UIC is Expanding West Campus Parking and Traffic Calming to Improve Patient Experience

Start Date: Monday, April 13, 2026
Anticipated Duration: Thirteen weeks

• Taylor Street will be closed to through traffic between Paulina and Wood Streets.
• Wood Street will be closed to through traffic at Taylor Street.
• Valet parking services for the Specialty Care Building will remain on Wood Street, south of Taylor Street.
• Hospital valet services will operate directly in front of the hospital on Taylor Street.
• UIC buses will continue to be rerouted as indicated in the UIC Ride app. Visit the Transportation website to view a complete list of shuttle bus stops.

• UIC Official Announcement

We encourage guests, who are able, to use public transportation to UIC’s west campus if possible. Please note the Illinois Medical District station (CTA Blue Line) is nearby, and the #7 Harrison Street bus route will drop guests off very conveniently at Polk and Wolcott Streets.

Hourly parking structures are located within a block walk located at the Stroger Cook County Hospital Garage (1800 W. Polk Street) and UI Health Wood Street Parking Structure (1100 S Wood St, Chicago). Additionally, there is metered street parking nearby on Taylor Street.

Please note of the traffic calming construction project near the Wood Street Parking Structure may cause increased congestion and re-routes near the intersection of Wood and Taylor Streets.

UIC has initiated traffic improvement projects near the intersection of Taylor Street and Wood Street in order to increase pedestrian safety on the health enterprise campus. These projects will calm the flow of traffic across west campus and provide a safer environment for patients, staff and students alike. The full scope of the phased projects integrates both structured parking and traffic calming improvements, including upgrades at the intersection near the UI Hospital, the Outpatient Care Center and the Specialty Care Building, to enhance traffic flow and pedestrian safety. Additionally, this activity will also address the immediate need for additional campus parking and help ensure that UIC’s West Campus infrastructure is well-positioned for the future. Current updates can be found on the project website here and completion is expected in summer 2026.

Construction continues to move quickly on a new parking structure at the intersection of Grenshaw Street and Wolcott Avenue. The project will deliver approximately 1,000 new structured parking spaces to support increased demand driven by the ongoing expansion of UI Health facilities, including the 2022 opening of the UI Health Specialty Care Building and projected growth of the UI Hospital & Clinics. The project will also replace parking space lost as a result of new construction projects, including the planned Drug Discovery and Cancer Research Pavilion.

As a consequence of these significant upgrades that are vital to continued safety and growth on campus, the projects will impact campus vehicle and pedestrian traffic. To address the affects this will have on everyday use, the University and health system will regularly communicate phase updates to keep stakeholders informed of the various closures and re-routing that will be necessary to accommodate the successful completion of these improvements.

This project aims to increase traffic calming measures throughout the three phase and include:

• Curb extensions at Wood Street and Fillmore Streets,
• Curb extensions and raised crosswalk at Hermitage and Taylor Streets, and
• New traffic light and raised intersection at Taylor and Wood Streets.

Total projected timeframe is expected to take approximately 6 months.

The general schedule of these projects is tentatively outlined below:

• PHASE 1A & 1B: Wood & Fillmore Pedestrian Crosswalk – 7 Weeks
• PHASE 2: Taylor & Hermitage Pedestrian Crosswalk – 8 Weeks
• PHASE 3: Taylor & Wood Light Install & Intersection Calming – 13 Weeks

The intersection at Taylor & Wood Streets is the center of clinical service activity – with increased pedestrian and patient activity. Updating the crosswalks, drop-off zones and traffic lights will enhance the safety for all on campus. To make the various disruptions to traffic patterns and parking availability, this site intends to keep our community informed in a timely fashion to minimize disruption.