As state lawmakers discuss a capital spending program in
Springfield , there is no question Illinois needs to invest more money to fix
the region’s crumbling infrastructure. Whether it’s the $7.7 billion the RTA
cites as necessary to maintain the region’s transit system
,
or the $6 billion the Transportation for Illinois Coalition cites for the
statewide road network, Illinois is unlikely to meet all of these demands in one
fell swoop. So, how do we, as a region, select which projects will deliver
the greatest benefit
s
for their cost?
Develop a new state capital program that incorporates quantifiable selection
criteria as part of an essential cost-benefit analysis.
MPC will only support a capital package that uses
criteria. We are not naïve and understand that this is politically challenging,
not the least because it may infringe on legislative earmarking of projects that
do not rate highly compared to others. Nonetheless, utilizing selection criteria
is neither a new nor a radical idea. In researching how other states make
capital investments, MPC identified at least nine states that employ selection
criteria for their capital planning. In the U . K . , the recently released Eddington Study promises to re
form
transportation planning
nationwide by
implement
ing
selection criteria and cost-benefit
analysis to evaluate and rank transportation
investments.
The first step in developing criteria is to establish
statewide goals for the investments
through a consensus-driven
process
involving
all regional stakeholders
. Again, other state
models
are
a useful starting point.
Missouri
identifies eight criteria
to measure the value of its transportation investments, including economic
competitiveness, quality of communities, and environmental protection. To
be effective, criteria should not favor one mode of transportation over another,
but rather evaluate broad, yet quantifiable, goals that can be
advanced
by various forms of
investment, from bike and pedestrian enhancements to large-scale transit
extensions.
This
evaluation should be done at the regional level through the Chicago Metropolitan
Agency for Planning, where a broad array of stakeholders can participate in the
process.
MPC will continue to advocate for maintaining our regional infrastructure,
but will insist that projects are chosen for investment based on a detailed
cost-benefit analysis that includes quantifiable criteria. We will release best
practices and a framework for criteria-based decision-making in Illinois later
this spring. Tax dollars are scarce and this is the best way for the state to
spend the people’s money wisely.
