About 

Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett’s 1909 Plan of Chicago envisioned a park boulevard along Chicago’s lake shore that would provide a relaxing scenic drive for residents to enjoy views of a great city and lakefront park.

Most of the North DuSable Lake Shore Drive (NDLSD) was completed during the 1930s under the Works Progress Administration and is overdue for a complete reconstruction or major rehabilitation.

The evolution of NDLSD has been forever intertwined with that of Lincoln Park. Lincoln Park, with its network of trails, is indelibly marked on your soul as a special place to be thoroughly enjoyed and even cherished. Lincoln Park is one of the crown jewels of Chicago’s extensive park system.

Today, North DuSable Lake Shore Drive carries as many as 155,000 vehicles and 69,000 transit riders travel on the bus routes every day. The Lakefront Trail alone serves approximately 25,000 users a day during nice weather. Much of the NDLSD infrastructure was constructed in the 1930s and has deteriorated to the point that complete reconstruction is needed.

Demands for access to the park and the intensity of use within it, caused by local and regional needs, have overburdened the original designs of many park facilities. Increased utilization of both Lincoln Park and the Drive has strained the roadway. The current study to improve the infrastructure of North DuSable Lake Shore Drive offers the opportunity to consider new solutions to meet today’s needs.

As part of the study, the project team will look at the Northern end of NDLSD where there is a unique junction between a high capacity boulevard and the neighborhood street network. The Northern Terminus Traffic Study (NTTS) will work to achieve a better balance between the reality of daily travel demand of North DuSable Lake Shore Drive with local access and trends.

The Illinois Department of Transportation and the Chicago Department of Transportation want to work with you to Redefine the Drive!