Chicago’s McKinley Park neighborhood is uniquely placed at the geographic center of the city, bound by natural elements and man-made improvements while still supporting high-capacity thoroughfares for roads, rail and expressways – and, in places, bikers and pedestrians too. 

Unlike many Chicago neighborhoods, McKinley Park has a limited number of ways in and out of the community area: for motorists, bikers, pedestrians and transit users. Some are better than others, especially at different times of day. Understanding the layout and timing is key to getting around.



The Bridges

1. South Western Avenue over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal
Great view. Horrible road conditions, including closed lanes. TIF funding drama! Not great for bikers or pedestrians. Don’t follow the boulevard by mistake, or you’ll end up at the jail.

2. South Damen Avenue over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal
Big bridge, overpass and four-lane road leads north into south-central Pilsen. Requires a big hump through exhaust fumes for pedestrians, and offers no bike lanes. Views of commerce and industry. Fast traffic for motorists, and lots of trucks.

3. South Ashland Avenue over the confluence of the South Branch of the Chicago River and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal
OK view. Big, fast four-lane road – no bike lane. OK for pedestrians. Take a breather at adjacent Canal Origins and Canal Riverwalk parks (with better views).

4. South Archer Avenue over Bubbly Creek
Giant stroads. Big El stop. Miserable for bikers and pedestrians. Close to shopping and national/regional chains.

5. West 35th Street over Bubbly Creek
Interesting, historic views. Still pretty stinky, but lots more focus on remediation now. OK for driving and pedestrians, but no bike lanes. 

The Last Overpass

6. West Pershing Road where Bubbly Creek Ends
Big commercial state road through historic manufacturing district. Crumbling overpass akin to those removed at Pershing and Ashland, and Archer and Ashland. Lots of industry, city land and services headquarters.

The Railroad Viaducts

7. South Ashland Avenue under the Norfolk Southern east access rails
Big, fast road – no bike lane. Manageable for pedestrians and mid for bikers, but watch for debris. Everything’s commercial/industrial; historic Central Manufacturing District lies north of the tracks. 

8. South Western Avenue & Boulevard, and West Pershing Road
A giant mess. Crumbling pylons from abandoned viaduct. Confusing and dangerous layout. Dark & dirty. Traffic manages to get through, especially north-south with double Westerns, but big westbound afternoon backups stretch down Pershing. Perilous intersection for pedestrians and bikers. Anyone remember Cha Cha’s?

9. South Archer Avenue under the CSX and El viaduct
Roads narrowed from four to two with recent bike lane additions. Fine for pedestrians and now great for bikers, but city-inbound bike lanes end at Western. Brighton Park-bound motorists should expect delays down Archer and southbound Western, especially weekday afternoons.

10. West 36th Street under the CSX rail viaduct
Sometimes-convenient hidden yoink between Brighton and McKinley Park neighborhoods. Low and usually slow traffic. Good for local pedestrians and bikers, but motorists should note the deadly 36th Street cut-through between Western Avenue and Boulevard is now closed.

11. West 35th Street under the CSX rail viaduct
Fast for motorists once west of Western Avenue. Not unreasonable for pedestrians; no bike lane. Further westbound on 35th Street effectively dead ends at California.

The Interstate

12. Damen (and Ashland) Exits at I-55
Fastest way for motorists to get around Chicago or exit the city, with the exception of outbound afternoon rush hour, which still usually doesn’t crowd up until west of Damen. Inbound exits dump to both Damen and Ashland avenues. I-55 is supposed to be adding lanes (but no environmental outcry?).

The El

13. 35th/Archer Orange Line station
Wonderful neighborhood amenity on reliable modern track. Best way to and from downtown and Midway Airport, especially during rush hours. Midway > O’Hare.

14. Ashland Orange Line station
Big El stop with reliable service, but tough to access for pedestrians. Turnaround and traffic light for dropoff/pickup from motorists, and bus depot too.

