North Lake Shore Drive as a "park boulevard"? Officials post initial reactions

Three public meetings about plans to reinvent North Lake Shore Drive, from Grand to Hollywood, yielded some 300 comments, many of them posted Tuesday on the web.

The North LSD project aims to achieve balance between the original vision of the drive as “a park boulevard” and the “realities of today’s travel demand,” city and state transportation officials say.

A coalition of 15 civic groups has suggested changes including reducing the speed limit to 35 mph, possible dedicated bus lanes or light rail on the drive, fewer lakefront parking spaces, a distinct bike trail and more greenery.

More than 430 members of the public attended three community meetings on how to “Redefine the Drive” and 295 of them filled out activity cards. Of those that did, 70 percent said they drove cars on the drive, and 60 percent each said they rode the bus on LSD or biked the Lakefront.

According to the website, “Just a few of the areas of concerns included safety along the Oak Streets Curve, congestion at the Belmont Avenue junction, conflicts between pedestrians, cyclists and drivers at choke points along the Lakefront Trail, the condition of the pedestrian underpasses and the desire for Bus Rapid Transit or light rail.”

Input is still possible by:

1) emailing info@northlakeshoredrive.org

2) mailing written comments to North Lake Shore Drive Phase I Study, c/o Civiltech, 30 N. LaSalle, Suite 2624, Chicago, IL 60602

3) filling out a public comment form at https://public.commentworks.com/nlsd/northlakeshoredrivecommentform/

To survey comments, go here: http://www.northlakeshoredrive.org/involved_meetings.html?utm_source=Website+PIM+%231+Comment+Posting&utm_campaign=NLSD+press+list+7.24&utm_medium=email