The city's plan to create a BRT network brings Chicago's public transit system into the 21st Century. With sleek, energy-efficient buses in designated lanes, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will be able to transport passengers quickly to their destinations using improved services and advanced technology. The city has not announced specific route locations, but will ultimately add more than 100 miles of bus-only lanes along the city's major corridors, to provide quick and easy access for commuters leaving their cars at home. Money from the federal grant will pay for new hybrid buses, a kiosk system to allow passengers to pre-pay their fares for quicker boarding, and the implementation of stoplight technology that allows buses to acquire a priority green light.

To increase transit usage and reduce congestion on city streets, central business district parking fees will be increased during rush hour, and a truck-loading zone system will be established to reduce redundant truck trips. While BRT and parking pricing are not new ideas, Chicago will be the first major city in the U.S. to implement such a comprehensive program on a city-wide scale. These proactive measures to alleviate traffic will help save our region billions in congestion- related costs, reduce our dependency on oil, and improve the overall quality of our environment.

With gasoline topping $4 a gallon, providing people with fast, efficient alternatives to being stuck in car traffic is essential. Cities like Los Angeles and Vancouver have successfully implemented BRT corridors and are already realizing numerous benefits. If the Chicago City Council and CTA Board approve this measure, Chicago will be on the right track to breathing easier, living healthier, and keeping the region moving.

Everyday, more than 37,500 rail freight cars travel through the Chicago region, transporting everything from food to textiles to electronics, making Chicago the rail hub of North America . Chicago is responsible for moving one-third of the country's rail traffic, and Chicago 's status as the center of the freight rail industry enriches the Illinois economy with 38,000 jobs and more than $22 billion in economic activity.

On one hand, the freight industry is booming and provides a powerful economic engine for the region. On the other, the effects of freight congestion are growing: commuters are experiencing greater delays at rail crossings, rail infrastructure suffers from a serious lack of investment, and regional chokepoints have nearly halted the trains that carry our nation's goods. Trains travel at average speeds of less than 10 miles per hour and often take more than three days to travel through the Chicago rail hub. This costs shippers almost $40 million annually.

Clearly, the industry's regional infrastructure has not kept up with increased rail demand, which affects more than just our freight rail network. Metra's commuter rail network shares congested track with freight trains, often delaying passengers. Idling trains waste fuel and freight is frequently diverted to less efficient trucks thereby worsening road congestion and the region's air and noise quality. Even though one train can haul an average of 280 truck trailers and move one ton of freight an average of 410 miles on just one gallon of fuel, shippers turn to trucks for their needs because of delays. Studies project the region will handle 67,000 freight rail cars daily within the next 20 years, doubling today's traffic. As the region grows, the problems will only get worse.

The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) program is a public-private partnership established by the City of Chicago, State of Illinois, and private railroads to build 25 grade separations and modernize track in order to help reduce rail and traffic congestion, promote economic development, and improve the quality of the region's environment. With CREATE improvements, the region's idling motorists waiting for trains to pass would regain more than 195,000 lost hours and 200,000 gallons of gas per year; while passenger rail commuters would save $190 million worth of time. With infrastructure needs estimated at $1.5 billion, the consequences of not properly funding rail improvements would not only have devastating effects in the region, but nationally and internationally as well.

This article was featured in Talking Transit, MPC's bi-weekly e-newsletter. To receive the newsletter, email talkingtransit@metroplanning.org with 'Subscribe' in the subject line.

The Illinois Works Coalition is headed to metropolitan Chicago to get the public's take on how Illinois should fund a long-overdue state capital plan to build and maintain roads, bridges, transit, schools and housing. MPC will provide the coalition with funding recommendations– and a proposal for how Illinois can ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely on capital needs.

It may seem hard to believe, but Illinois does not have a process for rating all transportation projects to determine which make the best use of taxpayers' dollars. Such a process is sorely needed, if for no other reason than that the state does not have enough money to fund all of the projects on its wish list. According to a 2007 study by the American Economics Group, Illinois has almost $9 billion in surface transportation capital needs per year over the next five years; however, only $2 billion a year is spent for surface transportation projects.

The Illinois Works Coalition – named for the governor's proposed capital plan – has been touring the state since February, led by Southern Illinois University President and former congressman Glenn Poshard, and former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert. In a recent article in the Southern Illinoisan, Poshard was quoted as stating, "If we want a capital bill, then somebody's got to say, 'Here are the tough choices and here's what we recommend.'" MPC couldn't agree more and will only support a capital investment package with an objective, criteria-driven system for making those difficult, but necessary decisions about which Illinois transportation projects deserve taxpayer dollars.

The Illinois Works Coalition will host a listening session in Geneva , Ill. , on Monday, April 28, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit the Illinois Works Coalition Web site, or contact Michael McLaughlin, MPC Director of Regional Policy & Transportation, at 312-863-6022 or mmclaughlin@metroplanning.org.

Near West Communities Invited to Help Plan Retail, Transportation Access

The Near West Task Force of Reconnecting Neighborhoods, a community planning process that will result in recommendations for enhanced transit services, retail, and improved public infrastructure in three Chicago neighborhoods, invites Near West Side community members to a public meeting on Monday, April 28 , from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at the "Major" Adams Community Committee Center, 125 N. Hoyne Ave., Chicago, to learn more about transportation and retail amenities in and around the Westhaven Park neighborhood, and to voice their opinions about how to make their neighborhood more convenient and vibrant.

The project is being led by the City of Chicago Dept. of Planning and Development, with support from the Regional Transportation Authority, MPC, and HNTB, a firm handling the project's technical work and research. For more information, visit the Reconnecting Neighborhoods Web site, or contact MPC Reconnecting Neighborhoods Manager Brandon Johnson, 312-863-6046 or bjohnson@metroplanning.org.

