Dan Ryan drivers have options beyond 'Reroute'
If
you've been paying attention at all, you know by now that the two-year overhaul
of the Dan Ryan Expressway is under way.
The
Illinois
Department of Transportation kicked
off
Chicago
's largest-ever road
construction project on Friday, closing the Dan Ryan's express lanes and taking
the already jam-packed expressway to half capacity.
South suburbanites and South Siders
alike can expect a snarled traffic mess as they head to the
Loop
— that is, if they travel by car.
Those who plan to jump on board
public transportation on Monday can sit back and enjoy the ride.
Sure, IDOT has issued warnings to
motorists to map alternate routes.
But
by any path the first workweek with closures is likely to bring a cruel reality
check for drivers as they face missed morning meetings, cold dinners and hours
wasted in traffic.
While IDOT's official message has
been, "There is a way out. Reroute," moving the hundreds of thousands of cars
off the expressway to side streets will not solve the gridlock crisis. It will
just divert it.
Rerouting is a short-sighted
strategy since so many of the other routes to Chicago — the Bishop Ford
Expressway, Interstate 394, the Skyway, the Kingery Expressway and others
throughout the Southland — are torn up, too.
Further, officials from communities
on
Chicago
's South Side argue,
understandably, that redirecting expressway traffic through local streets puts a
strain on community safety and congestion.
For
those of you living alongside the Borman Expressway, you know exactly what it's
like to have cars and trucks rumbling through your neighborhoods.
For
all of these reasons — and more — public transportation should be touted as the
preferred alternative.
South suburban commuters will find
it's a far better alternative to frittering away hours of their lives inching
along the Dan Ryan's local lanes.
Commuters already using the Metra
Electric,
Rock Island
or Heritage Corridor train lines are
familiar with the speed and convenience to either the
Chicago
's central business district or
West Loop
areas.
Chicago Transit Authority and Pace
have a network of routes delivering both city and suburban riders to thousands
of destinations.
And
many who live in
Indiana
and work in
Illinois
— or the other way around — know to
board the
South
Shore
, which delivers passengers to many locations
along its route between
South Bend
,
Ind.
, and the
Loop
.
Indeed, the
Chicago
area's vast network of
public transportation systems serves more than 2 million riders per week.
Yet, nearly 70,000 people head in on
the Ryan to work each day, destined for the very areas served by transit,
according to Census data from 2000.
For
the tens of thousands who've thought "it's more convenient to drive"— rush hour
can be expected to be double or triple its typical length.
That should have you reconsidering
the freedom of the open road.
The
average commuter wastes almost four hours per workday stuck in traffic. That
translates to more than 450 hours each year, nearly 11 workweeks.
And
that's before the Dan Ryan construction mess.
So,
all you Road Warriors, instead of seeing the countdown to the closing of the Dan
Ryan as Armageddon, consider driving less and look on the bright side.
Get
out from behind the wheel and avoid the stress and anxiety of road delays and
aggressive drivers.
Get
to work on time, save money and avoid road rage.
Do
your part to reduce air pollution caused in large part by emissions.
Support local businesses that have
built up around commuter rail stations.
You
and your community will benefit.
That's the gist of the Regional
Transportation Authority's "Drive Less, Live More" campaign, which is being
supported by the Metropolitan Planning Council.
It's a message of what's gained by
using public transit, as well as other transportation alternatives, such as
carpooling, van sharing and even bicycling.
Many of the benefits boil down to
the simple things: instead of staring at the brake lights ahead, transit riders
can relax, work a crossword puzzle, read the newspaper, or even squeeze in a few
extra minutes of productivity on the way to the office.
With the money saved on gas, parking
and maintenance, there may be a few more bucks to spend on Starbucks in the
morning or for going out to dinner at a restaurant near home.
Beyond "Reroute," there's an
opportunity for south suburban and South Side commuters to transfer to public
transportation during the reconstruction period — and potentially remain transit
riders for life.
It's not too late to promote
solutions that will address challenges to the region beyond the Ryan
reconstruction nightmare and improve the livability of our communities.
In
fact, let's start now, even as commuters head out on Monday at daybreak,
futilely trying to get a jump-start on traffic.
So,
downtown Chicago-bound drivers, jump aboard public transportation, save time and
sit back and enjoy the ride.
Learn to drive less and live more.
We'll all be better off for it.
Kristi DeLaurentiis is manager for local government and
community relations for the Metropolitan Planning Council
and a resident
of
Frankfort.