Transportation Advisory Group

PUBLIC NOTICE In accordance with the Statutes of the State of Illinois and the Ordinances of the City of Highland Park, the next meeting of the City of Highland Park Transportation Advisory Group is scheduled to be held at the hour of 6:00 P.M. on Wednesday, December 3, 2025 in person at City Hall in the Conference Room Lower-Level, 1707 St Johns Avenue, Highland Park, Illinois during which it is anticipated that there will be a discussion of the following: CITY OF HIGHLAND PARK TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY GROUP MEETING Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at 6:00 PM Highland Park City Hall, Conference Room Lower-Level 1707 St. Johns Avenue Highland Park, Illinois MEETING AGENDA I. Call to Order II. Roll Call III. Approval of the Minutes (a) Approval of the Minutes of the September 17, 2025, meeting minutes of the Transportation Advisory Group. IV. New Business (a) None V. Business from the Public VI. Business from Transportation Advisory Group Members (a) MoveHP Implementation Follow-up, from the Planning Division (b) Continued Discussion of Bike Friendly Community Rating Target (c) Bicycle Activity Event Calendar (d) IDOT Improvements at Half Day Road Exit Ramp (e) Complete Streets Cross-Training VII. Business from City Staff (a) Final 2026 Capital Improvement Plan (b) US-41 Pedestrian Bridge Project Overview (c) North Highlands Sidewalk Connection Update (Krenn/Hyacinth/Western) (d) Reminder of 2026 Meeting Dates: March 18, June 17, September 16, December 2 VIII. Adjournment  MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY GROUP OF THE CITY OF HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS MEETING DATE: Wednesday, September 17, 2025 MEETING LOCATION: Council Chambers, City Hall, 1707 St. Johns Avenue, Highland Park, Illinois I. CALL TO ORDER At 6:03 p.m., Chair Rossen called the meeting to order and asked Civil Engineer Hertel to call the roll. II. ROLL CALL Members Present: Rossen, Hector-Hsu, Maximilian, Scott Members Absent: Arbit*, Floss Council/Staff Present: City Engineer Gomez, Civil Engineer Hertel * Member Arbit was absent at time of Roll Call, but present shortly after III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. Approval of the Minutes of the June 18, 2025 meeting Upon a vote, the motion passed unanimously with five ayes. RESULT ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS] :MOVER: Member Arbit SECONDER: Member Maximilian AYES: Rossen, Arbit, Hector-Hsu, Maximilian, Scott ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: None IV. NEW BUSINESS a. Approval of 2026 TAG Work Plan. City Staff presented the 2026 TAG Work Plan for approval. Upon a vote, the motion was passed unanimously with five ayes. 1  RESULT ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS] :MOVER: Member Hector-Hsu SECONDER: Member Scott AYES: Rossen, Arbit, Hector-Hsu, Maximilian, Scott ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: None b. Approval of 2026 Meeting Schedule Resolution City Staff presented the 2026 Meeting Schedule Resolution for approval. Upon a vote, the motion was passed unanimously with five ayes RESULT ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS] :MOVER: Member Arbit SECONDER: Member Scott AYES: Rossen, Arbit, Hector-Hsu, Maximilian, Scott ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: None c. Recommendation on LCDOT’s Lake Cook Bike Path Chair Rossen outlined the proposed recommendation on prepared on behalf of the Transportation Advisory Group and opened the floor to discussion from other members. The consensus from the other members was that TAG should provide a recommendation in favor of the ‘North Alignment’, given safety concerns at the US-41 on/off ramps are adequately addressed and there is public engagement with the impacted houses off Lake Cook Road. Member Hector-Hsu asked how and when the recommendation would be sent to City Council. City Engineer Gomez stated that recommendation could be immediately provided to the City Manager but when it would be presented to City Council is unclear. V. BUSINESS FROM TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY GROUP a. Future TAG Public Event Member Hector-Hsu stated she developed a calendar of bike-related events already held in Highland Park. She added that she does not believe TAG should hold a standalone event. Chair Rossen asked that Member Hector-Hsu provide more detail on scheduled events so that TAG can narrow down what event would be most beneficial to attend. 