Suburban Mayors Exploring Potential for Joint Affordable Housing Trust Fund

At a recent City Council meeting, the City of Lake Forest gave Mayor Mike Rummel the go-ahead to explore the creation of a joint affordable housing trust fund with the four neighboring towns of Deerfield, Highland Park , Highwood, and Northbrook. The proposal also was discussed at a recent Northbrook City Council meeting; and is up for consideration by Highland Park's City Council on Monday, May 12 , and by the other cities in the coming weeks. Mayors of Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Palatine and Rolling Meadows are leading a similar effort. While the concept is in its infancyin Illinois, LakeForest's City Council is enthusiastic about the potential benefits of the ARCH (A Regional Coalition for Housing) model, which in Washington state has created a partnership between 15 communities ensuring all of them have the staff capacity and funding needed to build and preserve workforce housing.

With gas prices and foreclosure rates skyrocketing, and poverty on the rise in suburban Chicago (as evidenced by a recent Heartland Alliance report), local leaders are recognizing they can relieve some of the economic burden on families by ensuring a range of homes at all price points are available, particularly in job-rich and transit-friendly communities. Mayors from the north and northwest suburbs have already seen the benefits of working collectively to solve local workforce housing shortages through the Charter One Workforce Housing Initiative, which is engaging employers in these towns in investing in employer-assisted housing and other workforce housing solutions. An interjurisdictional affordable housing trust fund could be the next step to helping even more people save money on housing, gas and other rapidly rising costs in metropolitan Chicago. For more information, contact MPC Vice President of Community Development Robin Snyderman, at 312-863-6007, or rsnyderman@metroplanning.org.

CPS Homebuyer Assistance Helps Chicago Teachers Defy Weak Housing Market

As foreclosure rates reach all-time highs in Chicago and across theU.S., the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Teacher Homebuyer Assistance Program is helping hundreds of teachers afford homes and avoid common pitfalls that can lead to foreclosure. CPS has confirmed that, despite the local and national downturn in the housing market, the number of teachers who have purchased homes through the program remained consistent in 2006 and 2007.

With support from the City ofChicago's Dept. of Housing, and Partnership for New Communities, the program helps teachers become stable homebuyers to achieve its main goal of improving teacher retention. According to CPS Teacher Housing Director Diana Johnson, "When launching this program in April of 2005, the Board of Education had found that if we could bridge teachers through their fifth year at CPS, then we'd have likely secured a career teacher."

To date, the program, available to some 24,400 teachers system wide, has helped 524 teachers better prepare for homeownership through downpayment assistance and homeownership counseling provided by Rogers Park Community Development Corporation (CDC). Consistent with the broader REACH Illinois employer-assisted housing initiative, this counseling "ensures that teachers not only understand the [homebuying] process, but also know how to protect themselves and their investment once they make a purchase," according to Caleb Sjoblom of Rogers Park CDC.

For more information on the CPS Teacher Homebuyer Assistance Program, or other REACH Illinois Employer-Assisted Housing (EAH) programs like it, please contact Jane Hornstein, MPC EAH consultant, at jhornstein@metroplanning.org or 312.863.6040.

Mr. Johnson was a long-time member of the MPC Board of Governors, established MPC's Executive Advisors, and tapped MPC's expertise in the research phase for his book, Chicago Metropolis 2020: The Chicago Plan for the 21 st Century.

At its February 20 Executive Committee meeting, MPC approved a resolution to honor Mr. Johnson, which reads, in part:

We acknowledge with sincere appreciation the dedication, guidance and service of Elmer W. Johnson. We further resolve to honor the memory of Elmer W. Johnson by continuing our work to implement sensible growth ideas and regional planning to improve the quality of life and economic opportunity of all residents of the Chicago region.

Mr. Johnson was an attorney and prominent member of the Chicagoland business community, and contributed to the economic vitality of the region as a partner at Jenner & Block since 2002; managing partner of Kirkland & Ellis for 20 years; and general counsel, executive vice president and director of General Motors Corporation. From the time he left Kirkland & Ellis in 1999, until 2002, Mr. Johnson served as president and trustee of the Aspen Institute.

"Elmer was a fixture of Chicagoland's business and civic communities," said MPC President MarySue Barrett. "He was all the more impressive because he was genuinely committed to making the region a place where everyone had an opportunity to succeed and live well."

The Commercial Club of Chicago, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and United Way of Metropolitan Chicago were among Mr. Johnson's other civic involvements. He also was an original member of the Chicago Metropolis 2020 Executive Council; established in 1999.

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 reform transportation planning nationwide by implementing 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.

MPC was happy to join the Chicago Community Trust as it celebrated the launch of Chicago Matters: Growing Forward, on March 3, 2008.  Now in its 18th year, Chicago Matters annually brings together Chicago Public Radio, WTTW-Channel 11, Chicago Reporter magazine, and Chicago Public Library to delve into an issue from the perspective of each medium. The topic of this year's series is creating a  sustainableChicago region. 

The launch event provided a taste of programming to come and celebrated Trust-supported projects that have advanced sustainability . It also marked the culmination of months of hard work by the Trust in collaboration with MPC and the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT).   For the first time in  Chicago Matters history, the Trust enlisted outside organizations to help frame the major issues for the media.  To this end, MPC and CNT jointly produced a panel discussion for reporters in December that featured experts on the topics of water, transportation, energy, and regional growth, as well as a follow-up reference guide for reporters that outlines the major sustainability issues in the Chicago region and provides contact information for experts on these issues.

For more information on Chicago Matters: Growing Forward, please visit the Web site: http://www.chicagomatters.org/

Already these communities possess tremendous assets – proximity to downtown, solid infrastructure, and an active, burgeoning residential population, to name a few. By enhancing transit connections and access, these neighborhoods will spur growth from within, as well as "reconnect" with other Chicago communities.

