RTA announces nine new Community Planning program projects

Nine new projects have been chosen for the RTA’s 2025 Community Planning program. Project locations include Chicago, Aurora, DuPage County, Evergreen Park, Oak Lawn, Fox Lake, Harvard, Joliet, and Oak Forest.

The goal of RTA’s Community Planning program, founded in 1998, is to foster the growth of sustainable, equitable, walkable, and transit-friendly communities around transit assets by encouraging transit-supportive land uses and infrastructure. The program aids local economic development by increasing equitable access to employment centers, healthcare providers, educational institutions, and amenities to serve the constantly evolving needs of our diverse population.

Projects selected from the 2025 Call for Projects include:

Aurora Bus Service Improvements

The RTA will support the City of Aurora's efforts to explore the feasibility of expanding bus services along key routes and to key destinations within the city. This initiative seeks to bolster ridership while working toward the City's primary goal to reduce the number of individuals traveling alone to key destinations on a daily basis.

Chicago - Neighborhood Access to Transit Plan

The City of Chicago Department of Transportation will partner with the RTA in preparing a Neighborhood Access to Transit plan for three stations on the Forest Park branch of the Blue Line. The line serves several diverse communities within the Eisenhower Expressway corridor, including communities with many residents who solely rely on transit for daily mobility. However, several barriers hinder station accessibility, particularly for individuals with disabilities. The City will identify mobility improvements such as sidewalk and curb cut needs, pedestrian crossings, wayfinding and signage, and improvements that better facilitate bus-to-rail transfers.

Chicago - Belmont Blue Line Station ETOD Plan

The City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development will partner with the RTA in developing an equitable transit-oriented development (ETOD) plan for the areas surrounding the Belmont Blue Line station in the Avondale neighborhood. The goals of the plan are centered on identifying future development that aligns with the City's desire to add residential units to areas that need affordable housing and access to transit. The study area is served with 24/7 CTA rail access along with high-frequency CTA bus routes, creating the opportunity for increased housing densities, affordable housing, and strengthened commercial activity.

DuPage County Dial-A-Ride Consolidation Study

RTA will support DuPage County's Department of Transportation in convening a variety of County agencies and transportation partners to conduct a planning study on ways to further coordinate or consolidate dial-a-ride services in the county. The planning process will include a review of models for consolidated dial-a-ride service, interviews with current transportation sponsors, determining possible funding and coordination models, evaluating service parameters, and developing potential costs and funding sources for a countywide coordinated dial-a-ride service.

Evergreen Park and Oak Lawn Transit Corridor Study

The villages of Evergreen Park and Oak Lawn will partner with the RTA in studying the 95th Street corridor from Western to Harlem Avenues through the core of the two villages. This corridor covers six miles of Pace's future Pulse 95th Line. The plan will address transportation safety alongside future land use and economic development opportunities that will attract new investment and increase the use of transit.

Fox Lake ETOD Zoning Code Updates

With support from the RTA, the Village of Fox Lake will update the municipal zoning code in the downtown area, including the Metra station area. Goals of the revised code are to better connect downtown to the lakefront, create a more appealing downtown for residents, reduce commercial vacancy rates, and redevelop underutilized and vacant sites to bring more housing and walkability to the area.

Harvard ETOD Plan

The City of Harvard will partner with the RTA in developing an ETOD Plan for the downtown area north and east of the Harvard Metra station, and for the Ayer Street corridor to the south and west of the station. The City envisions a stronger core downtown for Harvard, one that will spur residential and commercial growth that is centered on transit and improve bicycle and pedestrian access to the Metra station.

Joliet ETOD Zoning Code Update

With support from the RTA, the City of Joliet will update the municipal zoning code in areas surrounding the Gateway Transportation Center in downtown Joliet to allow the types and styles of development envisioned in recently adopted Joliet ETOD plan. The existing zoning code restricts multi-family housing in portions of the study without a special use permit.

Oak Forest ETOD Plan

The City of Oak Forest will join the RTA in completing a study of the core Metra station area bounded by 160th Street, Laramie Avenue, 156th Street, and Cicero Avenue. The City's goal is to address safety challenges related to accessibility for people walking and biking while setting a new direction for future investment and development that will bring in new jobs, all centered on the City's transit assets.

How projects are chosen

The RTA held a Call for Projects from March 10 through April 4 in partnership with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP). Fourteen municipalities and county departments of transportation submitted 14 applications for assistance. RTA staff reviewed and researched each application, interviewed the applicants, discussed the applications with municipal departments, and solicited feedback on each application from the Service Boards and other partnering agencies in the region. Applications were evaluated based on their alignment with the RTA’s Transit is the Answer strategic plan, which aims to prioritize equity, on the feasibility of the proposed project, and on the applicant’s capacity to partner with the RTA to complete the work.