Ogden Avenue Corridor Improvements Project Update

2026 Project Update

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2026 Marks the 100th Anniversary of Route 66

Route 66 is part of the history of North Lawndale, and in tandem with this centennial milestone, the Ogden Avenue Corridor Improvements Project is gaining momentum. This project, led by the Chicago Department of Transportation with support from the North Lawndale community and the offices of Alderwoman Scott (24th Ward), Alderman Ervin (28th Ward), and Alderman Rodriguez (22nd Ward), serves as an opportunity to reimagine Ogden Avenue, from Pulaski Road to Roosevelt Road, as a multimodal transportation corridor, as a hub for community activity, and a catalyst for economic development.

Hearing from a wide variety of community stakeholders throughout the project has been essential to incorporating the community’s vision and priorities into the design. After extensive community engagement throughout 2023 and 2024, CDOT has worked closely with State agencies, other City agencies, and local elected officials to refine roadway geometrics and placemaking concepts based on thorough traffic engineering analysis and community feedback.

With the start of the new year, we are pleased to share a summary of community engagement to date, what the team has been up to in the last year, and what we are looking forward to accomplishing alongside community members in 2026.

Community Engagement

CAG consists of community organizations along the corridor.

Community Advisory Group

At the project onset, a Community Advisory Group (CAG) was convened of key community organizations and local leaders. The CAG provides valuable feedback to the project team in preparation for larger public meetings. During the first CAG meeting, discussions were centered around key concerns and needs along the corridor. The second CAG meeting, taking place in the next few months, will serve as an opportunity to discuss and refine preliminary concepts.

Community members provide feedback at Public Meeting #1.

Public Meeting

The project’s first public meeting and public survey provided an opportunity for community members to share their experiences on Ogden Avenue and their vision for the future of the corridor. The second public meeting date will be announced soon, which will highlight concept refinements based on the feedback received. A second survey will be released at the time of the second public meeting.

Community members provide comments at Community Workshop #2 Placemaking.

Community Workshops

Three workshops were held to receive feedback from community members on specific topics.

• Corridor Identity – To receive input on potential corridor identity themes.

• Placemaking – To identify placemaking design elements that align with the community’s vision, priorities and assets.

• Street Design – To gather preferences on potential roadway configurations.

Students present their vision for Ogden Avenue during a Youth Workshop.

Youth Workshops

Three Youth Workshops were held with the Firehouse Arts Community Center during their summer program. Students worked together to develop a vision for Ogden Avenue and identify potential opportunities for placemaking.

The project team has met with corridor stakeholders, including NLCHC.

Stakeholder Meetings

The team has been meeting with key stakeholders to obtain feedback on roadway design and corridor identity, and to gain insight on operational needs of facilities along the corridor. Stakeholders have included:

• Community historians

• North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council (NLCCC) Transportation Committee

• North Lawndale Christian Health Center (NLCHC)

• Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS)

• Lawndale Community Church

• Sinai Hospital

• 10th District Chicago Police Department

• Lawndale Redefined

The team is looking forward to holding additional stakeholder meetings in 2026.

Concept Development Update

The project team has been working on refining roadway geometric concepts and placemaking elements based on the information gathered during community engagement, through observations, and technical analyses. The process has included multiple coordination meetings with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) who has jurisdiction over the Ogden Avenue mainline (CDOT has jurisdiction over the service drives). Below please find additional details on these efforts:

CONCEPT REFINEMENTS

✶ Developed street section and geometric concepts based on observations, data analysis, traffic engineering best practices, community feedback and IDOT requirements.

✶ At Public Meeting #1 and Community Workshop #1, the community identified the significance of Route 66 and the history of North Lawndale as preferred design themes. The project team has designed options for placemaking elements based on these two themes. Placemaking elements include pavers, planters, community identifiers, and street furniture. Design options will be presented to the CAG and at the second public meeting for feedback in the coming months.

PLAN DEVELOPMENT COORDINATION

✶ CDOT has conducted important studies needed to move the design forward, such as:

• traffic, pedestrian, and bicycle volumes;

• parking utilization rates;

• crash analysis; and

• land use, soil, trees, wetlands, pavement condition, and drainage surveys.

✶ The project team has met with local aldermen to discuss corridor needs, potential roadway design solutions and preliminary concepts based on constituent feedback.

✶ In coordination with IDOT, CDOT has developed the street section, roadway geometric concepts, and other technical documents balancing community feedback with traffic engineering needs.

✶ CDOT met with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to discuss the operational needs of Route 157 and Route 18 and challenges to riders at bus stops. CDOT and CTA also discussed existing sub-standard bus stop conditions, such as need for waiting areas, lack of ADA accessibility, and preferred bus stop configurations. Design solutions include widening bus stop waiting areas, in-lane bus stops, and adding bus bulbs or bus boarding islands.

What are the State and Federal requirements this project must meet?

The Ogden Avenue mainline is owned by IDOT. Therefore, in addition to engineering best practices and City of Chicago design guidelines, this project must meet all safety and engineering design standards set forth by IDOT.

The project must also meet all requirements of the Federal-aid Highway Program process. In Illinois, this process is conducted in three phases:

✶ Phase I: Preliminary engineering and environmental analysis are completed, and with the help of community feedback, a preferred design is selected. The Project Development Report (PDR) is approved, which documents the analysis and community engagement efforts.

✶ Phase II: Detailed construction plans are developed. Construction permits are secured, and final construction costs are confirmed.

✶ Phase III: The physical construction of the project.

CTA bus stop at Ogden Avenue and Kedzie Avenue lacking space for transit users.

CTA bus stop at Ogden Avenue and Rockwell Street providing ADA and pedestrian access.

Our Road Ahead - On To 2026

The project timeline shows upcoming meetings and opportunities for additional community participation. Below is a summary of upcoming engagement efforts. Specific meeting dates and additional information will be distributed in advance of each meeting.

Community Advisory Group Meeting #2 (Q2 2026)

Meeting with community organizations and local leaders to provide a detailed project update and receive feedback on preliminary concepts and placemaking elements.

Public Meeting & Public Survey #2 (Q2 2026)

Provide detailed information about preliminary concepts and placemaking elements such as furniture families and neighborhood identifiers. Concepts will be further refined based on the community feedback received.

Route 66 Centennial (Q2 2026 – Q3 2026)

As North Lawndale comes together to celebrate the Centennial, the project team will be active along the corridor, highlighting the enduring importance of Route 66 and Ogden Avenue. The team will work with local organizations and attend local events to highlight the project.

Public Meeting #3 (Q4 2026)

Present the final design and host a Q&A forum for community feedback.

For the latest updates and more project information, please visit the project website, ImproveOgden.org.

We are excited to collaborate with the North Lawndale community to refine the proposed design this year, as we move forward into developing detailed engineering plans. With your help, we will work towards improving safety for all corridor users, repurpose and activate public spaces, and transform the corridor into one that reflects the unique identity of North Lawndale.

Sincerely,

Ogden Avenue Improvements Project Team