The Unified Work Program (UWP) lists the planning projects the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) and other agencies undertake each year to enhance transportation in northeastern Illinois and to fulfill federal planning regulations. The UWP is designed to run in conjunction with the State of Illinois fiscal year timeline of July 1-June 30. The final UWP document includes the transportation planning activities to be carried out in the region, detailing each project's description, products, costs and source of funding.
The UWP Committee develops a program for recommendation to the MPO Policy Committee. The eight voting members of the UWP committee are:
- City of Chicago
- Chicago Transit Authority
- Metra
- Pace
- CMAP
- Regional Transportation Authority
- Regional Council of Mayors
- One representative from the six collar counties
The Illinois Department of Transportation chairs the committee and votes in instances of a tie. Non-voting members include Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Highway Administration, and Federal Transit Administration.
The UWP development process begins each fall and is carried out in accordance with the UWP Development Methodology approved by the UWP Committee. Development includes an annual core program of work to complete federal Metropolitan Planning requirements and a multi-year competitive program of transportation planning activities, such as planning for safe and complete streets, and conducting subregional and project-specific studies that support federal planning factors and regional priorities.