Three days of public hearings begin Tuesday on a North Lake Shore Drive overhaul expected to begin in 2019.



Planners hoping to use federal money for the makeover are looking for ideas, and some residents are already weighing in.



A coalition of several civic groups envisions Lake Shore Drive with bus rapid transit lanes on the median and a series of separate trails and boardwalks that separate bikers and runners.



The coalition believes the roadway over the years has become an ever-widening superhighway that separates the city from the lakefront. They are trying to reverse that trend and want to lower the speed limit to 35 miles per hour from the current 40.



As for the trail, the long-term vision is to separate high-speed bikers and runners to minimize collisions. They also want to add a pedestrian-only boardwalk along the water.



Residents have the chance to weigh in at a series of meetings this week. The first begins Tuesday night at Gill Park, followed by a Wednesday meeting at Truman College, and Thursday session at the Nature Museum.