Randy Blankenhorn

CMAP Board meeting. At its Wednesday meeting, the Board had a lively discussion of the draft CMAP letter responding to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) regarding the Canadian National (CN) railway's proposed acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet, and Eastern (EJ&E) railway. Our members agreed that the EIS process does not address the regional perspective that CMAP was created to uphold. The Board requested a number of edits before the letter gets sent. September 30 is the STB's deadline for comments on the draft EIS. Per a request by CMAP Board members, here is a page with just some of the recent media coverage about the proposed acquisition. Click here anytime to get the latest Google news search results about CN and EJ&E.

Coordinating Committees. Both the Programming and the Planning Coordinating Committees met this week prior to the Board meeting. The Programming Committee reviewed a matrix that incorporated comments received by the working committees and staff recommendations on language changes to the Developments of Regional Importance (DRI) draft document. The committee achieved consensus on releasing the draft document for stakeholder and public input and directed staff to make the necessary changes. The final draft document will be available next week, and we will release it for comment.

The Planning Committee discussed the scenario evaluation process to develop the recommendations of the GO TO 2040 plan, focusing on construction of several alternative scenarios that represent potential futures for the region. Additionally, the committee discussed our progress with the Regional Indicators project in conjunction with the Chicago Community Trust. The focus of the discussion was on the involvement process used to develop the recommended list of indicators. At its October meeting, the committee will consider recommending the list to the Board for their approval.

SB2595. You may recall that, last spring, CMAP opposed House Bill 5152 because of a provision calling for the State of Illinois highway program to be sub-allocated according to a two-tiered formula. That bill has not moved forward since May, but now Senate Bill 2595 has an attached Amendment 4 that again calls for funds to be allocated 45 percent to District 1 and 55 percent to Districts 2 through 9. This primary allocation is inconsistent with current preferred programming policies in that the allocation is not based on any needs-based performance criteria and inhibits necessary programming flexibility. Therefore, CMAP opposes Amendment 4 to SB2595. In brief, we agree with the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Commission's recommendation that investments should be focused where the needs are, not on some arbitrary allocation formula. Accountability and performance-based investments are the national trend, and passage of the language in this amendment to SB2595 would represent a significant step backward for our state's and region's transportation programs.

MetroQuest scenarios tool. CMAP has contracted with MetroQuest, a Vancouver-based company, to develop the web-based tool that residents of our region will use to explore several GO TO 2040 alternative scenarios that will become public in mid-2009. Each scenario will be a distinct combination of actions (policies, strategies, and investments) that could achieve the Regional Vision. We picked MetroQuest due to its unique, intuitive interface that will be fun and easy for the public to learn. MetroQuest develops technology and processes that create broad-based support for planning initiatives. See http://www.metroquest.com/downloads/MetroQuestChicagoPR.pdf (opens 310KB PDF) for the company's press release.

New at the GO TO 2040 web. Another strategy paper was posted yesterday, this one addressing Context Sensitive Design. Again, these are in a very interactive format, and we want to hear from partners and other stakeholders about how to improve these strategies that will become part of the comprehensive regional plan. And in the GO TO 2040 blog is a new entry by CMAP's Lee Deuben titled, "What Happens after the Foreclosure Storm?"

Chicago Wilderness benefit dinner. On November 11, 2008, Chicago Wilderness will hold its first Autumn Benefit Dinner at the Field Museum. The event's theme is Connecting Children to Nature, and the Honorable Richard M. Daley and his wife, Maggie, will be receiving an award from Chicago Wilderness for their leadership in greening Chicago and on behalf of the welfare of children. This event will also benefit Chicago WILDERNESS magazine and is an opportunity for the more than 230 member organizations of Chicago Wilderness to celebrate their shared vision and collaborative work. Please join the region's business and community leaders, policy makers and others who care about people and nature in this region for this important event. To learn more, contact Carol Levenberg (312-580-2138 or clevenberg@chicagowilderness.org).

Know Your Chicago. On October 14 and 15, 2008, CMAP will participate in the annual Know Your Chicago fall lecture and tour series designed to promote civic awareness and participation. Part of the University of Chicago Graham School of General Studies, Know Your Chicago is celebrating its 60th anniversary. We are part of the tour titled "21st Century Planning," which will also feature presentations by Chicago Metropolis 2020, the Burnham Plan Centennial, Roosevelt Square, the Chicago Housing Authority’s Plan for Transformation, Chicago 2016 (Olympics), the Trust for Public Land (Bloomingdale Trail), and the National Public Housing Museum. The 2008 event is sold out, but see https://grahamschool.uchicago.edu/php/kyc/ for details, including how to register for the opportunity to attend future tours.

CDOT and CTA Open Houses. The Chicago Department of Transportation and the Chicago Transit Authority invite the public to a presentation on the Bus Rapid Transit Pilot Program, which will consider improvements and alterations to the bus routing for the #8 Halsted, #66 Chicago, #79 79th, #14 Jeffery Express and #15 Jeffery Local. Open Houses are scheduled as follows:

Wednesday, September 24, 2008
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Gary Comer Youth Center
7200 South Ingleside Avenue
Chicago, IL 60619

Thursday, September 25, 2008
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Chicago Public Library, Near North Branch
310 West Division Street
Chicago, IL 60610

Both facilities are accessible to people with disabilities. Presentations will begin at 6:15 p.m. See http://transitchicago.com for more information.

Housing 1-2-3 workbook. On September 26, 2008, the Metropolitan Planning Council will issue "Housing 1-2-3: A Workbook for Local Officials and Community Leaders." From the Metropolitan Planning Council, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, and partners including CMAP, it is the fourth installment in the award-winning 1-2-3 series that provides real examples of northeastern Illinois communities that have improved their quality of life through comprehensive land use planning. The free workbook is intended for local officials and community leaders looking to:

• Assess local housing stock, determine community housing goals, and identify the strategies and tools needed to create a healthy mix of housing at a range or price points.
• Identify the right partner, from developers to financial institutions, for the right housing strategies.
• Harness the market and maximize municipal leverage in new construction deals in order to meet community goals.
• Preserve existing affordable homes, both rental and for-sale, to stabilize neighborhoods and maintain community character.
• Take a pro-active role in property management.
• Build community acceptance and understanding of affordable housing options.
• Find the right resources and nformation to pursue community goals.
• Attract market-rate housing in low-cost communities.

Please contact Angie Leyva (312-863-6017 or aleyva@metroplanning.org). The guidebook will also be available from the MPC website (http://www.metroplanning.org).