Maywood adopts RTA-supported TOD plan for downtown area

The Village of Maywood recently adopted the Downtown Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Plan, which was supported by the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) Community Planning program.

The project updates the plan for the area surrounding the Maywood Metra station with a focus along the 5th Avenue and Lake Street downtown business corridors within a quarter mile of the station. Adopted in May 2020, the plan will assist the village with strategies for redevelopment in the downtown core and identifies recommendations to improve access to transit services and other transportation improvements.

Maywood is one of the Chicago region’s historic communities, but as we look to the future it is also a place of great opportunity to invest in transit access and provide opportunities for all residents, Planning for transit-oriented development in Maywood’s downtown will help attract businesses, residents, and visitors to support the long-term goals of the community.

Maywood applied to the RTA for an update to its prior TOD plan, which had been completed through the Community Planning program in 2004. The final plan, which was prepared by Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB), is the culmination of a 14-month process that included participation by village leadership, residents, and business owners. The RTA Community Planning program offers technical assistance and funding to local governments and intergovernmental organizations to address local planning needs at the intersection of public transportation and land use with a goal of developing more walkable and sustainable communities.

Maywood’s Metra station is on the Union Pacific West line and has been the subject of several planning efforts, including the 2004 TOD plan. Since that time, the village has reconstructed and updated its Metra station with an air-conditioned, enclosed waiting area, and modified its downtown streetscape to improve pedestrian access and safety. The 2014 Maywood Comprehensive Plan and the recently adopted Downtown TOD Plan will contribute to ongoing revitalization of the station area.