Editorial: Celebrating our towns as transit leaders
It may seem predictable that communities of “bedroom” status for many decades would have a particular appreciation for public transportation, but all one needs to do is hop on the tollways at 7 o'clock in the morning or 5 in the afternoon to see that we still have plenty to do in the way of encouraging and fostering effective mass transit.
Even so, it was encouraging to note last week the large presence of the West and Northwest suburbs in a DePaul University/Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development study of communities with the most-commuter-friendly transit stops.
Among the top 20 out of more than 250 Chicago suburbs surveyed were Arlington Heights (No. 3), Wheaton (No. 6), Naperville (No. 8), Des Plaines (No. 9), Mount Prospect (No. 10), Glen Ellyn (No. 11), Deerfield (No. 17) and Palatine (No. 18). Stations in nearby Highland Park, Westmont, Western Springs, Park Ridge, Northbrook, Downers Grove, Glenview and Elmhurst also ranked with the best.
A team of DePaul researchers measured 45 factors at each location, breaking ratings down to four categories — the comfort and accessibility of station platforms and buildings; the convenience and quality of station grounds and parking; walkable amenities and services at the station; and the level of connectivity to other public transportation options.
The results emphasize the sincere commitment of communities and their citizens to the concept of alternative transportation.
About Wheaton, for example, the report praises “a distinctive transit culture” and notes that it (along with Naperville and Glen Ellyn) is among the top stations when it comes to the number of people who reach it on foot or by bicycle. Similarly, the survey commends Arlington Heights' “ambitious planning efforts” that have put the station in a cultural and commercial hub and made it nearly a “walker's paradise.”
A train station, of course, is just one factor in the commuting experience, and the most palatial and accessible stations in the world can go only so far to encourage public transportation. But they're an important start.
Communities that organize development around public transportation facilities, make them convenient to get to and promote a welcoming environment there play a significant role in getting people to forgo their automobiles, take the train to jobs and entertainment in the city and put the “express” back in the expressways.
Clearly, the extensive attention suburban towns in our area have paid to their downtowns and their rail centers has made public transportation more attractive and accessible. No doubt, even more can be done by traffic and rail planners to develop the ideals of congestion-free roadways and comfortable access to work and attractions throughout the city and suburbs, but the towns highlighted in the Chaddick Institute survey at least are doing their part.