CME.02 – Proposed Road Diet in the Pilsen Community running on Cermak Rd from Loomis St to Canalport/Cermak/Morgan intersection.

• Manar Ahmad
• Aya Ahmad
• Ameen Alatabbe
• Alexander Cano, Jenny Nunez

As part of our educational career in Civil Engineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago, we are required to present a solution based on existing projects that are going under way or that are being planned to be developed in the near future. As a group, we decided to pick the project “Road Diet in the Pilsen community running on Cermak Rd from Loomis St to Canalport/Cermak/Morgan”. Cermak Rd is the interface between residential and commercial uses as plenty of industrial companies are located nearby. Future land use requirements as well as the possibility of bike/pedestrian lanes within the existing road need to be considered properly to fulfill the needs of the community. Pilsen and Little Village, two urban neighborhoods in Chicago, share similarities such as Mexican life, job centers, and sustainable development goals. The City’s Department of Planning and Development has drafted an action plan to address these issues, focusing on parks, housing, commercial, and industrial uses. The plan will guide decisions and investments for years to come. Historically, the Pilsen neighborhood has been a center of industrial activity, particularly the area along the Chicago River. The neighborhood has been evolving, although the old industrial uses are giving way to the demands of the modern economy. The city’s proximity to the interstate system, the I-90/94 to the east and I-55 to the south, is where many transportation and distribution centers are located. To better manage traffic and pedestrian/non-motorized interactions, our project team is looking to identify the possibility of making the Cermak Road a 3-lane road while making the middle lane a right/left turn lane. This will include preparing CAD drawings, research analysis, traffic modeling, trail designs, and render models for better view of the proposed conditions on Cermak Rd. To ensure the safety of the public, as well as comply with the laws and regulations required in the state, city, and civil engineering standards, we need to do extensive research on the codes that need to be considered. Overall, our goal is to deliver a project that will meet the requirements and have a positive impact on the community.