At a Glance
Successes
Public transportation ridership plummeted during the pandemic and has yet to recover. But in the Village of Skokie, Illinois, residents love their public buses.
Skokie is a diverse community of over 67,000 residents just 16 miles north of Downtown Chicago and the Sears Tower. Many locals and neighboring residents travel to and from Skokie to Chicago for work and entertainment on the Village buses.
The Village’s public transportation is rated among the best in the nation by residents, according to The National Community Survey (The NCS) results. The NCS is an assessment that reports community opinions about livability and government service delivery in the city.
Skokie’s results show around 80% of residents approve of the Village’s overall bus and transit services. And nearly 70% approve of the ease of travel by transit services. That’s over 30% better than the national average in both categories. And plenty of Skokie residents walk to get around and use the Village’s bike paths too.
Strategies
Skokie’s urban-like design contributes to the Village’s emphasis on public transportation. Franz says Skokie looks and feels like Chicago with its smaller lot sizes, bungalow-style homes, and a city-like grid roadway system. (One of the Village’s slogans is “Putting the urban in the suburban.”)
Franz says transportation is a focus area in all the Village’s planning, including a transportation section in a new Environmental Sustainability Plan.
“The ability to be connected to so many different transportation options is why I believe we got that high ranking,” Franz said.
According to the survey, 83% of residents approve of the overall mobility of Skokie.
Both ease of walking and ease of biking score higher than the national average as well. There are 24,000 households and 2,400 businesses in a 10.5-square-mile radius, which puts many necessities within walking distance. Skokie’s Complete Streets Plan prioritizes pedestrian and bicycle transportation for individuals of all ages and disabilities. The Village also has 45 miles of bike paths that connect through the northern suburban area past Chicago and into some southern suburbs. A Village’s Bikeway System Plan aims to create even more bike paths and racks to encourage green public transportation initiatives.
“Any transportation option is very strong here,” Franz said.
Even though the Village scores high for mobility, officials continue to make improvements based on community’ needs.
“Our Village Board listens to the needs of the community,” Franz said. “How we allocate resources reflects all that.”
Franz says each survey year Skokie decision-makers review result trends to see what they can do better. Leaders assess what areas fell behind, and where the Village excels in order to continue that success.
A few years ago, Franz said The NCS results showed residents wanted Skokie to focus more on street repair. The Village now strives to resurface 7 miles of road each year. Then, resident street repair approval ratings increased after officials made the change.
“Skokie is a very responsive government,” Franz said. “We pride ourselves on that customer service, which I think contributes to the high scores overall.”
You can move mountains when government and resident priorities align. Polco can help you engage with the community to discover what’s most important to them, so you know where to focus your budgets and plans and solve problems together. Connect with one of our engagement experts to learn more.
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