Preliminary Recommendations

Elgin-O'hare East Extension

Assumed Alignment or Route	Length (miles)	Description	Cost*	Environmental Concerns
Thorndale Ave, I-290 Airport	**4.4	Upgrade from arterial to limited access expressway; expansion from 4 to 6 lanes with additional ROW set aside for transit	$1,625	Wetland and flood plain (salt Creek)

DuPage J Line BRT

Assumed Alignment or Route	Length (miles)	Description	Cost*	Environmental Concerns
I-290, IL 58 to Thorndale Ave; Thorndale Ave, I-290 to O’Hare; IL 83, Thorndale Ave to I-88; I-88, IL 83 to IL 53; Diehl Rd, IL 53 to IL 59; IL 59, I-88 to 95th St./STAR Line	40.4	Bus Rapid Transt (BRT), primairly on shoulder lanes; exclusive median lanes on Thorndale Ave and IL 59	$1,067	Wetland along I-290/IL 53, Thorndale Ave and Diehl Rd; Flood plains along I-290/IL 53, Thorndale Ave, IL 83, I-88, Diehl Rd and IL 59; Open space and parklands along the I-290/IL 53, IL 83 and I-88; 1 school

Mid-City BRT

Assumed Alignment or Route	Length (miles)	Description	Cost*	Environmental Concerns
Cicero Ave., I-90 to CTA Red Line/87th St	25.3	Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) largely grade separated	$1,284	3 churches, 1 school

I-355 BRT

Assumed Alignment or Route	Length (miles)	Description	Cost*	Environmental Concerns
I-290/IL 53, IL 58 (Golf Rd)/Schaumburg Transportation Center to I-355; I-355, I-290 to I-55	25.9	Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) operating on I-355 in mixed traffic	$134	Wetland along I-290/IL 53; Flood plain along I-290/IL 53; Open space and parklands along the I-290/IL 53

Inner Circumferential Rail Line

Assumed Alignment or Route	Length (miles)	Description	Cost*	Environmental Concerns
IHB Railroad, Metra NCS O'Hare transfer station to Cicero Ave/55th Street (Midway)	21	Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) trains operating on one new track primarily on IHB Rail Line.	$1,081

I-290 / I-88 Main Line Corridor Variations (examples below reflect potential minimum and maximum costs and extent)
(various extents and combination of HOV, BRT and Blue Line Extension)

Min	Assumed Alignment or Route	Length (miles)	Description	Cost*	Environmental Concerns
I-290 HOV Lanes	I-290, 1st Ave to Hillside	**4.3	One new lane in each direction for High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV)	$140	1 school
I-290 BRT	I-290, 1st Ave to IL 83	7.3	Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) with center median stations operating on I-290 HOV lanes	$48
Blue Line Extension to 1st Ave	CTA Blue Line, DesPlaines Ave to 1st Ave	0.6	Grade separated heavy rail rapid transit on the north side of I-290	$159
Max	Assumed Alignment or Route	Length (miles)	Description	Cost*	Environmental Concerns
I-290 BRT	I-290, Cicero Ave to IL 83	**12.2	Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) with center median stations operating on I-290 HOV lanes	$56	National landmarks and historic districts - Gunderson Historic District (Oak Park) and Columbus Park (Chicago); 2 churches and 2 schools
I-290 HOV Lanes	I-290, Cicero Ave. to I-88/I-294 Interchange	**9.4	One new lane in each direction for High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV)	$306
Blue Line Extension to Yorktown	CTA Blue Line, DesPlaines Ave to Yorktown	**11	Grade separated heavy rail rapid transit in median of I-290; I-88 alignment not determined/evaluated	$2329

*in millions; Order of magnitude cost estimate includes unit cost based capital estimate, soft /engineering cost estimate of 30%, contingency estimate of 25% and vehicle cost estimate (if transit).

** To avoid double-counting, the mileage of a capital investment that is entirely within the termini of another investment is not included in system subtotals and totals.