Two significant bills that CMAP supported were passed by both houses of the General Assembly this week.  First, with nearly 27 percent of Illinois jobs tied to freight transportation, the Freight Mobility Plan Act (House Bill 1761, sponsored by Rep. Elaine Nekritz, and Sen. A.J. Wilhelmi) will support freight system planning by assessing the state's current system.  After that assessment, a plan will be created to improve the flow of road, rail, water and air freight. See a related press release by Metropolis Strategies.  Second, the Public-Private Partnerships for Transportation Act (House Bill 1091, sponsored by Rep. Elaine Nekritz and Sen. Heather Steans) will give Illinois the authority to enter into public-private agreements for transportation investments.  Authorizing public-private partnerships will allow Illinois to seek new sources of investment capital and more efficiently deliver infrastructure improvements, enhancing our transportation system to better serve the needs of residents and businesses.  Read more in a fact sheet from the Metropolitan Planning Council.  Both bills await Governor Pat Quinn's action.