questions and answers process * Submit your comments in writing on comment cards * Similar comments submitted tonight will be answered in groups to maximize questions answered in time allowed * All comments will be addressed and posted on CTA’s Web Site -- Public Involvement * Add to Circle Line contact list for final updates * Answer and distribute answers to all questions and comments * Materials posted on CTA Web site - www.transitchicago.com SLIDE: Questions and Comments -- CTA representatives are available to answer additional questions -- Written comments and questions for Screen 3 will be accepted through October 30, 2009. Send to: Mr. Darud Akbar, Chicago Transit Authority, Government and Community Relations, P.O. Box 7567, Chicago, IL 60680-7567 or dakbar@transitchicago.com.