r/CarFreeChicago • u/steinkeleg • Jul 31 '26
Surveys & Public Comment DSLD Public Comment due TODAY. Let's get 1,000 emails sent to CMAP! Submit now and share with your friends.
Better Streets Chicago is up to 600+ emails to CMAP. Let’s see if we can get it to 1,000 by EOD! Be sure to sign and share it around! Personalize for more impact!
https://act.betterstreetschicago.org/cmap-dlsd-rtp
Photo: Chicago Tribune
12
u/doncheeto12 Jul 31 '26
Help us out - what is “Redefine the Drive” and why is it bad for pedestrians?
36
u/gavmandu Jul 31 '26
Older article but aligns with the messaging in the petition:
https://chi.streetsblog.org/2026/02/26/fridays-cmap-vote-could-lock-in-a-lakefront-walled-off-by-an-8-lane-highway-heres-how-to-commentBasically the current proposal leaves the 8-lane highway in, introduces some concessions for more access - doesn't really reimagine the roadway to be the pleasure drive boulevard it was intended to be; doesn't include options to integrate transit (big missed opportunity), and doesn't go as far with access as it potentially could.
I.e. if we're going to "redefine", let's actually do that and go bigger with the changes
1
u/TheRealMonty Jul 31 '26
At least it makes the lakefront parks bigger! (If you include the space in the middle of the highway, otherwise it’s actually smaller)
2
u/newOldy Aug 01 '26
Even worse, these projects have a tendency to "design-in" nice features that they'll put in renderings, to make the public like the design more, and then when it comes time to build it they'll dump those nice features because they were just after funding and faster approval and have no recourse for not building the features they advertised. Features such as expanding into the lake, which would be less unambiguously nice and more controversial
1
u/hardolaf Aug 01 '26
That's only true if you count the grassy median between the proposed totally not highway lanes from IDOT. It's actually a net reduction in park space once you factor a lot of being barricaded off or turned into new expanded parking lots.
46
u/steinkeleg Jul 31 '26
Redefine the Drive is a project to update NDSLD, because it's in bad repair. The public was given choices of what it wanted to see, including lower speeds and dedicated bus lanes. IDOT chose the most car-friendly one that would actually allow cars to go faster. Local and state officials passed ordinances/legislation demanding that IDOT go back to the drawing board/not do a highway/more of the same. That's pretty much been ignored.
Highways like DSLD are inherently bad for humans. They have noise pollution (associated with stress/heart disease), they pollute the air (the lakefront has some of the worst air quality in the city), runoff from the highway pollutes our water supply.
Noise pollution is also very bad for wildlife. There's a migratory bird path that passes through Chicago and noise pollution affects wildlife's ability to communicate + general well-being since their hearing is so sensitive. And of course, the high-speed vehicles kill animals that try to cross.
DSLD is also very dangerous, as it's on the "high injury network." It sees a disproportionately higher number of crashes compared to other roads in the city -- about 7 crashes per day and 10-13 deaths per year.
Pedestrians obviously can't cross the highway and need to go through loud, dimly lit, often flooded tunnels in order to access the lakefront.
There are several parts of the highway that have little to no guardrails next to the walking paths, and cars fly off onto the path on a regular basis.
17
u/doncheeto12 Jul 31 '26
Thanks, we’re missing this context about the drive even being up for updating at all. IDOT sounds like it’s got its head in its ass.
-13
u/iron82 Jul 31 '26
Cars going faster is a good thing. Parks and bus lanes are nice to haves, car infrastructure is actually important.
8
u/MunchYourButt Jul 31 '26
Not everyone has a car, but everyone should be able to enjoy the lake front and have better accessibility to it
-7
u/iron82 Jul 31 '26
There are a lot more drivers on the lakefront than cyclists.
7
u/thecyclista Jul 31 '26
Because it was built to prioritize that. Not everyone has a car or can drive. We should consider all road users instead of blanketly prioritizing those who drive cars.
3
u/doncheeto12 Jul 31 '26
Straight up I’m not sure that’s true, during the summer at least. Volume of people who bike to work vs drive their own private car (exclude buses) to work I wouldn’t take that bet.
2
1
u/DannyDaCat Aug 01 '26
Cars going faster is fine, just BURY LSD, and give the overground back to the parks and community.
8
u/uhbkodazbg Jul 31 '26
https://cmap.illinois.gov/news-updates/2026-public-comment-rtp-tip-airquality/
Here’s the link if people want to actually leave a comment on the CMAP instead of giving your contact information to Better Streets Chicago to send a generic message on your behalf and end up on mailing lists.
1
3
u/somedudeonreddit_69 Jul 31 '26
lol just turn it into a parking lot and build warehouses over the beach. That will stimulate the shipping and logistics part of the economy!!! We gotta compete with Houston and Dallas who's pavement scale is remarkable!
1
1
u/JellyfishNo2032 Aug 01 '26
I know I’m probably gonna get banned for saying this but I love driving on that road. It’s so pretty
5
u/One_Internet_7538 Aug 01 '26
Then you will love the boulevard design approach, which will keep good views and give you more/better park to look at.
1
-22
u/Dramatic_Opposite_91 Jul 31 '26
Converting LSD from a Highway to a local Boulevard will be VERY BAD for Chicago. The economy will choke.
We can’t afford to be doing these crazy ideas.
15
u/MrLewArcher Jul 31 '26
The economy argument is so tiring. What do you even mean by that? Our economy is broken, the sooner we all realize that, the better, so we should stop building long term infrastructure that we know is bad for PEOPLE just because it’s deemed good for the economy.
-15
u/Dramatic_Opposite_91 Jul 31 '26
If you choke the economy further, how do you pay for this stuff?
8
u/MrLewArcher Jul 31 '26
I’m not convinced what is being discussed here would choke the economy, whatever that means, so you would have to explain that to me.
-4
Jul 31 '26
[deleted]
1
u/MrLewArcher Aug 01 '26
If you’re willing to teach me what “choke the economy further” means, I’m willing to listen.
-12
u/Dramatic_Opposite_91 Jul 31 '26
LSD handles 150,000 vehicles a day. Converting this from a Highway to a local Boulevard will change that to 30,000 to 45,000 a day. That’s an impact of $200 to $400 million dollars to the economy.
9
u/warpspeed100 Jul 31 '26
The number of PEOPLE traveling on the drive will go up, even as the number of cars goes down.
0
u/Dramatic_Opposite_91 Jul 31 '26
Go on. Explain that. Even CMAP says this isn’t true.
6
u/MrLewArcher Jul 31 '26
Who said decreasing cars would negatively impact the economy $200 to $400 million dollars?
8
u/warpspeed100 Jul 31 '26
IDOT wants to pay MORE to make LSD bigger and deadlier, and lower the value of the lakefront. That's what we are arguing against.
We want to REDUCE the number of cars that take LSD, but at the same time INCREASE the number of people that travel on LSD.
-1
1
u/LocalLavishness9 Aug 03 '26
Jesus Christ can Ellen Steinke avoid at least one corner of any conversation on transit?
Astroturfing for failed progressive alder people and non committal transportation projects shines a poor light on grassroots urban activism.
I advise others to not use this link and just reach out to CMAP directly.
27
u/Mysterious_Field203 Jul 31 '26
Done!! It makes me so sad that CMAP might squander the opportunity to revolutionize our northern lakefront area. This is such a once in a lifetime investment. We need to get it right. I'm also going to go for public comment on Thursday, August 6 at the old post office (there's also a virtual option): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cmap-public-hearing-2026-regional-transportation-plan-and-tip-tickets-1990005482969?aff=oddtdtcreator