EVA Monday: Ashland buses, Haddon apartments
The CTA's preferred plan for high-speed buses will slow traffic on Ashland Avenue and a half-dozen parallel streets, according to a federally required environmental assessment. Ashland traffic will get 10% slower and Damen 3%. Wood Street and the smaller north-south streets nearest Ashland were not considered.
Ashland would lose about 12% of its parking, which the study assumes would be absorbed by side streets.
Augusta Boulevard and a dozen other intersections would have to be reworked to avoid "unacceptable" rush-hour delays, the city's Ashland Bus Rapid Transit analysis says. However, the document says waits already are unacceptable at Diversey, Clybourn and four other crossings.
Residents can download the plan and email their comments to the CTA until Dec. 20. Catherine Garypie, who outlined the public comment process for EVA this summer, will give an update at Monday's East Village Association meeting.
Comments are also being solicited at two hearings, 6pm Dec. 10 at Benito Juarez Community Academy, 1450 W. Cermak Rd., Road, and 6pm Dec. 11 in the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse, 1419 W. Blackhawk St. Comments also can be msiled to the Chicago Transit Authority, Attn: Joe Iacobucci, 567 W. Lake Street, Chicago, IL 60661. The plan is on file at the West Town branch library, 1625 W. Chicago Ave.
Bus-only lanes would be designated from Cortland Avenue to 31st Street, and eventually from Irving Park Road to 95th Street. Buses would run every 5 to 15 minutes, stopping at new median stations every half-mile. Signals would get upgraded to green-light the articulated buses.
An alternative without bus lanes, proposed by the Randolph/Fulton Market Association, also was studied. However, the assessment claims it would have no impact, positive or negative.
Also on the agenda for Monday's meeting is a proposal to replace two buildings at 1515-17 W. Haddon St. with a six-story apartment building. After consulting with EVA's board, developer Mark Sutherland now proposes 41 units plus a penthouse, with an average unit size of 859 square feet. The new unit mix is 4 studios, 24 1-bedrooms, 8 2-bedrooms and 4 3-bedrooms.
Also, continuing the discussion at last month's meeting, members will share thoughts on their vision for East Village development, as the EVA board looks for ways to address those goals. The meeting starts at 7pm at Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave.