The project is being led by the City of Chicago Dept. of Planning and Development, with support from the Regional Transportation Authority. HNTB, a planning firm, is handling the project's technical work and research. Metropolitan Planning Council's role is to encourage strong and diverse community involvement, including residents, business owners, local civic leaders, investors, and other key community stakeholders.

"Chicago's tremendous progress in the last few decades is no accident. It is the product of its citizens' industry," said Brandon Johnson, MPC's Reconnecting Neighborhoods manager. "Reconnecting Neighborhoods is an opportunity for people to shape the city's transition, and to influence the City of Chicago's and Regional Transportation Authority's planning processes through greater community leadership and involvement."

Through a series of interactive planning sessions in each community, Reconnecting Neighborhoods already has begun to solicit and document community input on existing plans and developments. These initial public meetings are critical to developing a common point of departure, so that everyone involved – from local stakeholders to government agencies – can move forward with the next step in this year-long process: developing preliminary recommendations.

Participation at these community meetings has been encouraging, and Reconnecting Neighborhoods will engage many more people in the next several months. Please join us in our efforts. Visit the Reconnecting Neighborhoods Web site, where you can review your neighborhood's inventory report, check the schedule of upcoming meetings, fill out a community questionnaire, comment on the blog, and sign up for e-mail updates.

Ald.Toni Preckwinkle (4th Ward), in partnership with the Quad Communities Development Corporation, and the new initiative Reconnecting Neighborhoods, invites community members to a series of local meetings on Feb. 20, 27, and March 5, to:

• Voice their opinions about how to make their neighborhood more convenient and vibrant.
• Plan improvements that will increase access to transportation, shopping and jobs.
• Learn more about transportation and retail amenities -- both current and potential -- in the Grand Boulevard, North Kenwood, Douglas, and Oakland neighborhoods.

These meetings are the first community meetings for Reconnecting Neighborhoods , which will invite residents of three Chicago mixed-income neighborhoods to participate in the planning for the future of their communities. The project will result in recommendations for enhanced transit services, retail, and improved public infrastructure in Near North, Near West and Mid-South neighborhoods. The project is being led by the City of Chicago Dept. of Planning and Development, with support from the Regional Transportation Authority and MPC. HNTB, a planning firm, will handle the project's technical work and research.

For more information, including locations, contact MPC Reconnecting Neighborhoods Manager Brandon Johnson , 312-863-6046 or bjohnson@metroplanning.org. And check out the Reconnecting Neighborhoods Web site next week for a revamped look, profiles of community members, and more details about this initiative.

New Case Studies Show Local Leaders Are Working to Balance Housing Options

Earlier this month, St. Charles, Ill., adopted an inclusionary zoning ordinance and housing trust fund, joining a handful of municipalities in metropolitan Chicago taking steps to address the regional and national affordable housing crunch. MPC, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, and Chicago Metropolis 2020 are helping to promote such actions through the expanded edition of Home Grown: Local Housing Strategies in Action , featuring 51 best practices from the region.

Home Grown helps municipal officials and housing developers learn how their peers are solving housing challenges, and provides ideas for replicating or improving upon these approaches. This collection is a "living" resource that is updated annually with new, local examples of case studies on innovative housing policies and developments, including regional programs such as employer-assisted housing. New tothe guidethis year areprofiles fromBartlett, Chicago, DuPageCounty, Elgin, Glenview,Joliet, KaneCounty, Naperville, Northlake, Park Forest, Plainfield, andSchaumburg.

Download a copy of Home Grown ;or contact MPC Community Building Associate JoshEllis, 312-863-6045, or jellis@metroplanning.org.

MPC Encouraged by Proposals to Improve Federal Transportation Funding

Voters in metropolitan regions like Chicago are going to the polls in record numbers, calling for federal leadership on issues critical to their daily lives. Like healthcare and homeownership, transportation – not only how people get from place to place, but also a major factor in the amenities they have access to – needs a dose of fresh thinking at the federal level. MPC is encouraged by the bold thinking in the report "Transportation for Tomorrow ," the product of a national commission charged by Congress with improving transportation funding policies, including recommendations to:

• Increase transportation funding at the state and federal level to improve aging bridges, roads, transit systems, and rail infrastructure.
• Institute performance and accountability standards that require economic justification for projects.
• Increase funding for transit, passenger rail, and freight projects.
• Hike the gas tax. (Note: MPC also recommends exploring alternative funding sources for the highway trust fund, as gas tax revenues continue to decline.)
• Expand authorization for congestion pricing and public-private partnerships.

Many of these recommendations mirror MPC proposals for state action. In preparation for reauthorization of a federal surface transportation bill in 2009, and in partnership with The Brookings Institution's Blueprint for American Prosperity , MPC will push for a new federal transportation framework to support metro regions. Contact MPC Regional Policy & Transportation Director MichaelMcLaughlin, mmclaughlin@metroplanning.org or 312-863-6022.

Modeshift Conference Will Encourage Communities to Be Low-Carbon Leaders

The Climate Group recently issued a report stating, "State and regional governments around the world are fast becoming an essential part of the movement to combat climate change." In metropolitan Chicago, municipalities, too, have more actively been seeking strategies for curbing emissions and saving energy. Local planners and community leaders will have plenty of ideas to choose from at the Healthy Streets Conference , taking place Thursday, Feb. 28, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Metcalf Federal Building, 3rd floor, 77 W. Jackson, Chicago.

The theme of this year's conference, "Modeshift," encourages community leaders and planners to calculate their communities' transportation carbon footprints and equips them with the tools they need to significantly reduce them. Keynote speaker Martha Roskowski, of Go Boulder, will give an account ofBoulder's efforts to be a low-carbon leader in Colorado and the nation.

