CMAP Media Tip Sheet

November 1, 2012

This tip sheet briefly summarizes newsworthy activities of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP). Reporters should contact Justine Reisinger (312-386-8802 and jreisinger@cmap.illinois.gov) or Hillary Green (312-386-8619 and hgreen@cmap.illinois.gov) for more information.

Building support to implement congestion pricing

Following CMAP's recent launch of a website (www.cmap.illinois.gov/congestion-pricing) with computer analysis about the benefits of congestion pricing for our region, the Chicago Tribune and Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) have expressed strong support of the initiative.  MPC President MarySue Barrett's latest blog post explores congestion pricing and innovative financing mechanisms, as advocated by MPC in a 2010 series of case studies, The Road Less Traveled: Exploring Congestion Pricing in Chicago.  CMAP's new computer modeling shows that, if implemented on five new GO TO 2040 construction projects, express toll lanes would allow drivers during the morning rush to reach their destinations 31 to 66 percent quicker, at a modest additional cost. CMAP and its partners are urging that Governor Quinn, the Illinois Department of Transportation, and the Illinois Tollway commit to congestion pricing for two new Tollway facilities -- the IL 53 north extension and IL 120 bypass and the Elgin-O'Hare West Bypass -- plus new lanes on the Tollway's I-90 Addams and IDOT's I-290 Eisenhower and I-55 Stevenson. 

Region's freight system employs tens of thousands in diverse industry cluster

The MetroPulse Jobs portal (http://www.metropulsechicago.org/Jobs/) reveals the broad extent of freight's benefits to metropolitan Chicago's economy.  Jobs in this industry cluster significantly include truck drivers (27,000, of which 22,000 drive heavy and tractor-trailers, and the remainder driving light or delivery trucks) and truck/tractor operators (5,000).  The second-largest category consists of laborers who process freight, stock, and materials by hand (17,000 jobs), who are supervised by an additional 2,000 workers.  As a whole, these groups represent nearly 32 percent of the region's freight-related jobs.  Other major categories include cargo agents, postal workers, stock clerks, and dispatchers.  MetroPulse Jobs presently includes data from CMAP's recent Freight Cluster Drill-Down report, which will be augmented in 2013 with data from an Advanced Manufacturing Cluster Drill-Down that is currently in development.

CMAP makes the case for performance-based funding of transportation

At their October joint meeting, the CMAP Board and MPO Policy Committee voted to request that IDOT form a technical advisory group for implementing performance-based funding in Illinois. Performance-based funding is a transparent, data-driven approach for linking highway investments to critical outcomes such as physical condition, safety, congestion relief, and economic development.  IDOT currently allocates 45 percent of road funds to northeastern Illinois and the remaining 55 percent downstate, regardless of need or performance.  Our state and region would benefit if the process by which individual projects are selected for funding were more transparent. CMAP's Policy Updates blog has an analysis of findings from a recent peer exchange with transportation implementers from across the region to discuss their agencies' approaches to capital programming. An additional blog post helps untangle the distinctions between "performance measures" (as recommended by the MAP-21 federal transportation bill) and "performance-based funding." For implementing the latter, CMAP has identified five key takeaways: transparency, department of transportation-metropolitan planning organization relationship, de-politicization of the process, incremental implementation, and a "bucket approach" to developing measures and targets.  GO TO 2040 recommends that transportation funding decisions be based on transparent evaluation criteria. 

Local Technical Assistance projects move forward as new ones begin

The City of Berwyn and Village of Norridge have adopted their respective comprehensive plans, which were developed with support from the CMAP Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program.  For two years following LTA-supported plans' adoption, CMAP commits to helping these and other communities with implementation steps, such as revision of zoning ordinances to reflect local priorities.  In other LTA news, the City of Chicago with LISC/Chicago, Teamwork Englewood, and Washington Park Consortium will host a public meeting for development of the Green Healthy Neighborhoods Land Use Plan at Coppin Memorial A.M.E. Church (5627 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago) on November 10 from 9:00 to 11:45 a.m.  Among dozens of other communities, the Village of Lakemoor is updating its comprehensive plan with LTA help.  Lakemoor residents will review draft plan recommendations at an open house on November 13 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Lakemoor Police Station Community Room (27901 Concrete Drive).  From among 100 responses to the second LTA call for proposals, CMAP has selected 48 new projects led by counties, municipalities, and nongovernmental organizations to help implement recommendations from GO TO 2040. For a list of year two projects and other details, see www.cmap.illinois.gov/lta and this press release.

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About CMAP

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is the comprehensive regional planning organization for the northeastern Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will. By state and federal law, CMAP is responsible for producing the region's official, integrated plan for land use and transportation. The agency's innovative GO TO 2040 planning campaign develops and implements strategies to shape the region's transportation system and development patterns, while also addressing the natural environment, economic development, housing, education, human services, and other factors shaping quality of life. See www.cmap.illinois.govfor more information.