The CTA has not "sufficiently justified" the need for a controversial $320 million flyover near the Belmont station to reduce train traffic at the busy stop, Chicago voters decided Tuesday at the ballot box. The planned flyover would reconfigure the tracks so Brown Line trains would use an elevated ramp over tracks used by Red and Purple Line trains near the Belmont stop.
The question about whether the transit agency has justified the need for the elevated bypass was on the ballot for voters to consider at three Lakeview-area precincts in the 44th Ward. About 72 percent, or 583 voters, said the transit agency hadn't justified the need for the proposed project, while 28 percent, or 224 voters, said CTA has justified the need for the flyover.
In all, 807 votes were cast on the referendum-the last question on the ballot for Lakeview-area residents.
Transit agency officials say the elevated bypass is needed to improve rider wait times at the Belmont stop, a busy public transit intersection during the evening and morning rush hours. The flyover would also would clear the way for the CTA to increase the number of trains running on the Red Line, which has seen an increase in riders.
Opponents say the proposed flyover, which would be 40-45 feet tall at its highest point, would be an eyesore for the neighborhood. Also, 16 nearby buildings, including popular bars Johnny O'Hagan's Irish Pub & Restaurant and Beggars Pizza and Beer, would be torn down to make way for the flyover.
"We're really happy we got this kind of reception," said Lakeview resident Ellen Hughes, who spearheaded the push to get the referendum on ballots. "We're going to find any and every way we can to inform people beyond this neighborhood [about the flyover project]. I think it should be a much a bigger discussion."
Hughes said she opposes the proposal because it would negatively affect the look of Lakeview, a neighborhood "that matters to the character of Chicago." The Belmont stop logged 13,000 riders on a typical weekday in July, placing the station in the top five for stations with the highest weekday ridership, according to CTA data.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel told the media earlier this year that the flyover would ease rider wait times of three to four minutes at the Belmont stop. Hughes, however, said she's noticed a 20-30 second wait time increase as trains criss-cross each other.
For its part, the CTA is planning to move forward with the flyover, which likely wouldn't begin construction until 2017 - depending on funding.
Asked whether the CTA would take criticism reflected in the referendum results to heart in future planning for the flyover, CTA spokeswoman Catherine Hosinski said in an email: "Public feedback from all channels remains an important part of the project development process."
In May, the CTA held open houses to solicit rider and resident comments on the flyover proposal. CTA president Forrest Claypool said Tuesday at an unrelated meeting with the Chicago Tribune editorial board that the agency will hold public meetings on the flyover next year.
The agency is working on a study about how the flyover would affect the neighborhood around the Belmont stop, a requirement for the project to move forward. A draft of this study is expected to be completed next year.
"There's plenty of opportunity for the community to continue to have input into that project and for us to estimate adjustments based on environmental assessment or community input or anything else," Claypool said Tuesday in response to an editorial board question about the referendum.
The flyover is part of a $1.1 billion package of proposed northern Red Line improvements that includes a makeover of four North Side stations from Lawrence to Bryn Mawr. The CTA is still seeking funding for these upgrades.
Hughes says she approves of the plan to improve the stations but the flyover is not necessary. She said tracks near the Belmont stop should be fixed instead to reduce delays.
"This is a waste of money," Hughes said.