Letter to the Editor: Speak Up on Eisenhower Plans

A letter from Rick Kuner, former Oak Park trustee and founder of Citizens for Appropriate Transportation:

One of fifteen alternatives the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is considering for the Eisenhower Transportation Corridor is replacing most of the Forest Park Branch of the CTA Blue Line with Bus Rapid Transit. What do we do about it?

Honor the threat. IDOT’s proposal to close part of the Blue Line is a bad transportation solution. It has negative economic, social, environmental, and financial impacts. It writes off the future of parts of the West Side of Chicago, Oak Park, and other suburbs.  

Focus on getting a good solution. The Corridor needs long-term transportation improvements so just stopping one bad solution is not success.  Good solutions aremulti-modal. They create a better economic climate that will encourage investments inour communities.  They meet social goals.  They reduce negative impacts on the environment. They increase the livability of our communities. They make financial sense. Extending the CTA Blue Line further west one station at a time is a good place to start. A new station at First Avenue in Maywood would serve the Loyola Medical Center, Hines Veterans Administration Hospital, the Maybrooke Court House, and Proviso Math and Science Academy. Metra is already upgrading the UP-W Line to Elburn.  

Talk to our elected officials. They represent us.

Work together. Find common ground with other communities.  

Get involved. When a large number of people know about the issues and the proposed solutions, the results are better.  Joining Citizens for Appropriate Transportation is free and keeps you informed.

Rick Kuner