The Illinois Department of Transportation released a list of the top ideas for revamping North Lake Shore Drive and the lakefront earlier this week that were submitted by members of the public online or during open planning meetings. Separating various users of the lakefront path topped the list; right now cyclists, pedestrians and others share the path.





Since 2012, city and state transportation planners have been collecting and studying suggestions on how to transform the 80-year-old, 7-mile stretch of the drive from Navy Pier north to where it ends in Edgewater. They are expecting to begin the massive construction project, which could cost up to $1 billion in federal transportation dollars and take a decade to complete, no earlier than 2019.

Though the most costly parts of the project could be efforts to revamp the roadway for motorists, the Top 5 suggestions on how to improve Lake Shore Drive and the parallel trail had little to do with driving.

More than 260 commenters who have participated so far have said they would like to see separate lakefront trail pathways for cyclists and pedestrians. Next on the list, with 185 comments, are suggestions for improving public transit service on the drive. That could include installing an exclusive Bus Rapid Transit lane, increasing bus service or installing a light rail, the report said. And third on the list is a suggestion to improve east-west access to the lakefront trail at various points along the drive, with 134 comments.

In addition, planners also are soliciting ideas from the Chicago Park District and members of the public, as well as transportation experts and preservationists around the state about the best way to improve the area. Members of the public have been able to submit ideas via an online form or in person at planning meetings.

To reduce congestion on the lakefront path and keep joggers, cyclists, roller-bladers, pedestrians and beachgoers from colliding, the project might install boardwalks on the beaches or build multiple new trail paths, according to Guy Tridgell, an Illinois Department of Transportation spokesman. In peak summer months, the lakefront path sees as many as 31,000 daily users, according to IDOT surveys.

The volume of suggestions focusing on improving the lakefront trail and increasing public transportation on the lakefront could mean more people want to traverse the corridor without cars, said Kyle Whitehead, a project director at the local advocacy group Active Transportation Alliance.

"More people are looking to move through that corridor every year, and realistically there's not space to widen or add lanes" to the drive, he said. "That would mean expanding access to alternative modes of transportation, and that's why we're seeing enthusiasm for making it safer or easier to ride your bike or walk and take public transit."

The next public meeting on the makeover of North Lake Shore Drive is slated for the summer of 2015, but members of the public can submit a comment anytime online at https://public.commentworks.com/nlsd/northlakeshoredrivecommentform/.





The five most popular suggestions for revamping Lake Shore Drive and the lakefront trail: 1. Create separate routes or lanes for cyclists and pedestrians on the Lakefront Trail (263 comments) 2. Improve public transit service, either by: (185) * Creating an exclusive Bus Rapid Transit facility in one of several possible locations: (111) a. On the Outer Drive (60) b. Between the Inner and Outer Drives (29) c. Or somewhere else on a completely redesigned Drive (22) * Increasing transit options, i.e. more buses (56) * Installing a light rail system (18) 3. Improve access to the Lakefront Trail on east-to-west paths for pedestrians and cyclists (134) 4. Create elevated portions of the Lakefront Trail and build pedestrian tunnels at various trail points to reduce congestion (104) 5. Add more trees and landscaped sections to the Lakefront Trail or along the Drive. (101)