Come join us!  Launch of the GO TO 2040 comprehensive regional plan

All of us at CMAP sincerely appreciate the efforts by tens of thousands of residents across our region's seven counties, whose contributions have been central to development of the GO TO 2040 comprehensive regional plan.  Please join CMAP and its partners at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 13, 2010, on the rooftop of the Harris Theater at Millennium Park to launch the plan's all-important implementation phase.  Earlier that day, the CMAP Board and MPO Policy Committee will vote on adoption of the plan. We would appreciate if you'll RSVP by September 30 to info@cmap.illinois.gov, including your name(s), organization, and contact phone number or email address.  This event will be to thank and inspire all who have participated in GO TO 2040 to date, and all across the region who will now help CMAP to lead its implementation.

Thank you for commenting on the draft GO TO 2040 comprehensive regional plan

The draft GO TO 2040 comprehensive regional plan comment period has now ended. Each comment received will be carefully considered and included in an appendix to the plan, which will be revised before going to the CMAP Board and MPO Policy Committee for final approval on October 13, 2010. Based on nearly three years of research, deliberation, and public input, the plan recommends action in four themes: Livable Communities, Regional Mobility, Human Capital, and Efficient Governance. By implementing GO TO 2040, our region will

• Emphasize support for existing communities.
• Encourage more compact,sustainable development patterns.
•  Increase the efficiency and transparency of government through better decision making.
•  Reduce congestion by emphasizing modernization (rather than expansion) of the current transportation system.
•  Give residents more options for getting around, including transit, walking, and bicycling.
•  Improve parks and preserve open space.
•  Reduce consumption of energy and water.
  

We appreciate everyone’s input and look forward to your continued participation when the plan’s crucial implementation phase begins in October. Stay tuned for the relaunched CMAP website with engaging new content about the GO TO 2040 plan. You can view a compilation of comments received to date here.

Green Tools Workshop Recap

On July 27, CMAP and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Illinois Chapter held “Going Green and Paying for It,” a set of panel discussions focusing on green buildings, energy efficiency, renewable energy, funding, and other resources to support these initiatives.  The City of Evanston served as a case study to exemplify sustainable practices and process to receive funding.  Presentations were given by Doug Widener, USGBC Illinois Chapter; Jamie Peters, Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance; Peter Matuszewski, Windy City Renewable Energy LLC; Bob Romo, Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation; Kate Tomford, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; Becky Werra, Siemens Industry; and Wally Bobkiewicz, City Manager of the City of Evanston.  Stay tuned for future USGBC and CMAP collaborations to bring local governments opportunities to learn more about green building and sustainable neighborhood development practices.

U.S. EPA recognizes CMAP

On June 30, CMAP was recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA) Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative (MCDI) Leadership Group for our work to reduce diesel emissions through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ).  Since 2005, CMAP has programmed over $72 million in federal funding to clean-diesel projects in the region, including diesel retrofits for transit buses.  Other awardees include the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago, and Brian Mormino of Cummins, Inc. 

Northeastern Illinois to receive $25 million stimulus for energy retrofits

On April 21, 2010, Vice President Joe Biden announced 25 awards nationally through the U.S. Department of Energy Retrofit Ramp-Up stimulus initiative. A regional collaboration led by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) -- in partnership with the City of Chicago and the City of Rockford, with support from suburban and regional stakeholders -- will receive $25 million to transform the market for carrying out energy-efficient retrofits to commercial and residential buildings in northeastern Illinois. The project is significant for its potential to reduce a large region's energy footprint and as a model for inter-jurisdictional collaboration.  Read more in the CMAP press release and in a frequently asked questions document, and see coverage in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Daily Herald, and Crain’s Chicago Business.

Best practices for stimulus implementation

CMAP's Economic Recovery Updates feature best practices and lessons learned from stimulus grants throughout the region.  Recent case studies include the DuPage County Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), which the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is using as a national model, and Kane County’s Two Rivers Head Start, which used Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) stimulus funds to expand bilingual services.   Watch for other ARRA Implementation Spotlight case studies at the CMAP Recovery blog.

