Chicago Transit Authority ORANGE LINE EXTENSION ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS STUDY SCREEN 1 BOARDS BOARD: FTA’S REQUIRED NEW START 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. BOARD: Purpose and Need -- Transportation Needs * Relieve roadway, bus and passenger congestion at Midway Airport Orange Line Station * Better accommodate tremendous growth in employment opportunities along Cicero Avenue and air travel at Midway since the opening of the Orange Line in 1993 * Reduce lengthy bus trips to access Orange Line * Alleviate traffic congestion due to expected growth in study area population and employment -- Opportunity for Improvement * Extend rapid transit service south from Midway Airport Orange Line Terminal * Improve access to, within, and beyond study area * Support economic development and job opportunities * Shorten transit travel times through faster and more direct routing BOARD: COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION Community participation is one of the key components of the alternative analysis -- Community Outreach * General Public * Elected and Appointed Officials * Community and Civic Organizations * Faith-based organizations * Local and State Agencies -- Ongoing Public Involvement / Input * Meetings announced through public notices and advertisements * Project updates on the CTA web site: www.transitchicago.com. Accessible at local libraries BOARD ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS PROCESS Flow chart 1 illustrates the process of examining a universe of alternatives, application of evaluation criteria, and narrowing options during the Alternatives Analysis Process to arrive at a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA). Throughout the process, there is public involvement. Flow Chart 2 illustrates the Screen 1 process. Eleven technologies are added with four corridors and four profiles to obtain the universe of technologies, which includes 178 combinations including the no-build and the transportation system management alternative. The eleven technologies listed are Automated Guideway/Monorail, Bus Rapid Transit, Commuter Bus, Commuter Rail, Heavy Rail Transit, High Speed Rail, Light Rail Transit, Local Bus, MagLev, Personal Rapid Transit, and Streetcar. The four corridors listed are Cicero Avenue, Belt Railway / Cicero Avenue, Belt Railway / Kostner Avenue, and Pulaski Road The four profiles listed are elevated, at-grade, trench, and underground. BOARD: TECHNOLOGIES EVALUATED Automated Guideway/Monorail Service area: airports, theme parks, circulars, ½ to 5 miles Typical Speeds: 30 miles per hour Station Spacing: ½ to 2 miles Picture: Example of a Monorail Bus Rapid Transit Service area: urban and suburbs uses, 1 to 10 miles or more Typical Speeds: 15 to 25 miles per hour Station Spacing: ¼ to 1 mile or at end points Picture: Bus Rapid Transit vehicle Commuter Bus Service area: suburbs to city, 15 to 100 miles Typical Speeds: 30 to 50 miles per hour Station Spacing: 3 to 7 miles or at end points Picture: Commuter Bus vehicle Commuter Rail Service area: suburbs to city, 15 to 100 miles Typical Speeds: 30 to 50 miles per hour Station Spacing: 3 to 7 miles Picture: Commuter Rail train BOARD: TECHNOLOGIES EVALUATED Heavy Rail Service area: Urban uses and loadings, 1 to 10 miles or more Typical Speeds: 25 to 40 miles per hour Station Spacing: ¼ mile downtown, up to 2 miles in neighborhoods Picture: Heavy Rail train car High Speed Rail Service area: Intercity, 150 to 300 miles Typical Speeds: 110 to 186 miles per hour Station Spacing: 20 to 50 miles Picture: High Speed train Light Rail Service area: Urban or suburban uses, 1 to 10 miles or more Typical Speeds: 15 to 25 miles per hour Station Spacing: ¼ to 1 miles Picture: Light Rail train Local Bus Service area: Urban or suburban uses, ½ to 5 miles Typical Speeds: 10 miles per hour Station Spacing: 2 to 4 blocks Picture CTA bus as an example of a local bus BOARD: TECHNOLOGIES EVALUATED MagLev Service area: Intercity, 100 to 300 miles Typical Speeds: 250 to 340 miles per hour Station Spacing: 20 to 50 miles Picture: MagLev train Personal Rapid Transit Service area: Small area networks or campuses, 1 to 5 miles Typical Speeds: 15 miles per hour Station Spacing: ¼ to 1 mile Picture: Personal Rapid Transit train Streetcar Service area: Urban and suburban streets, ½ to 6 miles Typical Speeds: 10 miles per hour Station Spacing: 2 to 4 blocks Picture: streetcar BOARD: STUDY AREA Map: Map that highlights the study area. The study area is bounded by 79th Street in the south, 59th Street / Midway Orange Line Station in the north, Pulaski road to the east, and Laramie Avenue as the western boundary. The map also illustrates CTA and PACE bus routes in the study area. The following CTA or PACE bus routes currently connect with CTA Orange Line trains at Midway Station: 47, 54B, X54, 55A, 55N, 55, 55x, 59, 63W, 379, 382, 383, 384, 385, 386, and 831 BOARD: CORRIDORS EVALUATED Maps of each corridor Identified: Cicero Avenue, Belt Railway / Cicero Avenue, Belt Railway / Kostner Avenue, Pulaski Road Cicero Avenue Corridor map: The corridor begins at the Midway Orange Line Station (59th Street) and extends south to 76th Street near the Ford City Mall. Belt Railway / Cicero Avenue Corridor Map: The corridor begins at the Midway Orange Line Station (59th Street) and travels south along the Belt Line Railway right-of-way corridor. At or near 6900 south, the corridor veers west to join Cicero Avenue. The corridor continues south on Cicero Avenue to 76th Street near the Ford City Mall. Belt Railway / Kostner Avenue Corridor Map: The corridor begins at the Midway Orange Line Station (59th Street) and travels south along the Belt Line Railway right-of-way corridor. At or near 6900 south, the corridor veers east to join Kostner Avenue. The corridor continues south on Kostner Avenue to 76th Street near the Ford City Mall. BOARD: PROFILES EVALUATED The four profiles listed are elevated, at-grade, trench, and underground. Each profile has a sample picture and cross section illustrating the profile in an urban mass transit environment. BOARD: STEP 1 -- TECHNOLOGY EVALUATED In a table format, each of the 11 technologies is evaluated based on its ability to meet the “measure of effectiveness” and then it is determined if it will advance for further screening. The effectiveness measures are: length of commute, typical station spacing, operating speed, and system applicability. Based on the analysis of the measures of effectiveness, the following technologies or modes of transportation will be advancing for further screening: Automated Guideway, Bus Rapid Transit, Heavy Rail Rapid Transit, and Light Rail Transit. BOARD: STEP 2 -- TECHNOLOGY AND PROFILE EVALUATION In a table format, the 4 technologies that moved forward from the last screening (Automated Guideway, Bus Rapid Transit, Heavy Rail Rapid Transit, and Light Rail Transit) are evaluated with each of the four profiles (Elevated, at-grade, trench, and underground). They are evaluated based on the following criteria: air quality, system capacity, travel time, compatibility, traffic, and project cost. Those combinations that rate positively will advance for further screening. Based on the analysis in this table, the following combinations of technologies and profiles will advance forward for further evaluation: * Bus Rapid Transit elevated * Bus Rapid Transit at-grade * Heavy Rail Transit elevated * Heavy Rail Transit trench * Heavy Rail Transit underground BOARD: STEP 3 -- CORRIDOR EVALUATION In a table format, each of the four corridors (Cicero Avenue, Belt Railway / Cicero Avenue, Belt Railway / Kostner Avenue, Pulaski Road) are evaluated based on the following criteria – land use, neighborhood, under-served population, transit usage, and accessibility. Based on this analysis, the following corridors advanced forward for further evaluation: * Cicero Avenue * Belt Railway / Cicero Avenue * Belt Railway / Kostner Avenue BOARD: STEP 4 -- COMBINED EVALUATION In a table format, previously identified combinations of technologies and profiles from Step 2 are combined to each of the remaining three corridors from Step 3 to determine which are recommended to advance for detailed evaluation. BOARD: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS The following combinations of technologies, profiles, and corridors will advance to Screen 2 of the Alternatives Analysis process: * Bus Rapid Transit, at-grade, Cicero Avenue corridor * Heavy Rail Transit, elevated and trench, Belt Railway / Cicero Avenue corridor * Heavy Rail Transit, elevated and trench, Belt Railway / Kostner Avenue corridor