|
project overviewThe Connect Franklin Park project is aimed at increasing safety, improving access, and addressing mobility that will connect the downtown to other areas of the Village and to the greater region.
The Village of Franklin Park has a total of five at-grade railroad crossings within the community. Frequent freight and commuter trains cause significant delays to traffic moving through the area, impacting commuter traffic, pedestrians, buses, emergency vehicles, and bicyclists. The freight delays have created emergency vehicle delays and unsafe pedestrian crossings during rail blockages. In 2023, the Village received grants from Federal Rail Administration (FRA), Cook County, and Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) Railroad Crossing Elimination program to help fund the initial engineering phase of the improvement project. The Village will be working with the project team to complete preliminary engineering of the roadway underpass and pedestrian underpass and obtain approvals from various agencies. Following the completion of this study, detailed engineering to prepare construction documents and property acquisition phase would begin prior to beginning construction. It is estimated that construction would begin by 2030 subject to the availability of funding. |
project Schedule
Study location
The project will occur between Mannheim Road (mile post 14.08) and the CN tracks (mile post 12.62) in the Village of Franklin Park, Illinois.
The study limits are specifically located along Martens Street from W. Grand Avenue to Belmont Avenue; 25th Avenue from W. Grand Avenue to King Street; Belmont Avenue from Scott Street to east of the Canadian Pacific (CN) Railroad; and Franklin Avenue from Scott Street to Commerce Street.
The preferred alternative is located along the Martens Street corridor. The future Martens Street corridor is planned to begin at Grand Avenue on the south and extend north to Belmont Avenue, a distance of 0.5 miles.
The study limits are specifically located along Martens Street from W. Grand Avenue to Belmont Avenue; 25th Avenue from W. Grand Avenue to King Street; Belmont Avenue from Scott Street to east of the Canadian Pacific (CN) Railroad; and Franklin Avenue from Scott Street to Commerce Street.
The preferred alternative is located along the Martens Street corridor. The future Martens Street corridor is planned to begin at Grand Avenue on the south and extend north to Belmont Avenue, a distance of 0.5 miles.
Current Conditions
|
The project need is evidenced by the high volume of freight and commuter rail traffic utilizing the east-west rail corridor bisecting the Village. The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) notes an average of 102 trains per day, including 78 passenger trains, utilize the corridor. These operations frequently obstruct the five at-grade crossings, severing north-south access and causing significant delays for residents, commuters, and emergency services.
Additionally, freight trains are often observed idling along the rail line while awaiting clear operations at the Bensenville Yard located one mile west of the Village’s Central Business District (CBD). The idling trains compound the congestion and access issues within the CBD. Delays adversely affect travel patterns, particularly for students attending East Leyden High School north of the railroad tracks and other residents and commuters who rely on timely and safe passage across the rail corridor. In some cases, pedestrians have been observed making unsafe crossing decisions due to extended wait times. |
|
|
|
|
© Copyright 2026, City of Franklin Park, Illinois