Northeastern Illinois regional water plan

CMAP has prepared a brief booklet that describes next steps in implementing the new Water 2050 plan for 11 counties of northeastern Illinois. Also available is a summary of the Water 2050 summit that CMAP convened on March 22.  Intended to ensure the availability of clean water for household and commercial use through mid-century, the plan was commissioned by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to address population and economic growth that could prompt water shortages in the region. Learn more at our Water Supply page, or in an earlier press release.  Additional informative graphs from the plan and information on related news coverage are also available.  Contact us for a hard copy of the plan. 

CMAP tracks local participation rates
in 2010 Census

National Census Day was Thursday, April 1, 2010, and CMAP marked the occasion by adding new Census-related web features. At the CMAP 2010 Census page, individuals can see the most recent estimates on population, race, ethnicity, and age published by the Census Bureau. Since Census data can affect federal funding to communities and the region, each week CMAP will post updated 2010 Census data to track the participation rate at which residents of the region's 284 municipalities are submitting their completed questionnaires.  You can view 2010 participation rates by municipality and Chicago Community Area (CCA) online.  The Regional Indicators project -- a partnership of CMAP and The Chicago Community Trust -- will rely significantly on data from the 2010 Census (and the U.S. Census Bureau's more-frequent American Community Survey) to track the region's progress in implementing the GO TO 2040 comprehensive plan that is now nearing completion. 

Daily air-quality alerts

Many of us tend to associate poor air quality with the warmer months.  Though summer is when smog levels reach their peak, air during the colder months can have a buildup of soot that is harmful for people with certain conditions, including asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and heart disease.  EnviroFlash posts a Chicago air-quality forecast each afternoon. The service is sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Illinois-based Partners for Clean Air, which is supported through federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds programmed by CMAP.  To see what you can do to help improve air quality, please visit the AIRnow and Partners for Clean Air websites.

Greenways and Trails Plan update

The Northeastern Illinois Regional Greenways and Trails Plan 2009 Update sets out a vision for an interconnected network of stream- and land-based green corridors and 2,700 miles of multi-use trails throughout the seven-county region. The plan consists of both a map and document (click for a copy of the map, the high resolution copy of the back of the map, the low resolution copy of the back of the map, and the plan document) and was developed in coordination with CMAP partners. It serves as a basis for planning and programming funding, as a framework and guide for making connections between communities and to regional greenways and trails, and as a consideration in major infrastructure investments. To request a copy, contact CMAP's Curtis Kelley (312-386-8636 or ckelley@cmap.illinois.gov).

State and Local Taxation Snapshot Report

CMAP's Snapshot Reports look closely at issues important to our region. Our newest addition, the State and Local Taxation Snapshot Report (PDF), describes state and local tax policies, with an emphasis on property, sales, income, and motor fuel taxes. It also explains existing state and local revenue sharing arrangements and summarizes available research on the relationship between taxation, business activity, and land use decisions.

CMAP media archive

Our new media archive for 2010 allows users to search content by subject and date. It gets updated every other Tuesday with the latest CMAP-related news coverage. Interested in some of our older press?  The media archive for 2007-09 is still available online. Don't forget about the main CMAP newsroom, where you can find the latest weekly updates, press releases, and other related content.  

OnEarth cover story highlights CMAP
and GO TO 2040

The new edition of OnEarth magazine features GO TO 2040, metropolitan Chicago's comprehensive regional plan that will guide development and infrastructure decisions through mid-century and beyond.  Several communities are described by journalist Laura Wright, who contrasts growth patterns of the 20th Century with the type of redevelopment and infill that CMAP and its partners seek to promote now.  The places profiled are Blue Island in south Cook County, the Prairie Crossing development of Grayslake in Lake County, and West Garfield Park on Chicago's west side.  There's no one-size-fits-all solution to how these and other communities can meet their challenges.  But the many needs they have in common -- for example, efficient infrastructure that contributes to economic development and resource conservation while letting people live nearer to where they work -- are prompting our communities to work together toward a more prosperous and sustainable region.