‘Carmageddon’ on Ashland?
“Carmegeddon?” That’s the kind of nightmarish traffic congestion some residents and businesses on and along Ashland Avenue are worried about if the city goes through with plans for bus rapid transit down Ashland, initially from Cortland to 31st Street.
The prospect of dedicated center bus lanes — and other changes to accommodate that — has galvanized some North Side residents and small-business owners.
The project would include center-of-the-street boarding areas; one shared lane in each direction for cars, trucks and the regular No. 9 Ashland bus, and almost no left turns from Ashland.
“Whoever designed this, they had to have their heads in the clouds, because it certainly wasn’t on their shoulders,’’ said Ernie Orlando, of Orlando Glass and Trim. The business at 641 N. Ashland is among several that fear the left-turn ban will kill off customers.
Opponents are expected to turn out in force Tuesday night, when the Chicago Transit Authority explains its plan starting at 6:30 p.m. at Talcott Elementary, 1840 W. Ohio.
Supporters say bus rapid transit will turn the bus into a trainlike experience, with stops every quarter-mile; priority signals for buses, and ground-level boarding. The average ride should take eight minutes less. The improved transit experience should reduce the volume of traffic on Ashland, CTA officials say.
“People say removing a traffic lane or prohibiting left turns will cause a traffic nightmare. A number of cities have done more transfor- mation to their streets than this and none of the doomsday scenarios have come true,’’ said Lee Crandell, of the Active Transportation Alliance.
In 2011, critics were anticipating a “carmageddon” when West Los Angeles closed the 405 Freeway for a weekend. It didn’t happen.
But Suzi Wahl, 45, notes that West L.A. faced that threat for only a weekend. “This will be worse than carmegeddon,’’ Wahl said. “This is 24/7, 365 days a year.’’
The CTA is hoping to find federal funds to bankroll the $10 million-per-mile project.