Evanston Residents Push Back on Ryan Field Traffic and Security Plans Ahead of October Opening

The plans that will shape game day

With just months until the first kickoff at Northwestern's new $800 million Ryan Field, Evanston residents and neighborhood advocates are telling the university to rethink how it will move tens of thousands of fans through their streets.

The Ryan Field Advisory Council reviewed draft transportation and security plans at a three-hour meeting on Tuesday, May 19. Members raised concerns about rideshare zones, parking for local businesses, bike safety, and surveillance technology.

The plans must be approved by City Manager Luke Stowe before Northwestern can host its first home game in October.

"For football games historically, people have parked in the neighborhood. Going forward, that's not part of the plan anymore," said transportation consultant Peter Lemmon.

Rideshare zones called 'most problematic'

The draft Transportation Management Plan designates two rideshare pickup and drop-off zones: on westbound Lincoln Street east of the North Shore Channel and on Poplar Avenue between Lincoln Street and Central Street.

Advisory council member Peggy Baxter called the rideshare locations the "most problematic thing" in the plan. She warned the zones would create congestion in an already tight area.

"It seems like probably the most complicated place to put a rideshare pickup," Baxter said of the Poplar Avenue designation.

Member Fiona McCarthy agreed.

"Anywhere for a drop-off zone is better than along Poplar," McCarthy said.

Local businesses left out of the parking plan

The plan prohibits parking on Central Street between Poplar Avenue and Girard Avenue on event days. Councilmember Parielle Davis said the document did not address where employees and customers of nearby small businesses would park.

"I did not see any mention of where the small business employees and patrons are supposed to park during events," Davis said. "There is actually no mention of the word 'business' at all, in the entire plan."

Dave Davis, Northwestern's assistant vice president of neighborhood and community relations, said the university could explore contracting nearby lots for business patrons. The group discussed potential locations including the Evanston Arts Center parking lot and the Chase Bank parking lot.

Bike advocates say Lincoln Street must stay safe

During public comment, local bike shop owner Kelly Mack, co-owner of Mack's Bike & Goods, criticized the plan for prioritizing rideshare zones over bicycle infrastructure.

"We respectfully ask that Northwestern be held accountable for thoughtfully and holistically incorporating bicycle access into the extra traffic planning without negatively impacting the surrounding neighborhood," Mack said.

Seventh Ward resident Chris Kramer said Lincoln Street should remain a "safe corridor" for pedestrians and cyclists, not a "stadium access route."

Lemmon responded by highlighting the plan's proposed "bike valet zone," which he described as a fenced and manned area near the stadium.

"Obviously we want to have it close to the stadium, so it's a place where you know you feel comfortable," Lemmon said. "You always want to park as close as you can to wherever you're going. Bikes should be no different than that."

Security concerns: facial recognition and drones

The advisory council also reviewed the draft Security Plan. McCarthy asked for more explicit breakdowns of security measures based on event size.

Davis asked for written confirmation that no security personnel would use facial recognition technology. He also requested information on drone usage during events.

Stowe said he wanted cyber and network security addressed in the plan.

What happens next

Consultants and Northwestern University Police Department representatives will incorporate feedback from the May 19 meeting and a May 13 meeting on sustainability into second drafts. The advisory council will schedule another meeting to review the revisions.

Northwestern has until June 2 to submit the draft documents to the city as part of the Memorandum of Understanding for the stadium project.

"There's a willingness to try different things, but I feel like we can't solve every problem," Dave Davis said. "There's no standard universal solution, so we have to optimize for something."

The university emphasized two goals for transportation planning: minimize traffic in the neighborhood around the stadium and move fans out of the area as quickly as possible after events.