RAVENSWOOD MANOR — Motorists who use Manor Avenue as a cut-through from Lawrence to Montrose avenues will find their path blocked beginning Sept. 19.
That's the start date for a two-month traffic diversion trial and study, which will boot cars off of Manor at Wilson Avenue, and likewise prohibit turns from Wilson onto Manor. Pedestrians and cyclists won't be affected.
The trial will run through Nov. 18.
The plan, unveiled in June, was developed by the 33rd Ward Transportation Advisory Committee in conjunction with the Chicago Department of Transportation.
An informational flier will be distributed to homes surrounding the project area next week, in advance of barricades popping up on neighborhood streets, according to the 33rd Ward office.
The Manor diverter is being considered as a permanent feature of a proposed Manor Greenway, which would create a friendlier environment for pedestrians and cyclists as they travel between Horner and Ronan parks. The greenway would fill a gap in the city's goal of creating a continuous riverfront path.
According to a 2016 CDOT study, a disproportionate number of motorists traverse Manor Avenue compared with adjacent northbound and southbound streets: 400 cars were counted on Manor south of Wilson versus 200 on Francisco, for example.
Numerous traffic apps and websites such as Mapquest direct drivers to Manor as the fastest option between Lawrence and Montrose.
The diverter plan met with mixed reaction at the June meeting. Some residents cheered the anticipated reduction of traffic on Manor, while others complained that the diverter will simply turn streets like Francisco into "the new Manor."
Others labeled the plan a "disaster" for Wilson Avenue.
"I just ask that we give it a try," Ald. Deb Mell (33rd) said. "If it works, great. If it doesn't, we go back" to the drawing board.
Feedback on the greenway and diverter can be sent to manorgreenway@gmail.com.
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