CMAP Board meeting.  At 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 7, 2010, the CMAP Board will meet.  Click here for Board meeting materials.  The Executive Committee will meet immediately after the Board meeting and there are no coordinating meetings this month.

Census page.  Yesterday CMAP marked National Census Day on our 2010 Census page, where 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).  The Census Bureau announced on March 31 that some local suburbs are doing well, including Orland Park, Tinley Park, and Wheaton, but only 38 percent of households in the city of Chicago have returned their Census forms so far, reports Crain's Chicago Business.  Nationally, more than 50 percent of U.S. households have returned their Census forms as of March 31. 

Reminder: Partner tours.  There are only a few spots left for our GO TO 2040 partner tours, which are both behind held next Friday, April 9, 2010.  We invite you to join us for one of two different tours to explore planning-related sites through our region.  You can choose a behind-the-scenes look at an intermodal facility in Melrose Park, or visit best practices in conservation design at a residential development in Grayslake.  Space is limited, so RSVP soon to Joey-Lin Silberhorn (312-386-8814 or jsilberhorn@cmap.illinois.gov) and indicate which tour you would like to join.  For more information, visit our partner tours page.

Reminder: FLIP recruitment period.  Please remember to spread the word that CMAP is seeking applicants for the third year of our Future Leaders in Planning (FLIP) program.  FLIP is a leadership development program offered free of charge to high school students who are interested in learning about and contributing to a better future for our region.  So pass along the 2010-2011 FLIP application to any potentially interested high schoolers (or their families and teachers).  Applicants' materials must be submitted by 11:59 p.m., Friday, May 28, 2010.

Save the date: FLIP event.  On Tuesday, April 20, 2010, the 2009-2010 FLIP final presentation will be hosted at the National Museum of Mexican Art from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.  The FLIP students will present their final projects, which are designed to help youth across northeastern Illinois implement various aspects of GO TO 2040.  For more information and directions, view this invitation.  To RSVP, contact Diana Torres (312-386-8774 or dtorres@cmap.illinois.gov) by Monday, April 19.

Recovery blog.  This week's Economic Recovery Update profiled work being done through the Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) program at Kane County's Two Rivers Head Start Agency.  We also blogged about the first round of Race to the Top education grants, which were awarded to Tennessee and Delaware.  While Illinois did not receive any funding in this round, the State plans to apply for the second round of funding.  The State's application ranked fifth out of the top 16.

TOD guide.  HUD and FTA sponsored a new online tool, the Mixed Income Transit-Oriented Development (MITOD) Action Guide, which is designed to help local planners and jurisdictions create strategies to develop mixed income TOD around existing transit stations.  The guide walks planners through the following stages of plan development for data gathering and analysis:  existing condition analysis, MITOD strategies analysis, and MITOD opportunities analysis. 

Funding for smart growth.  The EPA is accepting letters of interest for the 2010 round of the Smart Growth Implementation Assistance Program.  With DOT and HUD, the EPA is offering technical assistance from national experts to communities, regions, tribes, and states that wish to incorporate smart growth techniques in development.  Letters are due April 9, 2010. 

Webinar:  Develop an economic profile with ACS data.  Community leaders are anxiously looking for data to develop their economic profiles.   Finding the data from the American Community Survey (ACS) is convenient and easy.  The ACS data can tell you about the age and education level of your workforce, identify the largest sectors of your local economy, and access detailed tables that are keys to successful grant writing.  Our webinar will be rebroadcasted on Tuesday, April 13, 2010, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.  Contact Jon Hallas at jhallas@cmap.illinois.gov for details or register online.

Vehicle availability report.  CMAP staff prepared a report on vehicle availability and related data for the Chicago region through 2007.  The report reviews data trends for household vehicle data availability, driver licensing, and vehicle registrations, and compares counties and large communities over time.  Household vehicle availability in the Chicago region increased from 1.54 vehicles per household in 2000 to 1.62 vehicles per household in 2007.  The rate of driver licensing, calculated using FHWA estimates, has been falling, particularly among young adults and 16-year-olds now subject to the new graduated driver license system.

Construction season begins.  The Daily Herald published an article that includes a quote from me about road construction IDOT is starting this April.  Projects include the Eisenhower Expressway resurfacing, rebuild of the Edens Spur, and reconstruction of Congress Parkway.  In related news, the Barrington Courier-Review reported on USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood’s visit to Barrington on March 29, 2010, which included discussion of grade crossing separations on the Elgin, Eastern & Joliet Railroad to mitigate the effects of Canadian National Railway Co. adding more freight traffic on the line.  Congresswoman Melissa Bean also hosted a meeting with Secretary LaHood to discuss regional transportation projects, which I attended along with representatives from IDOT, Lake and McHenry Counties, Metra, and Pace.

Transport Chicago.  James Corless, director of Transportation for America, was announced as the keynote speaker at the 25th Annual Transport Chicago Conference.  The conference is being held on Friday, June 5, 2010.  For more information, visit www.transportchicago.org. 

In the GO TO 2040 blog.  We shared an amber-colored photo from the Illinois Institute of Technology CTA stop on the Green Line, designed by Rem Koolhas.

Want to connect?  Do you follow CMAP and GO TO 2040 on Facebook?  How about Twitter?  We’d love to see you there!