2  b. Bike Friendly Community Rating Member Maximilian asked if the City could locate the original application for the Bike Friendly Community Rating. City Engineer Gomez stated that staff will find it and provide it to TAG. VI. BUSINESS FROM CITY STAFF a. US-41 Pedestrian Bridge City Engineer Gomez stated that due to funding constraints, the bridge project was downgraded to a Priority 2. He then asked TAG to consider alternative funding sources they may be aware of, consider potential improvements if the bridge was rehabilitated rather than reconstructed, and possible alternative paths if the bridge were to be removed completely. Chair Rossen stated that City Staff has already evaluated these items and came to the decision to reconstruct the bridge. He then added it may be beneficial to have a collaborative brainstorm session with City Staff to discuss the technical aspects of the project. Member Maximilian asked how City Staff came to the decision to downgrade the project’s priority. City Engineer Gomez stated the original plan for the project was to have design at a Priority 1 and construction at a Priority 2, until Engineering was instructed to move construction to a Priority 1. He then added that there are budget restraints that are requiring Engineering to lower the priority of construction back to a Priority 2. Member Rossen stated that the City should explore using the granted ITEP funding to fix the bridge ramps to meet ADA compliance. b. HP Transit Study Civil Engineer Hertel provided updates on the short-term recommendations listed in the HP Transit Study. VIII. BUSINESS FROM PUBLIC a. Mark Portman stated that the City has been aggressive in Capital expenditures with significant projected expenditures ahead. He cited changes at the federal level are affecting all of Illinois and that the City needs to better prioritize its projects. IX. ADJOURNMENT Chair Rossen asked for a motion to adjourn. Member Hector-Hsu motioned and Member Arbit seconded the motion. Upon a unanimous voice vote, the meeting was adjourned at 8:10pm. 3  Planning Division Department of Community Development 1150 Half Day Rd. Highland Park, Illinois 60035 847.432.0808 cityhpil.com Date: October 14, 2025 To: City Council From: Patrick Hoffmann, Planner II Subject: MoveHP Implementation Follow-up MoveHP, an update to Bike-Walk HP 2030, was adopted by City Council on October 13, 2020 in order to re-evaluate proposed projects and policy for non-motorized networks of transportation and to reflect on the progress of Bike-Walk HP 2030. In a continued effort to evaluate MoveHP, staff has collected a summary of the plan’s goals to provide City Council a prospective on MoveHp’s accomplishments. Please reference the Implementation Matrix at the end of this report for a list of all the goals and objectives of MoveHP. Plan Summary: Goal 1: Develop and adopt policies, plans and guidelines to assure that cycling and walking are a safe and integral part of City life.  Complete Streets: As a part of MoveHP, a Complete Streets Policy Draft was attached to the appendix. City Council, on December 11, 2023, adopted an amended policy to help guide decision making relative to transportation network improvements. Please find the adopted policy here: Complete Streets Policy.  Amend Code: Earlier this year on May 27, 2025, City Council reviewed Zoning Text Amendments in relation to goals set by the MoveHP Plan. Council adopted code amendments to bike parking incentives and pedestrian pathways, while continuing the rest of the amendments to a date uncertain. Goal 2: Partner with government, non-profit, and local organizations/agencies to incorporate bicycle and pedestrian policies in projects and facilities in the community.  Lake Cook Rd path: Public Works is working directly with Lake County DOT to connect the North Branch Trail to Skokie Valley bike path across Rt. 41. Northbrook is not involved in this effort.  Transportation Advisory Group: o Provide advisory recommendations related to the planning and implementation of transportation plans, including but not limited to the MoveHP Plan, Complete Streets Policy and recommendations from Bike Walk Highland Park.  o As requested by the City Council or City Staff, provide advisory recommendations related to multi-modal, vehicular, and pedestrian transportation and parking conditions, projects, education, and communications through the City. o Public Works is the staff liaison to this advisory group Goal 3: Develop and maintain a continuous, interconnected cycling and pedestrian system that accommodates short- and long-distance trips and provides connections and access to major community destinations.  