HomeMy WebLinkAboutRESOLUTIONS-1969-002-R-69ALTERNATIOPO POSED BY ALDERMAN HARPER & *M4AN WARD
R E S O L U T 7 0 N
2-R-69
WHEREAS, the City of Evanston has studied the proposals of the Illinois
Division of Highways and agrees with its objective of reclassifying streets and
highways so as to reduce and simplify the State and County systems, and the
City of Evanston also agrees that certain streets designated in the State's
proposal should be deleted from the State and County systems and transferred
to the City of Evanston; and
WHEREAS, the City of Evanston has also carefully evaluated the Illinois
Division of Highways' proposals that would designate Emerson Street from
McCormick to Asbury, and an Asbury Avenue -Green Bay Road route as parts of
the State highway system, and would designate Crawford Avenue from Simpson
Street to Gross Point Road, Gross Point Road from Crawford Avenue to Isabella
Street, Dempster Street from McCormick Boulevard to Ridge Avenue, and Oakton
Street from McCormick Boulevard to Sheridan Road as parts of the County high-
way system; and
WHEREAS, the City of Evanston has studied the problems of handling its
traffic thoroughly and at great length, first under its professional planner,
Mr. David Johnston, then in 1961 by commissioning H. W. Lochner and Company to
do a complete major street plan, and thereafter by employing as head of its
Planning Department, Mr. Robert C. Wheeler, and, for three years, Mr. Robert
Sharkey who had worked on the Chicago Area Transportation Study staff; and
WHEREAS, the City of Evanston has designed a traffic plan in which sev-
eral major streets share the traffic load because of the practical difficulties
of making any one street adequate to carry the entire load; and
to:
WHEREAS, the City of Evanston has proceeded on the basis of these studies
1, build a multi -million dollar railroad underpass at the
intersection of Emerson, Green Bay, and Ridge to facili-
r tate the flow of traffic from Ridge Avenue in Chicago
`• north along Ridge Avenue in Evanston to serve communities
to the north via either Green Bay or Ridge, and those to
the west'via Emerson; and
2. build a million and a half dollar Elgin Road Realignment
to carry Emerson, Green Bay, and Ridge traffic bound for
Sheridan Road in Chicago around the Central Business Dis-
trict to Chi.cacio Avenue and over tiouth Eo,.levard to : Lieri.dan; and
WHEREAS, the City of Evanston has proceeded in good faith to carry out
its plans, coordinating them insofar as possible with any known plans of
neighboring communities and has inadu substaatial progress to -ward putting :tc
plans into effect; and
WHEREAS, the proposed change does not utilize the City's existing plans
and its investment therein and is not linked with existing routes in Chicago;
and
` WHEREAS, the City of Evanston has pursued a community conservation pro-
gram since 1963 and has worked to improve its residential neighborhoods and
to protect them from through traffic wherever possible; and
WHEREAS, if Asbury Avenue becomes a segment of a State route between two
high capacity streets, Western Avenue and Green Bay Road, there will be obvious
pressure to increase the capacity of Asbury, and the neighborhood organizations
involved feel this would have a deleterious effect on residential property val-
ues and would disrupt their neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, the City of Evanston has concluded that it is preferable for the
State system to:
C� 1. have a South Boulevard -Chicago Avenue -Sheridan Road route; or
2. establish a South Boulevard -Chicago Avenue -Elgin Road -Green Bay
Road route because of:
a, the history of these routes and the established traffic
pattern;
b. the relationship of these routes to Evanston's downtown
area and Northwestern University, Evanston's major tiaf-
fic generators; and
c. the fact that these routes connect well with other major
routes in the City, utilizing the Elgin Road realignment
and the Emerson -Ridge -Green Bay viaduct; and
WHEREAS, the City of Evanston also finds that a McCormick Boulevard -
Green Bay Road route is preferable to the proposed Asbury -Green Bay Road route
because:
1. McCormick Boulevard and Green Bay Road do not pass through
residential areas;
2. McCormick Boulevard enjoys a wide right-of-way and pavement
0
width and is partially access -controlled, having only six
cross streets in the three-mile segment between Howard
Street and Green Ray Road;
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3. McCormick Boulevard can be,connected directly with Kedzie
Avenue, which is one of Chicago's proposed "major mile"
streets and is a designated arterial on the proposed State
highway system;
4. The distance from McCormick Boulevard to Evanston destina-
tions is short, and there are good connectors eastward
into Evanston on Emerson Street, Church Street, Dempster
Street, Main Street, Oakton Street, and Howard Street; and
WHEREAS, the City of Evanston recognizes that the State highway system
in and around Evanston would have to be re-evaluated if the McCormick Boulevard
right-of-way is eventually used for an expressway, an eventuality our Major
Street Plan foresees and for which our Plan Commission is working:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Evans-
ton, that the City Manager be and hereby is authorized and directed to inform
the Illinois Division of Highways that the City of Evanston is strongly opposed
to the designation of a route using Asbury Avenue as a part of the State high-
way system, and to explain the Council's reason for this position to the ap-
propriate State officials and other concerned parties at every opportunity
that arises; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Manager be and hereby is authorized
and directed to state that the City Council has determined that having one of
the suggested routes,.utilizing Chicago Avenue or a McCormick -Green Bay route,
designated as parts of the State system is highly preferable to designation of
an Asbury --Green Bay route, and that the City Council is opposed to transferring
the maintenance of Asbury Avenue to the State.
ATTEST:
/s/ Maurice F. Brown
City Clerk
Adopted: January 20, 1969
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APPROVED: /s/ John D. Emery
Mayor
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