By Erin Aleman, Principal Planner, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning- May 9, 2012
Though opinions differ on what makes a community appealing, livable communities tend to share some common traits. They are healthy, safe, and walkable. They offer choices for timely transportation to schools, jobs, services, and basic needs. They are more cost-effective for individuals and local governments. They make the region more economically competitive.
Whether we choose to live and work in a newer community or one that has been around for decades, a community's unique "sense of place" draws people and makes us feel at home and welcome there. Though that sense may seem intangible, livability is seldom an accident. Livable communities are created through effective planning and decisions by local officials, developers, and individual residents.
In October 2010, CMAP was awarded a…
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Walk, bike, take transit, or even roller skate -- the Commute Options pilot is helping employers help their employees drive less to work.
In late 2010, MPC rolled out a one-year Commute Options pilot, to help local employers design incentives that encourage their employees to drive less and try “alternative” commutes, such as transit, biking, carpooling and even walking. A little more than a year later, based on the interest we’ve seen from a variety of employers, we believe this pilot is demonstrating the need for a permanent Transportation Demand Management initiative in the Chicago area. Our thinking was reinforced in April, when the Regional Transportation Authority’s (RTA) Board voted to approve a one-year contract with MPC to continue to study Commute Options as a potential solution to increase transit use among area workers.
So far, the Commute Options pilot has attracted 12 employers,…
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