Registration is $35 for Chicagoland Bicycle Federation members and $45 for non-members. Lunch is included. Attendees may register online. Reporters may attend free of charge, but registration is appreciated.

This event is presented by the U.S. EPA and the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, and co-sponsored by the Metropolitan Planning Council, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, and Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission.

On January 17, the Ill. General Assembly passed legislation (HB656) to fund mass transit operations in northeastern Illinois; the governor signed it into law the next day. Doomsday service reductions and fare hikes were averted. So now what? Will train slow zones be eliminated, buses stop breaking down, and people will have the access they need to get where they're going? Not necessarily.

There are two forms of funding needed to operate a mass transit system effectively: operating dollars that keep the system moving on a day-to day–basis, and capital dollars that are used for long-term investments in machinery and infrastructure. The transit system cannot run without either one, but they are budgeted differently to meet the needs of the system. The bill that the Illinois House and Senate passed in January increased the regional sales tax and state matching funds to provided more than $400 million in new mass transit funding for the operating budgets of Pace, Metra, and the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). (The bill also allowed for additional funding to be allocated from an increase in the Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT), upon approval from the City Council, which it did on Feb.6th.) This new money is essential; operating expenditures have increased 6.5 percent annually over the past five years, while operating revenues have increased only 2.2 percent per year. The service boards desperately needed a solution to their operating shortfalls to continue providing current service.

With the prolonged operating budget deficits, all three service boards were forced to dip into their capital budgets, which has left the aging transit system in a state of further deterioration. For example, Metra said over the last three years, it had to reallocate $165 million from its capital improvement fund pay for daily expenses. Meanwhile, CTA is running trains that are 30 to 40 years old. To upgrade transit infrastructure to a state of good repair and provide for service expansions, CTA, Metra and Pace need an additional $10 billion in capital funding over the next five years. Illinois also needs to pass a capital bill to gain federal approval of regional transit expansions that have been put on hold pending passage of a bill to provide the required 20 percent local match.

Passage of a transit-operating bill was a major victory for Chicago-area transit providers and users, but it did not address the long-term funding needs for system maintenance and enhancements. The region needs more dollars to keep transit running in the future.

Ald. Toni Preckwinkle(4th Ward), in partnership with the Quad Communities Development Corporation, and the new community development initiative Reconnecting Neighborhoods, invites community members to a series of local meetings on Feb. 20, 27 and March 5, to:

• Voice their opinions about how to make their neighborhood more convenient and vibrant.
• Plan improvements that will increase access to transportation, shopping and jobs.
• Learn more about transportation and retail amenities in Grand Boulevard, North Kenwood, Douglas, and Oakland neighborhoods.

These gatherings are the first community meetings for Reconnecting Neighborhoods, a project that invites residents of three Chicago neighborhoods to participate in the planning for the future of their communities. The project will result in recommendations for enhanced transit services, retail, and improved public infrastructure in the Near North, Near West and Mid-South neighborhoods. The project is being led by the City of Chicago Dept. of Planning and Development (DPD), with support from the Regional Transportation Authority and Metropolitan Planning Council. HNTB, a planning firm, is handling the project's technical work and research.

For more information, visit the Reconnecting Neighborhoods Web site. And check next week for a revamped Website offering more details about this initiative.

What:
Three meetings inviting residents to participate in Reconnecting Neighborhoods

Who:
Ald. Toni Preckwinkle, 4th Ward
Bernita Johnson-Gabriel, Executive Director, Quad Communities Development Corporation
Brandon Johnson, Manager of Reconnecting Neighborhoods, MetropolitanPlanning Council

When & Where:

• Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., King CommunityCenter , 4314 S. Cottage GroveAve., Chicago

• Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., West Point Baptist Church, 3572 S. Cottage GroveAve., Chicago

• Wednesday, March 5, 2008, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Kennicott Park, 4434 S. Lake Park Ave.,Chicago

These meetings are public and open to everyone. RSVP on the Reconnecting Neighborhoods Web site , by e-mailing info@reconnectingneighborhoods.org, or by calling Brandon Johnson at (312) 863-6046.

Reporter inquiries should be directed to Mandy Burrell Booth, at mburrell@metroplanning.org or (312) 863-6018.

Congestion pricing is a tool that is gaining popularity across the country and world as a way to ease traffic gridlock.  The tenet behind congestion pricing is simple: increase costs for service when there is the greatest demand to encourage users to seek alternatives.  For automobile travel, congestion pricing often refers to charging drivers who use the most crowded roads at rush-hour a higher fee than those who travel on alternate routes or during non-peak periods.

Mayor Daley's parking plan applies the concept of congestion pricing to parking.  Motorists who park in heavily used areas – whether on the street or in public garages - during times of high demand would be charged a higher fee.

The most successful congestions pricing proposals also incorporate improved alternatives. For example, whenLondon first implemented cordon pricing for its central area in 2002, it simultaneously increased transit service by adding 1,000 additional buses. Chicago could enhance its proposal by increasing transit service.

Implementing a form of congestion pricing for parking in Chicago will contribute to a healthier city and produce benefits beyond congestion reduction.  For those with no other option than to drive, congestion pricing means fewer cars on the road and a faster commute time.  With traffic moving faster, city bus service is able to move more efficiently, easing the commute time for transit users.  Environmentally, congestion pricing results in cleaner air and lower fuel consumption of gas, as cars do not spend as much time idling in traffic or circling the block for parking.

Responses to the city's Request for Qualifications are due March 14 and will be followed by a second round to select a high-bidder.  The city anticipates closing the deal in the third-quarter of this year. 

 

 

]]> http://metroplanning.org/press/press.asp?objectID=4273 2/14/2008 MPC has just released its2008 Policy Agenda - Opportunity Knocks, a 12-month roadmap for developing, advocating for, and implementing policies that address issues affecting the Chicago region, including a slow housing market, high rates of foreclosures, unprecedented and uncoordinated land consumption, and crushing traffic gridlock.

