Lifelong South Side resident Sean Haran, an attendee at the joint Chicago and RTA Moving Archer Forward event at the McKinley Park Fieldhouse, was less focused on popular protected bike lane plans and more concerned about the #62 bus.
“The bus is closer to Archer Avenue and takes people where they want to go,” Haran said. “When you use the Orange Line you connect to a bus. Before the bike lanes and construction and stuff, the #62 [Archer bus] was always slow, so I feel like they should prioritize that. More people use it.”
Many attendees were excited about proposed protected bike lanes, new residential and business development and roadway safety improvements while other residents were not, prompting disagreement on proposed plans by not only residents, but some elected officials.
Aldermen Jeylu Gutierrez (14th) and Silvana Tabares (23rd), whose wards include stretches of Archer, had different takes on the Moving Archer Forward plan.
Gutierrez expressed interest in certain parts of the plans.
“We have a long part of Archer,” Gutierrez said. “There are a couple of vacant storefronts and it all depends on who rents or buys the properties. Having community input is invaluable about what kind of businesses they [residents, businesses and neighborhood organizations] are thinking we need.”
One plan in particular was not favored by 14th Ward residents, she said.
“Some community members voice opposition to the bike lanes,” she said. “I’ve heard loud and clear that some residents, businesses and organizations are not approving that type of design.”
“I asked my constituents about other thoughts on what pedestrian and traffic safety improvements could be considered in the ward, but I have not approved any of those types of projects,” she said.
Tabares, whose Moving Archer Forward study portion ends at Cicero Avenue, said residents are clear they do not want North Side-style bike lanes.
“What most people don’t understand is Chicago’s Southwest Side is a major transportation hub,” she said. ”You have Midway Airport and the Stevenson Expressway. Archer runs parallel to the Stevenson and is an alternate route residents use to commute daily to and from work from Damen to Harlem.”
Putting bike lanes on Archer is equivalent to putting them on the Stevenson Expressway, she said.
“This is a multi-million dollar program that ignores community desires,” she said. “This project was not the result of genuine community input. It shows this mayor is really out of touch. I don’t ever see people biking down Archer. When you narrow the street from four lanes to two during rush hour it is very reckless and a waste of money.”
Residents believe taxpayer dollars should be spent on real infrastructure needs like street resurfacing, potholes and street lighting instead of the protected bicycle lanes being imposed on them, she said.
Advance letters of opposition received from the Garfield Ridge Neighborhood Watch, the Midway Chamber of Commerce and the Archer Heights Community Association cited existing issues being worsened by adding protected bicycle lanes.
Issues were already-tight parking on Archer further reduced by bike lanes impacting businesses that have no parking lots, emergency responder vehicles stuck in traffic congestion on Archer due to I-55 backup also exacerbated by bicycle lanes, narrowing vehicle lanes, traffic spilling into neighborhood side streets speeding to destinations.
Another concern is dirt bikes and motorcycles using the proposed bike lanes to get around traffic.
A Feb. 28 statement received from the Midway Chamber of Commerce, present at the Moving Archer Forward event, said while it is encouraging to see many political and civic organizations working together to talk about the future of the “unique and diverse” Archer Avenue corridor, it will be cautiously optimistic about some presented plans.
“We will be watching closely to try and ensure that the wants and needs of the business community are listened to and considered as a part of the project. Many of our members depend on a vibrant and functional Archer Ave for their business’s livelihood and we will do whatever we can to support them and have their wishes considered,” the statement concluded.
Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th) said the Cicero to Harlem portion is not yet seen on the city’s 2025-2029 Capital Improvement Plan but is part of the grand plan, he said.
A March 4 statement received by the Southwest News Herald from CDOT Director of Public Affairs, Erica Schroeder said, “At this time, there are no plans to extend the protected bike lanes or expand the current work underway on Archer Avenue between 47th Street and Western Avenue further southwest.”
Traffic safety data evaluations to identify infrastructure and improvements to enhance driver safety on Archer., including working with local alderpersons, community stakeholders and the DPD are continuing, she said.
More information, including meeting materials, traffic safety data and construction data related to CDOT’s current Archer progress, is available on Chicago.gov/Archer2025.
Southwest Collective’s Dixon Galvez-Searle said he was excited about the project’s scope that will benefit the Southwest Side from Halsted to Cicero.
“You’re talking about everything from housing to zoning to land use,” he said.
Other proposed improvements include vacant lot renovation, potential area investment, small business support and better use of the CTA Orange Line, Galvez-Searle said.
“It’s really about, at this point, hearing from people living in the area and using Archer every day. What do they want to see?” he said. “That’s exciting because we’re not, a lot of times, encouraged to see the big picture and imagine how things could be different.”
The long-term vision asks residents to think about what they’d like the Archer corridor to look like, 10, 15, even 20 years into the future, Galvez-Searle said.
Focusing specifically on bike lanes, Ald. Marty Quinn (13th) opposes bike lanes on Archer.
“There is zero interest in bike lanes,” he said. “I think it’s important for myself and Alderman Tabares, in collaboration with the Garfield Ridge Neighborhood Watch and the Midway Chamber of Commerce to carve out our opposition today.”
No communication or proposed meeting dates from the Mayor’s office, the DPD or CDOT have been received by the aldermen, he said.
“This is a non-starter and if they choose to start, they should be prepared for a battle ” Quinn said.
“You could argue they’re trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist,” he said.
Another obstacle the 23rd and 13th wards have is competition with bordering suburbs for business.
“It’s very difficult to do,” he said. “When Mayor Dave Brady (Bedford Park), a fantastic partner, opens a Wendy’s at 65th & Central, that’s a Wendy’s that’s not in the City of Chicago. They’re not paying city taxes.”
Advocating for new businesses community members want in the face of suburban competition makes bump-outs and bike lanes nonsensical, he said.
Archer, which is located off of I-55, is a critical back door to Midway Airport, Quinn added.
“We want that traffic from the western suburbs to head down Archer,” he said. “That’s one of the sales pitches I made when talking to prospective businesses. The new Buffalo Wild Wings is going to do fantastic the minute they open their doors.”
Southwest siders don’t like change and are proud of their industrial, manufacturing and labor-related professional history, Quinn said.
“We certainly don’t like other people from other parts of the city telling us what’s best,” he said. “We know what’s best for us.”