Public Benefit: Through the Planned Development process, projects are required to provide a public benefit as defined in Section 150.515 – “means an amenity provided in the form of an improvement, donation or dedication that is not otherwise required as part of the development process and that serves the residents of the Planned Development and the community at large” when requesting certain modification from code or being located in the B4-4, B4-5, B4- 6, B4-BG, or B5 Zoning Districts. With this requirement, several transportation public amenities have been completed. Please reference the information item, Attachment 1, outlining the adopted Public Benefit with PUDs Since 2016. Below are some improvements that have been recently completed: o The Preserve park connection: Hidden Oak public benefit at Compton- Livingston just south of Half Day Rd added a concrete entrance walk to allow for a northern connection to the Preserve. Additionally, bike way finding signs were added to the existing bike sign network. o Bike shelter and fix-it station: Recently constructed near the Ravinia Metra Station north parking long the Robert McClory Bike path was partially funded with public benefit from 555 Roger Williams Ave. Goal 4: Provide funding for bicycle and pedestrian-related improvements through the capital improvement program, grants, and other funding sources.  Sidewalk Improvement Sheridan Road/Cedar Dean -Roger Williams (ITEP and DCEO grants)  Investigating use of ITEP grant for replacement or improvements to Central Pedestrian Bridge.  Green Bay Rd Project: eliminated proposed bike lanes from scope of work.  University Ave sidewalk: project not moving forward. Goal 5: Implement bicycle and pedestrian education, encouragement, and evaluation programs.  Historic Bike Tour: On May 25th and 31st, Senior Planner, Zubin Coleman, former staff liaison to the Historic Preservation Commission and Jean Sogin, former HPC chair, led community members on a tour of historic and landmarked properties around sunset woods.  Bicycle Rodeo: The Highland Park Police Department hosted a bicycle rodeo on Sunday, August 24 at The Preserve where community members learned more about bike safety, sharing the road, and included free safety checks.  Special Events: Every year the City issues several special event permits runs, walks and bike rides though Highland Park and the surrounding communities. This year the events included: o The Empire Bikes Back – community bike ride organized by the Park District o North Shore Classic Half Marathon, 5K and 1-Mile Walk – organized by Ventures Endurance o Walk to Cure Scleroderma – annual family walk to benefit the scleroderma community organized by the Scleroderma Foundation of Greater Chicago o Highwood 5K Family Run, Walk & Stroll – family centered walk organized by Celebrate Highwood o Rock the Ride – walk/ride to raise awareness and support for gun violence prevention organized by Green Bay Cycles of Winnetka o North Shore Century Bike Ride – recreational bike ride organized by the Evanston Bicycle Club o NSSD 112 FUNd Run – 5K run/walk in support of the District 112 Education Foundation organized by the Foundation and Race Day Events o North Shore Turkey Trot – permit has not yet been issued – 10K/5K run and walk organized by Ventures Endurance  Bike Friendly Community: Staff renewed Highland Park’s Bike Friendly designation and the League of American Bicyclist awarded the City with a Bronze-Level Bicycle Friendly Community award. Implementation Matrix: Goal 1: Develop and adopt policies, plans and guidelines to assure that cycling and walking are a safe and integral part of City life. Objective Objective 1: Consider adopting the Complete Streets Policy as a distinct, separate resolution and general policy guide. Objective 2: Amend the Highland Park Municipal Code to promote and enhance biking and walking and align with best practices. Objective 2.1: Amend the Zoning Code to require bike parking as part of new commercial and multi-family developments. Objective 2.2: Amend the Zoning Code to simplify the requirements to receive parking reductions by providing bicycle parking. Objective 2.3: Amend the Zoning Code to require internal parking lot pedestrian paths. Objective 2.4: Amend the Zoning Code to require new commercial, multi-family, and planned developments to provide connections to adjacent existing and/or planned trails. Objective 2.5: Amend the Municipal Code to align