Intra- versus Inter-Neighborhood

Getting around inside the McKinley Park neighborhood is a joy: It’s mostly safe and easy to walk and bike in the area between South Ashland and South Western avenues, and South Archer Avenue and West Pershing Road, and north of Archer to the expressway. The hopefully developing West 35th Street commercial corridor is the prime spot to service resident pedestrians and bikers, with plenty of street parking there too.

It’s a different story at times when going into, out of and through the neighborhood, especially on the McKinley Park neighborhood’s western border. With South Archer Avenue effectively closed as a primary traffic artery in Brighton Park, rush hour motorists may find it’s easier to just avoid the backups at Western, Archer and 35th, and take 43rd or even head north of the canal to head west.

Motorists, Pedestrians and Bikers

On the edges of the McKinley Park neighborhood, and going into and out of it, pedestrians and bikers will have to cross and navigate busy roads like Ashland Avenue, Archer Avenue and Western  Avenue, including for access to many neighborhood amenities, shopping areas and connecting transportation. 

Depending on starting location and destination, pedestrians and bikers may find the West 35th Street bridge over Bubbly Creek as the best access point on the east end of McKinley Park. The West 36th Street viaduct might be the best spot for access to bikers and pedestrians on the west end of the neighborhood. 

Westbound Backups

Thanks to high-capacity roads, motorists enjoy easy access toward the east side of McKinley Park, but westbound out of the neighborhood is often backed up. North and south access is usually fast for motorists thanks to multiple-lane Ashland and Western avenues.  

For bikers and pedestrians, southbound is definitely more pleasant on South Western Boulevard/Avenue than South Ashland Avenue, but they’re a mile apart, and they’re the only south access points for all travelers, including motorists. Newer bike lanes on West Pershing Road do make it easier for bikers to get between Ashland and Western.

Northbound options for bikers and pedestrians are pretty bleak, and Ashland may be the best option, especially with the parks by the bridge. Bikers to and from the Loop may want to skip directly north to Bridgeport’s Loomis Street bridge, which does have bike lanes, some unprotected.

Rush Hour Will Always Suck

Significant transport and transit during rush hours violates fundamental principles of Daddy Logistics® and should be avoided at every opportunity. However, this at times is unavoidable.

Further best practices point to making adjustments according to conditions, from picking a different route to choosing a different transportation medium entirely. It’s satisfying to beat deadlocked traffic while on a bike or the El, and this may be the best choice if it’s an option. Many times for many folks it simply isn’t, including busy parents with multiple kids, jobs and responsibilities.

I tend to always ping an online traffic map before any commute or transport, especially when driving. It takes only one jabroni to cause chaos on what normally would be a standard drive.

Shortcuts I Use

West 33rd Street
Brilliant cut-through for avoiding problems at Archer and Western, and elsewhere, including getting  between Ashland and Western avenues on the north side of the neighborhood. However, perilous to cross at Archer for bikers and pedestrians.

Leavitt and Archer Intersection
Probably the safest intersection for getting across Archer as a biker or pedestrian, and adjacent to the 35th/Archer Orange Line El.

South on Wood Street from the Interstate
South Wood Street has a southbound turnoff when exiting inbound I-55 toward Archer:  You can also head south on Wood from a turnoff off the outbound I-55 onramps when jumping on from Ashland.

South Oakley Avenue at Archer
Right behind the Jewel grocery store, South Oakley Avenue joins Archer and offers a quick cutoff from Archer and Western messes, but this is really only useful if you’re going north on Western.

West Bross and South Western Avenues
One of the few possible left turns to go south on Western Avenue when heading west: a potential detour around Western and Archer messes when using this to go west on 35th Street.

The Former Cable Car Tracks on Pershing
It might be possible to save a few minutes going westbound on Pershing to jump on the doubled-up one-way street now covering former cable car tracks between South Hermitage and Damen avenues, especially if needing to turn north before the park.

Your Tips

What are your favorite McKinley Park neighborhood transportation tips, and suggestions for shortcuts? Share them here!