Projects such as Kennedy construction are causing trickle-down traffic jams everywhere
CHICAGO (CBS) -- It's not just you – experts agree traffic in Chicago is tougher than it has been in a long time, and in places that haven't seen it before.
The congestion has kicked into high gear since Kennedy Expressway drivers started looking for off-the-beath-path items. As CBS 2's Chris Tye reported Thursday, the trickle-down effect is making commutes more punishing for everybody.
It's a cascade effect - the Kennedy gets tight, so the alternates get crowded. When the alternates are put under the knife for pothole or sewer work, drivers go further off the grid - and the cascade effect widens out.
When the cones went up for reconstruction on the Kennedy Expressway, travel times got considerably worse. When recommended alternate routes such as Milwaukee Avenue, Elston Avenue, or DuSable Lake Shore Drive were suggested, drivers followed.
Now, when was once low-impact road work on any of those alternates leads to gridlock.
"Something as simple as a pothole-fixing crew – that really can compound things, and lead to, you know, so-called gridlock," said Joe Schwieterman, who teaches transportation policy at DePaul University.
Smartphone apps to help motorists avoid hiccups on major thoroughfares take drivers even farther from the Kennedy — into neighborhoods like Logan Square. The result is side streets getting gummed up.
"With the diagonal expressway like the Kennedy, drivers find themselves winding their way through neighborhoods," Schwieterman said.
Schwieterman said the cascading effects of multi-year projects like the Kennedy cannot be fully forecasted.
"One thing we know with detour routes is things always surprise planners," he said. "As much as we think we've got it figured out, people are going to behave differently."
For short-term fixes, Schwieterman says traffic lights can be re-timed, signage can be improved, and commuters should consider juggling schedules if they can – so as to avoid peak rush hours. Schwieterman also notes that as always, public transportation allows commuters to avoid it all.
But Chicago Transit Authority service ridership still a fraction of what it was pre-pandemic - this as more employers are calling workers back in.
And the sticky and stubborn world of Chicago traffic is back with a roar after a few years off.
"And unfortunately, the worst of summer is still coming," Schwieterman said.
Meanwhile, downtown traffic is about to get interesting. Columbus Drive was closed Thursday evening from South Water Street to Roosevelt Road – further snarling things.
Grant Park also tight with the Half Marathon this weekend, and the NASCAR race is also coming there.
Further, starting Thursday night, northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive is reduced to one lane in the northbound lanes for resurfacing in the overnight hours.