In 2008, MPC will focus on advancing policies that:

• increase transportation options– including walking, riding bikes, and taking transit – for residents and businesses across metropolitan Chicago, both to reduce congestion and curb emissions;
• create more great places in Illinois by identifying and promotinglow-cost, but highly effective strategies to improve planning efforts at the local, regional and state level; and
• engage the private sector in financing innovations that will serve and stabilize thelocal workforce, including affordable housing and transportation options.

Policy proposals set forth by MPC are built on a foundation of consensus-building. By partnering with civic organizations, community groups, business leaders, and government agencies during all three stages of policy development – research, advocacy and implementation – MPC for decadeshasbeen an effective agent for regional policy change.

For more information about MPC's Policy Agenda - Opportunity Knocks , contact Peter Skosey, vice president of external relations, at (312) 863-6004 or pskosey@metroplanning.org.

]]> http://metroplanning.org/press/press.asp?objectID=4268 2/12/2008 Get Up to Speed on 2008 Regional Priorities at MPC Media Briefing

Maintaining the region's well being is comparable to keeping a home in good repair: as soon as one renovation project is completed, something else needs attention. Last week, the region celebrated as Springfield finally approved a long-term funding solution to the region's transit operating crisis. Now, as local, regional and state leaders prepare to turn their attention to the 2008 to-do list, MPC will highlight key agenda items at a media briefing on Tuesday, Feb. 12 , from noon to 1:30 p.m., at MPC's offices, 25 E. Washington St., Suite1600.

MPC experts will provide background and forecasts on critical regional issues expected to be debated this year, including:

• a state capital investment plan for roads and bridges, transit and freight, housing and schools;
• innovative financing mechanisms for infrastructure projects, such as public-private partnerships and congestion pricing;
• a statewide framework for managing water resources; and
• new state leadership for planning in Illinois.

They'll also discuss how the elections can help call national attention to the concerns of metropolitanChicago 's residents and businesses. And they'll explain how changed policies will affect stories currently making headlines, including the housing market's turndown, the global energy crisis, andChicago's Olympics hopes. To register, contact MPC Assistant Communications Director Mandy Burrell, 312.863.6018, mburrell@metroplanning.org.

Individuals Strengthening Chicago Schools to Share Successes at MPC Roundtable

Join MPC on Thursday, Jan. 24 , as we continue our Roundtable Series featuring neighbor-led community revitalization efforts. Parents and school administrators from three Chicago communities will discuss how they've forged partnerships to strengthen their school communities at a luncheon discussion, from noon to 1:30 p.m., at the Chicago Architecture Foundation, John Buck Company Lecture Hall, 224 S.Michigan Ave., 1st Floor Lobby,Chicago.

Henry S. Webber, vice president for community and government affairs at the University of Chicago and an MPC board member, will moderate a panel of parents and school administratorsfrom Chicago's LincolnSquare, Little Village, and Austin communities.

This roundtable is co-hosted with the Chicago Architecture Foundation and generously sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Cost for MPC donors is $15; cost for non-donors is $30. Members of the media may attend free of charge. Lunch will be provided. To register, contact MPC Assistant Communications Director Mandy Burrell, 312 .863.6018, mburrell@metroplanning.org.

St. Charles Set to Vote on Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance, Housing Trust Fund

The west suburban City of St. Charles keeps moving one step closer toward approving an inclusionary zoning ordinance and housing trust fund, both of which would help preserve and create more affordable housing in the community. In February, the St. Charles City Council is scheduled to vote on the measure, which was approved unanimously by the Planning and Zoning Committee on Jan. 14.

If the measure is approved, St. Charles will join a small, but influential group of cities (includingChicago, Lake Forest and Highland Park) that have instituted similar measures to ensure they have a mix of housing at all price points available to local residents.

"St. Charles is part of a growing number of cities in our region that not only have acknowledged how important it is to have homes affordable to local residents and workers, but that also have taken actions to balance their housing stock," said Joanna Trotter, manager of MPC's Community Building Initiative , which helped the city draft the measures. "An inclusionary zoning ordinance and housing trust fund are the first two of several new tools and resources the city is considering to preserve affordable housing in St. Charles, and help leverage private sector investment to create new affordable homes."

For more information about what the ordinance and trust fund could mean for St.Charles, and the region, contact Trotter at 312-863-6008, or jtrotter@metroplanning.org.

]]> http://metroplanning.org/press/press.asp?objectID=4227 1/22/2008 Though 2008 is just days old, MPC staff already has plans for how their daily work will help improve the metropolitan region this year.

Joanna Trotter, Manager, MPC Community Building Initiative

My New Year's resolution is to foster greater cooperation between communities in the region.

My hope for our region is that we begin to work across municipal boundaries for the greater economic and social well being of the entire Chicagoland area. Toward this end, I will help communities work together to pool resources in order to create high-quality affordable housing in areas with good job opportunities, such as the north and northwest satellite cities.

I also will work with communities that are jointly attracting new economic development and investments to areas that historically have struggled to bring in new business, industry, and quality jobs, such as those along the Calumet River. By working together and not competing, communities will be more apt to identify their individual strengths and unique place in our regional market and will collectively attract resources and use them more efficiently.

Michael McLaughlin, Director of Regional Policy and Transportation

With federal and state transportation dollars flat-lining and losing their purchasing power, we need to find ways to stretch those dollars even further. "Congestion pricing" is a mechanism proven worldwide to manage demand for roads and other transportation modes. In 2008, cities such as New York, San Francisco, Miami and Seattle likely will join the growing ranks of metropolitan areas that will implement congestion pricing.

