The City of Evanston will host a public open house to introduce the Evanston Multi-Modal Transportation Plan (MMTP) at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, in the Parasol Room of the Evanston Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave.
The MMTP will address emerging transportation issues including: integrating land use policy, environmentally sustainable practices, achieving context sensitive design, prioritization transportation improvements. All modes of transportation will be discussed: bicycle, freight, parking, pedestrian, vehicle and transit.
The evening agenda will include a brief discussion of the goals and objectives for Evanston transportation. Maps will be used to illustrate the current transportation system. Participants will be able to comment on existing conditions and important transportation issues.
Participants will hear an overview of the planning process and learn about ways to contribute to current and future transportation decisions. The schedule for the MMTP will be presented. Participants will learn how they can actively participate in the planning process.
For more information about the open house, contact the Evanston Division of Transportation (EDOT), (847) 866-2966. The Plan is scheduled to be completed by the end of the calendar year.
The City’s Strategic Plan called for the development of the MMTP to identify disconnects in the transportation system, develop strategies to make solid modal connections and provide a more balanced overall transportation system.
The consulting firm of T.Y. Lin International of Chicago , Illinois , will assist in developing the plan. T.Y. Lin International assisted the City in developing the Citywide Bike Plan in 2004.
The transit component of the MMTP is funded through a grant from the Regional Transportation Authority’s (RTA) Regional Technical Assistance Program (RTAP). RTAP was launched by the RTA in 1999 to offer municipalities funding for projects that increase transit usage and multi-modal connectivity, improve access and circulation in and around transit facilities, promote pedestrian and transit-friendly environments and develop local transit options.
The MMTP will include a review of several long-standing transportation policies, programs and opportunities including the potential for developing a Comprehensive Sidewalk Improvement Program, Safe Routes to School Program, Citywide Parking Plan, Truck Route Network Signage Plan, Traffic Calming Toolbox for Pedestrian Crossings, “Green” Alley Paving Program, and Transit Coordination and Improvement Plan. The MMTP will build on the momentum created with the recent implementation of the Citywide Bike Plan.