The Western Avenue Corridor Study team prepared this list of Frequently Asked Questions in October 2022 following the release of a draft summary report. Additional comments and questions can always be directed to WesternAve@cityofchicago.org.

Residents, local businesses and other stakeholders are critical to getting projects implemented! The work does not stop when the study report is adopted. The same voices that helped shape the recommendations will need to continue to speak up in support of proposed and potential projects. Talk with your community members about how these recommendations support the collective aspirations for the corridor and surrounding neighborhoods. Invite neighbors to come to public meetings and respond to surveys for proposed projects or policies. Contact your local alderperson to advocate for projects or policies. Your voice can help accelerate implementation of these recommendations.

Funding will come from a variety of sources, depending on the type of project. Potential sources include:

• Tax Increment Financing (TIF), which also includes the Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF)
• Department or agency funding programs (CDOT, DOH, CTA, DPD, etc.)
• Special Service Area (SSA) funds
• Aldermanic menu funds
• County, state and federal funding programs
• Grant opportunities

The Connected Communities Ordinance was passed in July 2022. It updated citywide transit-oriented development benefits and standards. The entire corridor is now considered a transit-oriented development area and can take advantage of the development benefits outlined in the ordinance. The 49 bus was already included as a high frequency route in the previous ordinance, and the 49B was recently added. The ordinance supports the long-term vision for the corridor by strengthening affordability requirements and incentives, reducing barriers to more moderate-cost housing and protecting naturally occurring lower-cost housing.

Welcoming more housing to the corridor can be accelerated by implementing several categories of recommendations. Mitigating the unpleasant impacts of heavy, fast-moving traffic such as crashes, noise pollution and air quality will be important for residents to feel safe and comfortable living on Western Avenue, especially at the ground floor. Streetscape improvements that include traffic calming strategies will help reduce speeding and the safety hazards that come with it. Reducing reliance on private vehicles by providing more robust and comfortable transit helps move more people with fewer vehicles required. Encouraging the transition to electric for the remaining vehicles on the street can help reduce the fumes and sounds from fuel-burning traffic. Designing ground-floor housing on the corridor with a landscape buffer and porch area, as shown in the design guidelines, will provide some additional screening and privacy. Supporting projects and zoning changes with ground-floor housing, where appropriate, will also bring more people and amenities to the corridor, making it a more appealing place to live.

A large majority of the existing housing stock affordable to lower income residents is defined as “naturally occurring affordable housing,” because rents are below market rate but not subsidized or legally restricted. According to an analysis by the Department of Housing in 2019 for West Ridge, Lincoln Square and North Center community areas, naturally occurring affordable housing units were 2.5 to 7 times more plentiful than subsidized or legally restricted affordable housing units. These naturally occurring affordable units are particularly vulnerable to redevelopment, frequently leading to resident displacement and loss of historic buildings.

Addressing housing affordability requires a variety of policy and incentive tools that will both protect the existing naturally occurring affordable housing and support new development for a variety of income levels. 2021 updates to the City’s Affordable Requirements Ordinance (ARO) have strengthened affordable housing requirements and opportunities for ten-unit and larger residential developments that require City Council approval.

See pages 52 and 53 of the draft report for more specific near- and longer-term recommendations for development and housing.

In addition to design standards required by the zoning ordinance, adopting the Western Avenue Corridor Study allows the recommendations of the study to be used as criteria to evaluate and approve projects. If a proposed development project requires City assistance, including a zoning change, it is subject to review by the local aldermanic office and others, depending on the scope of the project. Entities with project review oversight can require the design to comply with the guidelines to gain necessary approvals. Developers who proactively review the study recommendations and begin with a proposal that is sufficiently transit- and pedestrian-friendly will likely save time and money on design revisions, which incentivizes their cooperation.

The corridor currently has segments with significant commercial vacancy, and some small businesses struggle when there isn’t enough activity immediately nearby. Local businesses can thrive when there are more people walking and rolling nearby. This can be improved by concentrating activity at the five neighborhood centers along the corridor. Co-locating higher density, mixed-use development, transit and other amenities such as stores and institutions can better set up local businesses — and shoppers — for success.

Finding new ways to repurpose vacant and underutilized commercial space in other segments on the corridor, especially with new housing, will help sustain the commercial activity in and near the neighborhood centers by increasing the local customer base and providing walkable destinations to support a variety of daily needs.

Bus rapid transit (BRT) on Western Avenue received strong support during the public outreach for the corridor study. Therefore, pursuing bus priority infrastructure is identified as a key recommendation in the study. Further analysis by both CDOT and CTA will need to be conducted to confirm the technical feasibility, which is likely to also include portions of Western outside of this study area. This in-depth analysis will evaluate potential impacts to:

• Pedestrian safety and comfort
• Transit performance and operations
• Traffic
• Parking

There will be many opportunities for community engagement as analysis, design and engineering are developed. Next steps toward these recommendations include determining the proposed geography, scope of work and funding source(s) for the technical analysis.

Further analysis by CDOT will need to be conducted to determine how various bus priority improvements impact traffic and street parking. BRT systems can be designed with many different elements. Each element has its own impact on traffic and parking. The impacts of future BRT recommendations will not be known until a more in-depth feasibility study is completed. As part of any future study, CDOT and CTA will conduct extensive public outreach. Outreach will include discussions about the tradeoffs and impacts of the proposed bus priority improvements.

The study recommends focusing on alternative north-south options for bicycling such as Lincoln, Damen, and Rockwell avenues. These are lower stress bicycle routes when compared to Western Avenue, which is generally undesirable due to higher vehicular speeds and a larger volume of truck traffic. Additional recommendations include the addition of wayfinding and signage to improve connections to nearby bike routes as well as improving connections across Western Ave to increase cyclist safety and visibility.

a. Green infrastructure can reduce flooding intensity by encouraging infiltration into the ground thus reducing stormwater runoff that contributes to flooding. Green infrastructure elements, such as permeable pavers, green roofs and infiltrating planters can be used to minimize flooding.

Western Avenue is a dynamic and diverse arterial street that serves a variety of regional and local functions. Given changes to land use, development, and circulation patterns over the last decade, the study area was identified through a collaboration between local aldermen and City staff. 

The study is funded by four separate Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts that regulate how and where funds can be spent. The study area between Addison and Howard streets is located within portions of these districts.

The study was launched to articulate a long-term, community-driven vision for North Western Avenue that included recommendations for future land uses, zoning, economic development, public realm, urban design and circulation.

The planning team set out to analyze potential opportunities to increase density, modify the mix of land uses, improve the relationship between Western Avenue and the surrounding neighborhoods and enhance the pedestrian experience while maintaining the corridor as a main arterial. The planning team includes the Department of Planning and Development (DPD), the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), and a consultant team led by Site Design Group.