The Chicago region should develop and coalesce around a comprehensive congestion pricing strategy this year, so that 2009 will become the year of implementation of congestion pricing in the region. MPC will explore the possibilities for congestion pricing in our region by partnering with the Toll Highway Authority to study the effects of congestion pricing on Chicagoland's toll road network. MPC also will establish peer exchanges and forums with other cities around the nation and world to highlight best practices with regard to congestion pricing and related transit and road improvements.

Karin Sommer , Associate

The focus for my first year at MPC will be on creating and sustaining great places in Chicago. Three projects specifically address this goal: Placemaking; A New North Lawndale; and our emerging transit-oriented development initiative.

The Placemaking project will establish a curriculum for creating and maintaining great public spaces in Chicago through the production of a guidebook, trainings, and technical assistance to Chicago neighborhood groups.

A New North Lawndale deals with street design, using the redevelopment of Ogden Avenue into a pedestrian-friendly corridor as a catalyst for change inChicago's North Lawndale community.

The transit-oriented development initiative will build upon our successfulJan. 10th roundtable, "Within Our Reach: Your World in Half a Mile," to encourage and implement more development near transit inChicago.

Katherine Bucar , Graphic Design Associate

I resolve to streamline MPC's communication to board, donors, partners, and friends; and further develop MPC's targeted electronic communications. In 2008, MPC will increase the availability of our information online – and, in so doing, reduce paper waste! Beginning later this month, we will introduce a new monthly e-mail newsletter that consolidates two existing communiqués, and complements our printed, tri-annual Regional Connection newsletter, as well as our quarterly reports to the board.

Lillie Jernigan, Consultant, Employer-Assisted Housing

In 2008, I'm excited to continue building on the momentum from the work MPC started in 2007 under the Charter One Workforce Housing Initiative in Chicago's northwest and northern suburbs. Partnering with 10 municipalities and not-for-profit housing experts, the traction for this initiative is strong and will continue to grow this year as we work with area employers to develop public-private housing resources for area families.

Under this initiative in the northwest suburbs of Mt. Prospect, Palatine, Arlington Heights, Rolling Meadows, and Buffalo Grove, the partner is Housing Opportunity Development Corporation (HODC). HODC is also the main partner in the northern suburbs of Deerfield, Highwood, Highland Park, Lake Forest , and Northbrook , along with the Affordable Housing Corporation of Lake County (AHC).

In addition to convening employers through unified outreach, several of these communities are moving forward with their own unique contributions to the supply of affordable workforce housing. Throughout 2008, I will be working closely with municipal staff and our housing expert partners to take employer interest and activity around workforce housing in these communities to the next level.

Josh Ellis, Community Building Associate

By improving MPC's research, analysis, and presentation capabilities, I hope to help communities better understand and visualize the steps they can take to make more equitable, sustainable and sensible choices about the future. Between our publications, such as the forthcoming Housing 1-2-3; the hands-on training workshops that go with them; and original research and analysis, my hope is that any kind of community – from fast-growing suburbs to more established, yet disinvested, communities – will be better equipped to tackle any development challenge.

Kristi DeLaurentiis, Manager of Local Government and Community Relations

Many municipalities have moved ahead on their plans to create livable, vibrant communities. Some, following extensive planning processes, are already implementing the forward-looking strategies that are needed to get them there. Others are learning from their neighbors in the region or looking elsewhere across the globe, what it takes to tackle particularly thorny challenges that impact residents and businesses.

My New Year's resolution is to showcase Illinois communities leading the way, where planning and innovative strategies make a difference in the character of the place and people's lives; and examine measures that can help others along the way.

]]> http://metroplanning.org/press/press.asp?objectID=4225 1/14/2008 MPC's Winter 2008 Roundtable, "Within Our Reach: Your World in Half a Mile," captured the attention of planners, developers, elected officials, and community groups from around the region, as it explored the opportunities and challenges to integrating neighborhood development with transit service.

Co-hosted with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), the blockbuster event featured a dynamic discussion from out-of-town practitioners: David Taylor, national director of Sustainable Transportation Solutions, HDR, Inc., Catherine Cox-Blair, principal cityplannerin Denver, and James Keefe, president and principal of Trinity Financial inBoston. Chicago Ald. Mary Ann Smith (48th Ward) and Sam Assefa, director of land use and planning policy for Chicago 's Dept. of Planning and Development, provided local perspective.

The experts addressed the positive effects of approaching community building and transportation investment jointly as transit-oriented development (TOD). Mr. Taylor framed the TOD movement and walked through success stories from around the country. Ms. Cox-Blair emphasized the importance of establishing expectations for all invovled partners. Mr. Keefe stressed collaborating with the various parties from the begining of the planning and development process. Ald. Smith and Mr. Assefa rounded out the discussion by describing emerging opportunities and strategies for building stronger neighborhoods and skillfully designed TOD in the urban core.

Carefully nurtured, TOD pays dividends well beyond homeowners' pocketbooks and convenience - it is a boon for local businesses, protects the environment through massive energy and emissions savings, and supports better transit service and increased ridership. Both the CTA and MPC recognize TOD as a win-win, long-term strategy for creating great urban places.

Presentations

David Taylor
Senior Vice President
National Director, Sustainable Transportation Solutions, HDR, Inc.

Catherine Cox-Blair
Principal City Planner, Dept. of Community Planning and Development
Denver , Colo.

James Keefe
President and Principal, Trinity Financial, Inc.
Boston , Mass.

Sam Assefa
Director of Land Use and Planning Policy, Dept. of Planning and Development
Chicago , Ill.

Ald. Mary Ann Smith(48th Ward)
Chicago , Ill.

For more information, please contact Michael Davidson, Manager of Planning, at 312-863-6009 or mdavidson@metroplanning.org.

