Here's how Rogers Park residents hope to transform Clark Street

Here’s how Rogers Park residents hope to transform Clark Street

By Tanveer Ali

The Rogers Park Business Alliance released its plan to transform Clark Street in the neighborhood.

A local Rogers Park organization released a new vision for a busy, but “neglected” stretch of Clark Street Thursday.

The Vision Clark Street Master Plan aims to transform the corridor between Devon Avenue and Howard Street.

“I totally feel this area has been neglected. We have felt Clark Street has been neglected,” said Sandi Price, executive director of the Rogers Park Business Alliance, the group behind the plan. “There have been aesthetic improvements elsewhere in the city. There have not been any on Clark Street.”

Among the changes it hopes to implement are:

A gateway to the neighborhood at the Rogers Park Metra stop.
New public art along the street.
A redone CTA transit plaza at Clark Street and Arthur Avenue that would reverse the bus flow on the street and add medians and small parks.

Price said the changes around Arthur are the key to changing area, adding that her organization has talked to the CTA about setting up a trial program testing new bus flow.

“That’s step one. Until that happens, we can’t do anything else,” Price said.

CTA spokeswoman Catherine Hosinski said there are no immediate plans to modify bus service but the agency has “agreed to look into the feasibility of reversing the routing of buses.”

Price said it plans to talk to other relevant city agencies such as Department of Transportation and find funding through avenues like TIF for subsequent projects.

Read the report here and check out the renderings.