Northern Terminus Traffic Study (NTTS)
The northern terminus of North DuSable Lake Shore Drive (NDLSD) is a unique junction between a high speed, high capacity boulevard and the neighborhood street network.
Concerns still exist within the Edgewater community about pedestrian and bicycle access and safety, traffic congestion, and vehicle speeds within the area. The Northern Terminus Traffic Study (NTTS) has been initiated to specifically address the transportation issues affecting the Edgewater community and the 48th Ward surrounding the northern terminus.
The primary goal of the NTTS is to achieve a better balance between the reality of daily travel demand generated at the northern terminus of NDLSD with local access and needs. The initiation of the NTTS provides a unique opportunity to develop broad solutions aimed at both the need for regional access to NDLSD and the need of those living in Edgewater.
NTTS Project Background
The northern terminus of Lake Shore Drive was extended north to Hollywood Avenue in the 1950’s. With its high capacity and mobility, North DuSable Lake Shore Drive (NDLSD) quickly became a popular commuter route, resulting in increasingly higher amounts of automobile traffic over the past six decades. As this has happened, mobility for residents in the Edgewater community has become increasingly challenging, especially for those traveling by foot or by bicycle.
Over the decades, community leaders and the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) attempted several methods of managing the heavy traffic within the area, ranging from reversible lane operation on several arterials to signal timing improvements. However, most of these methods addressed travel the automobile and only benefited the regional commuter traffic.
Beginning in the mid-1980’s, several additional studies and many changes have been made in an effort to strike a better balance between regional travel needs and the needs of the residents of the Edgewater community. The NTTS Study is a unique opportunity to develop holistic solutions that addresses regional and local mobility needs.