This week the General Assembly began referring bills to committees. Of particular interest to CMAP was HB 190 , a supplemental appropriations bill totaling $2 billion, with $591.5 million in general revenue and $1.5 billion in federal and other state funds. The bill includes an additional $714 million in funding for the Illinois Department of Transportation, which had originally... Read More

In northeastern Illinois, household income growth has not kept pace with overall inflation and has been unevenly distributed across the region.  Understanding income growth patterns can help decision makers address quality-of-life, economic development, and fiscal issues across the metropolitan region.  This Policy Update will examine current household income patterns in... Read More

In December 2012, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fees, a per-mile charge for a driver’s use of highways.  The GAO report summarizes the case for VMT fees, reviews pilot programs in the U.S., and describes international case studies.  The report finds that VMT fees can be implemented fairly and can provide incentives... Read More

On January 15, 2013, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released a report on the economic impacts of inadequate investment in infrastructure, including surface transportation, water and wastewater, electricity, airports, and inland waterways and marine ports.  Titled “Failure to Act: The Impact of Current Infrastructure Investment on America’s Economic Growth,” the report... Read More

NOTE:  This is the second in an on-going series of Housing Policy Updates. Regional housing market trends during the third quarter of 2012 continued to mirror those found in the first half of the year , with growing permits and housing starts counterbalanced by a continued, but slowing, annual decline in existing home values. The region also continues to return to pre-recession... Read More