Lawrence Avenue Plan Good for Pedestrians, Bad for Business, Some Say

A makeover on Lawrence Avenue will make travel easier for pedestrians and bikers, but some aren’t convinced it’s the best plan for their business.

The Lawrence Avenue Streetscape is a beautification project that will run on the street from Western to Clark. Construction is expected to last into 2014 with yearlong phases from Western to Damen, and then Damen to Clark. 

David Leopold, the project manager for the Chicago Department of Transportation, was on hand Thursday to answer business owners’ questions before the groundbreaking in June. 

Now, Lawrence Avenue is a four-lane road in each direction, with two bike and two car lanes. With the streetscape plan, Lawrence will undergo a “road diet,” trimming total car lanes from four to three. Vehicles will have one in each direction with a continuous left hand turn lane. 

The extra space will make room for two, 5-foot bike lanes on each side of the road. 

“The lanes will make Lawrence Avenue the longest continuous East-West bike route in Chicago,” Leopold said. 

And while Lawrence is going on a diet, the sidewalks are getting fatter, about 3 feet larger to accommodate more sidewalk cafes. 

Leopold said CDOT will adjust signal times to keep traffic flowing, but the motivation behind the project is to increase pedestrian and bikers while reducing cars. 

That doesn’t sit well with some business owners, who say most of their traffic comes from drivers. 

Anas Ihmoud of Barba Yianni said money should be spend on creating parking, rather than discouraging drivers from using Lawrence Avenue. 

 “Businesses flourish because of traffic and they’re taking that away,” he said. “Sure, we’re going to have more bicycles, but their main source of income is people driving to this destination area.” 

While the manager said the project’s decorative lighting, planters and benches will make Lawrence more attractive, the added congestion and decreased parking will actually detract from businesses. 

“Is Lawrence going to look better to the eye? Yes it is. Is it going to be more functional? Not so much. Is it going to be better for the businesses? I don’t think so,” he said. 

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To minimize disturbances to residents and businesses, Leopold said CDOT will only work on three blocks at a time, and complete one side of the street before starting on the other. Weekly public meetings and flyers will inform residents when their blocks are under construction.

Parking on those three-block areas will be restricted, but only during the day, allowing residents to park on Lawrence on nights and weekends.

“We understand parking is important for everyone,” Leopold said. “It’s one of the reasons we only work on three blocks at a time. When we’re not working, we will our equipment and closures back.”