with Illinois State statutes. Objective 3: Evaluate opportunities to increase safety using traffic-calming measures and additional non-motorized transportation infrastructure. Objective 4: Regularly review the City’s Local Streets New Sidewalk Installation Guideline and revise as appropriate to increase the number of sidewalks in residential neighborhoods. Goal 2: Partner with government, non-profit, and local organizations/agencies to incorporate bicycle and pedestrian policies in projects and facilities in the community. Objective Objective 1: Continue to work with the Park District of Highland Park to improve pedestrian and bike connections to local parks and recreational facilities. Objective 2: Work with the Village of Northbrook to extend the Lake Cook Road trail to the Skokie Valley Trail & other neighboring municipalities. Objective 3: Work with the City of Highwood, the Village of Lake Forest, and the Town of Fort Sheridan HOA to increase connectivity and access to trails in northern Highland Park. Objective 4: Work with the Village of Northbrook, the Illinois Department of Transportation, Cook County, and Lake County to improve bicycle and pedestrian access along and across Lake Cook Road. Objective 5: Work with the Illinois Department of Transportation to provide safe and efficient non-motorized access across US 41. Objective 6: Continue to utilize BWAG and TAG as valuable stakeholder groups for feedback on non-motorized transportation infrastructure improvements. Objective 7: Work with adjacent municipalities and regional transit agencies to promote and implement improved local and regional transit mobility and connections. Objective 8: Engage stakeholder groups such as the local school districts and places of worship to find opportunities to improve non-motorized transportation connections. Goal 3: Develop and maintain a continuous, interconnected cycling and pedestrian system that accommodates short- and long-distance trips and provides connections and access to major community destinations. Objective Objective 1: Establish pedestrian priority routes to ensure all parks and schools have pedestrian infrastructure connections within a 10-minute walk/0.5 miles. Objective 2: Continue to clear sidewalks and paved multi-use trails as part of the City snow and ice control plan. Objective 3: Plan and implement safe, off-street east-west bicycle routes through the City. Objective 4: Promote transit use and local access through station area improvements and micromobility. Objective 4.1. Focus pedestrian improvements within a half-mile radius of Metra stations and bus routes. Objective 4.2. Consider micromobility as an opportunity to increase non-motorized transportation options throughout the City. Objective 5: Implement bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure improvements throughout the City as part of the Capital Improvement Program and Community Development project public benefits. Goal 4: Provide funding for bicycle and pedestrian-related improvements through the capital improvement program, grants, and other funding sources. Objective Objective 1: Identify and apply for grant funding for bicycle and pedestrian related improvement projects. Objective 2: Establish a Sponsor-a-Rack Program that allows local businesses and organizations to fund a bike rack that includes opportunities for advertisements. Objective 3: Ensure adequate funding is allocated for the ongoing maintenance of new bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. Goal 5: Implement bicycle and pedestrian education, encouragement, and evaluation programs. Objective Objective 1: Launch a public safety campaign for people of all ages and all users of the road. Objective 1.1: Consider using alternative signs where appropriate. Objective 2: Work with Northshore School District 112 to develop School Travel Plans and Bike/Walk safety curricula for each of the schools. Objective 3: Host annual and special events aimed at increasing the number of families and individuals who bike and walk in Highland Park. Objective 4: Continue semi-annual bicycle and pedestrian counts to evaluate bicycle and pedestrian use in Highland Park. Objective 5: Create and distribute an annual update that tracks the implementation progress of MoveHP. Objective 6: Pursue recognition as a bicycle- and pedestrian friendly community. Objective 6.1: Continue to pursue certification as a Bicycle and Pedestrian Friendly Community through the League of American Bicyclists. Objective 6.2: Pursue designation as a Walk Friendly Community.