This afternoon in Uptown, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, 48th Ward alderman Harry Osterman, and other local officials cut the ribbon on the Argyle “shared street,” a pedestrian-priority design inspired by similar streets in Asia and Europe. By calming traffic and blurring the lines between spaces for walking and vehicles, as well as providing more room for sidewalk cafes and special events, the streetscape should increase safety while giving a boost to businesses on Chicago’s Southeast Asian retail strip.
Emanuel, who spent part of his childhood living nearby on Winona Street, said the project has improved the aesthetics of the dining and shopping district, “inviting people from all around the city and the area to come and experience the cultural diversity” of the neighborhood. He indicated that Chicago may try similar people-friendly street designs in other neighborhoods in the future.
The makeover of three-block stretch of Argyle, located between Broadway and Sheridan, raised the street up to sidewalk level, eliminated the curbs, delineated different uses of the right of way with various colors of pavers and street furniture, and made the strip fully wheelchair accessible. The roughly $4.5 million project was funded through a combination of tax-increment financing, ward, and Department of Water infrastructure funding.
Green elements of the design include more efficient streetlights, permeable pavers, and infiltration planters to soak up rainwater. The latter were recently landscaped with small trees and flowers, so the concrete basins are finally full of vegetation instead of garbage.
Sensors have been installed in the planters as part of a pilot project from City Digital, a UI LABS collaboration, for monitoring the green infrastructure’s performance. These sensors will provide real-time information about the water management capabilities of this project.
A city ordinance lowered the speed limit on the strip to 20 mph, and the configuration of the planters and parking creates chicanes to slow down vehicle traffic. However, months after the colored pavers were installed, some drivers are still confused about where to park, which can result in the drivable portion of the street being narrower than it’s supposed to be.
Drivers are supposed to park directly to the left of the dark-gray pavers, but today some cars were still parked a few feet away from this line, which meant they partly obstructed the drivable portion. While there still aren’t any signs to explain this counter-intuitive parking situation, CDOT recently created a video demonstrating how road users are supposed to navigate the shared street.
At the opening ceremony, Osterman lauded the project as one that celebrates Argyle Street’s cultural history while modernizing the strip with forward-thinking design. “This goes beyond bricks and mortar,” he said. “It’s a commitment to community, innovation, safety, and the business community.”
“The way that the street is designed is very Asian,” said Yman Vien, who cofounded the local organization the Chinese Mutual Aid Society in 1981. “It wraps around you and welcomes you.” She added that the streetscape will make Argyle’s successful summer Night Market weekly events even more vibrant.
Have you checked out the shared street recently? Tell us what you think of the finished design in the comments section.
