Our input on the Cortland/Chicago River redevelopment

by Michelle Stenzel

Bike Walk Lincoln Park hosted a "Ride and Envision" event last weekend in order to assess the area around Cortland Street and the Chicago River, which is slated to be redeveloped over the next few years. The site lies within the boundaries of the city's 2nd ward, and Alderman Brian Hopkins has begun seeking input from the community.

Citizens in action! (Photo: Bike Walk Lincoln Park)

Michael Reynolds and I led a group of citizens on a slow bike ride around the area, stopping to discuss its current state and what needs to be done to make it better for people walking, on bikes, and using public transportation. In general, we noted that the area had been a barrier in the past to people using active transportation, with lack of sufficient pathways through the site and poorly maintained sidewalks and bike lanes. It was a "dead zone" with little human activity at most times, making it uncomfortable to walk or bike through. 

At the same time, the area already has many beneficial transportation assets nearby, and the new development should take full advantage of those. The assets include the #73 Armitage bus line, proximity to the Brown Line L station at Armitage, the Clybourn Metra station, the easternmost access point of the 606/Bloomingdale Trail, buffered bike lanes on Elston and Clybourn, and the northernmost station for future Bus Rapid Transit on Ashland Avenue.

Ride and Envision a new Cortland/Chicago River corridor

by Michelle Stenzel

The Cortland Street corridor in Lincoln Park will be undergoing big changes in the next few years. Finkl Steel and other industrial operations have vacated the area, and the buildings have been razed, clearing the way for 30 acres of new development. 

Outline of the 30-acre site slated for redevelopment after three industrial owners vacated the area. (Image credit: Handout from North Branch Works industry presentation in May 2015.)

This is a hugely important transportation corridor for people living in and visiting Lincoln Park and Bucktown, and to anyone who cares about access to the CTA, Metra, Chicago River, Clybourn and Elston bike lanes, the Bloomingdale Trail, and more.

The Cortland corridor connects the Armitage L Stop and retail, Clybourn bike lanes and retail, Chicago River, Elston bike lanes, Clybourn Metra station, Bloomingdale Trail, and more. (Google maps)

The site lies on the north branch of the Chicago River, and was historically used largely for heavy industry. However, Alderman Brian Hopkins, whose 2nd Ward boundaries encompass the former Finkl site, has taken steps to remove the “Planned Manufacturing District” zoning designation, which will clear the way to a future for the area that is more befitting to a large parcel of land near the center of the city. Read an overview from DNA Info Chicago here.

How to safely ride to the Bloomingdale Trail

by Michelle Stenzel

We’re very excited for the June 6^th opening of the Bloomingdale Trail. This new 2.7-mile long elevated trail and the adjacent 606 park system will be a great asset to the neighborhoods it runs through, providing new green space as well as a low-stress transportation route between Bucktown/Wicker Park and Logan Square/Humboldt Park.

Taken from the Bloomingdale Trail website.

Here’s a map of the Bloomingdale Trail's access points:

Taken from the 606 website.

What’s particularly exciting to us is that the easternmost part of the trail is very close to Lincoln Park! For people living in the area of Armitage and Racine, the Walsh Park access point (in yellow on the map above) is less than one mile away. Even for people living in Lincoln Park’s northeast corner, near Diversey and Lake Shore Drive, the distance is less than three miles, a mere 20-minute bike ride. We know many Lincoln Park residents and visitors will want to visit the Bloomingdale Trail regularly, so the question is, which mode of transportation will you use to get there? You’re not going to drive, are you?  (More -->)