Modifications to the City of Chicago’s “Transit-Served Location” rules, better known as the TOD ordinance, were approved by City Council this week. The existing density bonus and parking reduction rules are now extended to a selection of Chicago Transit Authority bus route corridors up and down the city
The TOD ordinance has three main components that apply to properties within 1/4 mile of CTA and Metra stations, and now within 1/4 mile of selected bus route corridors:
- A reduction in the minimum car parking requirement for residential and non-residential uses by 50% as of right in all B, C, D, and M zoning districts. A reduction greater than 50% is allowed through an additional process (the particular process is dependent on the use and the original project approval process).
- A small increase in the allowable height and density (up to 0.5 additional FAR) in all B-3, C-3, D-3, and M-3 zoning districts.
If a property is on a designated “Pedestrian Street”, it can be up to 1/2 mile away from a CTA or Metra station, or one of the bus route corridors. The map above shows the 1/4 mile buffer area.
The original proposal would have extended the parking reduction rules to residential uses in RM zoning districts, but that clause was removed before the ordinance was passed and adopted.
The bus routes
The bus route corridors were selected for their high levels of service frequency. Some of the corridors have greater frequency than some ‘L’ lines and all Metra lines.
MAPS can assist clients in determining if a property is within the required range of CTA and Metra stations, and the eligible bus route corridors. MAPS can also facilitate project proposals through discussion and approvals with City Council members and the City’s planning department.
The Hyde Park Herald interviewed Steven Vance, MAPS’s Director of Urban Planning & Technology, to see how it would affect the Hyde Park and Kenwood neighborhoods. We made a custom map for the Herald to illustrate the article.
Refer to Chicago Cityscape’s interactive map of the bus route corridors for specific extents, but a general list of portions of bus routes and corridors follows:
- 55th/Garfield Boulevard - 55
- 60th Street - 2 Hyde Park Express
- 63rd Street - 63
- 67th Street - 6 Jackson Park Express, 26 South Shore Express
- 67th, 69th, and 71st Streets: 67
- 79th Street - 79
- 83rd Street - 26 South Shore Express
- 91st Street - 26 South Shore Express
- Ashland Avenue - 9, X9
- Chicago Avenue - 66
- Clarendon Avenue - 135 Clarendon LaSalle Express, 148 Clarendon Michigan Express
- Cottage Grove Avenue - 2 Hyde Park Express
- E Hyde Park Blvd - 2 Hyde Park Express, 6 Jackson Park Express, 28
- S Hyde Park Blvd - 6 Jackson Park Express, 28
- Ewing Avenue - 26 South Shore Express
- Exchange Avenue/Commercial Avenue - 26 South Shore Express
- Irving Park Road - 135 Clarendon LaSalle Express, 148 Clarendon Michigan Express
- Jeffery Boulevard - J14
- Lake Shore Drive (Inner Drive) - 135 Clarendon LaSalle Express, 148 Clarendon Michigan Express
- Marine Drive - 135 Clarendon LaSalle Express, 146 Inner Drive Michigan Express, 148 Clarendon Michigan Express
- Pershing Road - 39
- Sheridan Road - 136 Sheridan LaSalle Express, 147 Outer Drive Express, 134 Stockton LaSalle Express, 134 Stockton Michigan Express
- S Lake Park Avenue - 2 Hyde Park Express, 6 Jackson Park Express, 28
- South Shore Drive - 6 Jackson Park Express, 26 South Shore Express
- Stony Island Avenue - 2 Hyde Park Express, 6 Jackson Park Express, 26 South Shore Express, 28
- Western Avenue - 49, X49
MAPS is also equipped to help you find developable properties (vacant, adaptive reuse, city or county-owned) in the TOD areas, and find properties with specific existing zoning classifications in the TOD areas.
Ordinance: O2018-9304, amends 17-3-0402-B, 17-3-0403, 17-3-0408, 17-3-0410-B, 17-4-0400, 17-4-0405, 17-4-0409, and 17-10-0102-B of the Chicago Municipal Code.