]]> http://metroplanning.org/press/press.asp?objectID=4226 1/14/2008 Presentations available from "Within Our Reach: Your World in a Half Mile", an MPC/CTA hosted disucssion featuring some of the country's most knowledgeable transit experts about why transit-oriented development (TOD) is critical to urban vitality.

David Taylor
Senior Vice President
National Director, Sustainable Transportation Solutions, HDR, Inc.

Catherine Cox-Blair
Principal City Planner, Dept. of Community Planning and Development
Denver , Colo.

James Keefe
President and Principal, Trinity Financial, Inc.
Boston , Mass.

Sam Assefa
Director of Land Use and Planning Policy, Dept. of Planning and Development
Chicago , Ill.

Ald. Mary Ann Smith (48th Ward)
Chicago , Ill.

For more information, please contact Michael Davidson, Manager of Planning, at 312-863-6009 or mdavidson@metroplanning.org.

]]> http://metroplanning.org/press/press.asp?objectID=4223 1/11/2008

Yesterday, after months of political wrangling and posturing, a regional solution to the transit funding crisis passed both the Illinois House and Senate. The Metropolitan Planning Council encourages you to contact your legislators to thank them if they supported HB 656. In particular, Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston), chair of the House Mass Transit Committee, deserves kudos for the incredible time, energy and attention she has devoted to transit funding and reform in the past three years.

But don't breathe a sigh of relief just yet. Gov. Blagojevich has introduced an amendatory veto to the bill, which would allow senior citizens to ride for free on all busses and trains in the region. Here's some background, and what happens next:

Background
The bulk of the language in HB 656 was written more than eight months ago. The cornerstone of the bill is a small increase in the regional sales tax to fund mass transit services, equal to one-quarter of one percent, or a penny on a medium latte. Since last spring, Gov. Blagojevich threatened to veto this modest increase, calling it "a tax on working people." However, the alternative he supported would have left a $400 million hole in the state's budget.

Despite widespread belief that Jan. 9 and 10 were going to be the session dates devoted to address transit, many pundits were cautiously optimistic, at best, that the General Assembly would succeed. Indeed, the two days were characterized by late-night votes, impassioned floor speeches, and last-minute amendments rejected as quickly as they were put forth. In the end, the House voted twice for near identical measures, ending a three-year struggle to develop a solution for Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra and Pace.

What's next
Transit is not out of the woods just yet. The governor's amendatory veto must be acted upon before the bill can become law. The entire General Assembly must return toSpringfield next week, either to uphold or override the governor's amendatory veto. There is a chance the bill will not pass, as the cost of allowing seniors to ride for free was never calculated into the original bill. The action would create a potential $20 million shortfall in the Regional Transportation Authority budget, and some are questioning where that money will come from. Please call your legislators and ask them to vote for transit next week in the special session. (voting record and district telephone numbers below)

Summary
For years the transit agencies have known that there were vast operating budget shortfalls that could not simply be fixed by reform, cost-cutting, and diversion of capital improvements.  The Auditor General's report last March confirmed to elected officials that a substantial increase in annual operating revenue was needed, or else the transit agencies would have to severely cut service in the region.

Clearly, something needed to be done, but the poisoned political atmosphere of Springfield made it seem at times that it was inevitable that "doomsday" would arrive and transit service would be cut.  In that light, it would be quite an accomplishment if the General Assembly acts upon the Governor's amendment, thereby ending the crisis.  While the state does need to pass a capital bill to pay for maintenance and improvements to the transit system, for at least the next decade Pace, Metra and the CTA will have sufficient funding to run day to day operations so we won't have the threat of "doomsday" any time soon.

Find out who your legislator is at:
www.elections.illinois.gov/districtlocator/addresssearch.aspx

Illinois General Assembly
Vote on HB 656
Mass Transit Funding and Reform Bill
Jan. 10, 2008

Senators (Yes)

James F. Clayborne Jr.   (618) 875-1212

Jacqueline Y. Collins      (773) 224-2830

Dan Cronin                   (630) 792-0040

M. Maggie Crotty          (708) 687-9696

John J. Cullerton            (773) 883-0770

James A. DeLeo            (773) 237-2525

William Delgado            (773) 292-0202

Kirk W. Dillard              (630) 969-0990

Susan Garrett                (847) 433-2002

Don Harmon                 (708) 848-2002

Rickey R. Hendon         (773) 265-8611

Mattie Hunter                (312) 949-1908

Dan Kotowski               (847) 797-1192

Kimberly A. Lightford    (708) 343-7444

Terry Link                    (847) 735-8181

Edward D. Maloney       (773) 881-4180

Iris Y. Martinez             (773) 489-2020

James T. Meeks            (708) 862-1515

John J. Millner               (630) 351-9340

Antonio Munoz              (773) 869-9050

Michael Noland             (847) 214-8864

Kwame Raoul               (773) 363-1996

Carol Ronen                  (773) 769-1717

Martin A. Sandoval        (708) 656-2002

Jeffrey M. Schoenberg   (847) 492-1200

Ira I. Silverstein             (773) 743-5015

Donne E. Trotter           (773) 933-7715

Louis S. Viverito            (708) 430-2510

A. J. Wilhelmi               (815) 207-4445

Representatives (Yes)

Edward J. Acevedo        (773) 843-1200

Luis Arroyo                   (773) 292-0202

Daniel V. Beiser             (618) 465-5900

Maria Antonia Berrios     (773) 235-3939

Mike Boland                   (309) 736-3360

John E. Bradley             (618) 997-9697

John E. Bradley            (618) 997-9697

James D. Brosnahan      (708) 499-2810

Daniel J. Burke              (773) 471-2299

Linda Chapa LaVia        (630) 264-6855

Annazette Collins           (773) 533-0010

Marlow H. Colvin          (773) 783-8492

Elizabeth Coulson          (847) 724-3233

Barbara Flynn Currie     (773) 667-0550

John D'Amico               (773) 736-0218

Monique D. Davis         (773) 445-9700

William Davis                (708) 799-7300

Lisa M. Dugan              (815) 939-1983

Kenneth Dunkin            (312) 266-0340

Sara Feigenholtz            (773) 296-4141

Robert F. Flider             (217) 428-2708

Mary E. Flowers            (773) 471-5200

LaShawn K. Ford          (773) 378-5902

John A. Fritchey            (773) 871-4000

Paul D. Froehlich           (847) 985-9210

Esther Golar                  (773) 925-6580

Deborah L. Graham       (708) 445-9520

Julie Hamos                 (847) 424-9898

Gary Hannig                  (217) 839-2859

Greg Harris                   (773) 348-3434

Thomas Holbrook          (618) 394-2211

Constance A. Howard    (773) 783-8800

Naomi D. Jakobsson      (217) 373-5000

Elga L. Jefferies             (773) 373-9400

Charles E. Jefferson       (815) 987-7433

Kevin Joyce                  (708) 448-3518

Carolyn H. Krause         (847) 255-3100

Lou Lang                      (847) 673-1131

Joseph M. Lyons           (773) 286-1115

Sidney H. Mathias         (847) 222-0061

Frank J. Mautino           (815) 664-2717

Karen May                    (847) 433-9100

Susana A Mendoza        (773) 277-7711

David E. Miller              (708) 201-8000

Robert S. Molaro           (773) 838-1212

Rosemary Mulligan        (847) 297-6533

Elaine Nekritz                (847) 257-0450

Harry Osterman             (773) 784-2002

Milton Patterson            (773) 434-7500

Dan Reitz                      (618) 443-5757

Al Riley                        (708) 283-0400

Robert Rita                   (708) 396-2822

Kathleen A. Ryg            (847) 680-5909

George Scully Jr.           (708) 672-0200

Michael K. Smith           (309) 353-6276

Cynthia Soto                 (773) 252-0402

Arthur L. Turner           (773) 277-4700

Patrick J Verschoore      (309) 793-4716

Eddie Washington          (847) 623-0060

Karen A. Yarbrough      (708) 615-1747

Wyvetter H. Younge      (618) 875-1691

Senator (No)

Pamela J. Althoff           (815) 455-6330

Larry K. Bomke            (217) 782-0228

Michael Bond                (847) 752-7004

Bill Brady                     (309) 664-4440

J. Bradley Burzynski      (815) 895-6318

Gary G. Dahl                (815) 220-8720

Debby DeFrancesco

Halvorson                     (708) 756-0882
Deanna Demuzio           (217) 854-4441

Gary Forby                   (618) 439-2504

Michael W. Frerichs       (217) 355-5252

William R. Haine           (618) 465-4764

Linda Holmes                (815) 609-3711

Randall M. Hultgren       (630) 682-8100

Emil Jones Jr.                (773) 995-7748

David Koehler               (309) 346-4646

Chris Lauzen                 (630) 264-2334

David Luechtefeld         (618) 243-9014

Matt Murphy                 (847) 776-1490

Carole Pankau               (630) 582-0390

William E. Peterson       (847) 634-6060

Christine Radogno         (630) 243-0800

Dale A. Righter              (217) 235-6033

Dale E. Risinger             (309) 693-4921

Todd Sieben                  (309) 944-5681

John M. Sullivan            (217) 222-2295

Dave Syverson              (815) 987-7555

Frank C. Watson           (618) 664-9108

Representative (No)

Mark H. Beaubien Jr.     (847) 487-5252

Patricia R. Bellock         (630) 852-8633

Bob Biggins                   (630) 941-1278

William B. Black           (217) 431-1986

Mike Bost                     (618) 457-5787

Dan Brady                    (309) 662-1100

Rich Brauer                   (217) 782-0053

Franco Coladipietro        (630) 582-0045

Sandy Cole                   (847) 543-0062

Fred Crespo                  (630) 372-3340

Tom Cross                    (815) 254-0000

Shane Cultra                 (815) 268-4090

Joe Dunn                      (630) 355-4113

Jim Durkin                    (708) 352-7700

Roger L. Eddy               (618) 563-4128

Jack D. Franks              (815) 334-0063

Careen M Gordon          (815) 634-3096

Kurt M. Granberg          (618) 242-2976

Brent Hassert                (630) 739-7063

Jay C. Hoffman             (618) 345-2176

David R. Leitch             (309) 690-7373

Patricia Reid Lindner     (630) 466-9791

Michael P. McAuliffe     (773) 792-0749

Kevin A. McCarthy       (708) 226-1999

James H. Meyer            (630) 717-7141

Bill Mitchell                   (217) 876-1968

Jerry L. Mitchell            (815) 625-0820

Donald L. Moffitt          (309) 343-8000

Ruth Munson                (847) 622-1048

Richard P. Myers          (309) 836-2707

JoAnn D. Osmond         (847) 838-6200

Brandon W. Phelps        (618) 253-4189

Sandra M. Pihos            (630) 858-8855

Raymond Poe               (217) 782-0044

Robert W. Pritchard       (815) 748-3494

Harry R. Ramey Jr.       (630) 876-0703

Dennis M. Reboletti       (630) 530-2730

David Reis                    (618) 392-0108

Chapin Rose                  (217) 348-7673

Jim Sacia                      (815) 232-0774

Angelo Saviano              (708) 453-7547

Timothy L. Schmitz       (630) 845-9590

Aaron Schock                (309) 672-9292

Keith P. Sommer           (309) 263-9242

Ron Stephens                (618) 651-0405

Ed Sullivan Jr.               (847) 566-5115

Jil Tracy                       (2