Posted on October 07, 2011 2:48 PM
CMAP Weekly Update, 10-7-11
Among the highlights from CMAP executive director Randy Blankenhorn, upcoming meetings for the CMAP Board, MPO Policy Committee and Regional Coordinating Committee, LTA programs in the news, a Chicago Tribune article on Bloomingdale Trail development, and the second Policy Update in the two-part series on our Municipal Plans, Programs and Operations Survey. Subscribe to get Weekly Updates by e-mail.
Table of Contents
First Off...
CMAP meetings. The CMAP Board and the MPO Policy Committee will have a joint meeting next week at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 12, 2011. At 8:00 a.m. that morning, the Regional Coordinating Committee will meet. All materials can be found by clicking on the respective links.
Policy Updates. We posted the second in a two-part series describing our Municipal Plans, Programs, and Operations Survey, results of which are important inputs to the indicators in MetroPulse. We also provided an update on the transportation reauthorization bill.
Other News and Announcements
CMAP media tip sheet. For a summary of recent newsworthy items from CMAP, please see our media tip sheet from October 5, 2011. It includes CMAP programming more than $400 million in projects to reduce congestion and improve air quality, the addition of Census 2010 data sets to MetroPulse, the Lawn to Lake collaborative workshop, and more.
LTA in the news. Alsip President Patrick Kitching was interviewed earlier this year on Comcast's Newsmakers program, in which he discussed work being done to update the village's comprehensive plan through CMAP's Local Techincal Assistance (LTA) program. John McCarron also wrote about the Green and Healthy Neighborhoods plan, another LTA project, for LISC Chicago's website.
CMAQ in the news. The Chicago Tribune had an article this week about development of the Bloomingdale Trail, a dormant railroad line on the northwest side of Chicago. The project is included in the proposed FY 2012-2016 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ). Administered by CMAP, CMAQ will allocate more than $411 million in federal funds, subject to approval on October 12 by the Board and MPO Policy Committee.
CMAP on TV. At 7:30 p.m. on October 8, CMAP's Ricardo Lopez will be on the CAN-TV (channel 21) English-language edition of Perspectivas Latinas discussing CMAP, GO TO 2040, and the LTA program.
Federal funding resource. The FundBook is a free online publication that provides information on federal funding opportunities for local projects and initiatives. The October 2011 issue is now available.
CW annual report. Chicago Wilderness has posted its annual report, which was designed especially to be viewed online.
VIA luncheon. On November 2, I will be speaking at the Valley Industrial Association's fall luncheon about GO TO 2040 and the urgency of long-range planning. The event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Hotel Arista in Naperville.
GreenTown Oak Park. On October 12, GreenTown: Pioneering Healthy and Sustainable Communties will be hosted at Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple in Oak Park. The day-long event features lectures on sustainable communities, including a presentation by CMAP's Amy Talbot with partners from the Metropolitan Planning Council and Center for Neighborhood Technology about water conservation.
Cities as economic drivers. "Cities: Where Good Jobs Are Created" is a Gallup Management Journal book excerpt by Jim Clifton, whose The Coming Jobs War will be published this month. He writes, "Fixing America's biggest problems and re-winning the world can only be accomplished one city at a time. Ultimately, all solutions are local."
Latino outreach. "Engaging Latinos in the Outdoors: The Waukegan Leave No Child Inside Case Study" is a Chicago Wilderness event that will be hosted at CMAP on Wednesday, October 19, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. The Austin, TX-based firm Cultural Strategies will provide cultural insights, effective marketing concepts and persuasive engagement strategies that resonate with a multicultural America. RSVP by October 14to Emilian Geczi (emilian.geczi@chicagowilderness.org).
NLC congress. The National League of Cities will hold its Congress of Cities and Expo in Phoenix, November 8-12. Also, Julia Pulidindi of NLC posted a story recapping their recent Chicago event on infrastructure for water and transportation, along with a similar one in Charlotte.
Sale tax workshop. From 2:30 to 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26, the Chaddick Institute at DePaul University will host a technical workshop on the outlook for retail sales-tax receipts and other sources of municipal revenue. "What's Happening with Retail? The Outlook for Sales Tax Income and Other Revenue in Suburban Communities" will be held at DePaul's School of Public Service 14 E. Jackson, Ste. 1600. Participants are invited to stay for a 6:00 p.m. off-campus lecture by Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Board President, sponsored by the school. The events are free if you register by October 24. Contact Chaddick@depaul.edu for more information.
La Raza forum. The 2011 National Council of La Raza Workforce Development Forum, ¡Fuerza! Stronger Economy, Stronger Latino Workers, will be held at the DoubleTree at 300 East Ohio St. in Chicago, October 11-12.
CMAP Blogs
Soles and Spokes. CMAP’s bike-ped planning blog featured two articles from ACCESS magazine on 1) the importance of sidewalks and 2) how to how to pay for their maintenance. We also highlighted two upcoming webinars. One is about public involvement in ADA accessible transportation planning, and the other focuses on U.S. EPA guidelines for the location of schools to promote healthy, sustainable communities.
Reminders
Natural lawn care workshop. On October 13, the Lawn to Lake collaborative program invites landscape companies, turf managers, homeowner associations, and municipalities to a Natural Lawn Care and Sustainable Landscapes workshop. It is a great way to learn how to create and implement cost-effective sustainable landscaping programs in a community. The workshop will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the College of Lake County, Grayslake Campus (19351 W. Washington Street, Grayslake).
GIS workshops. CMAP offers a low-cost, introductory, hands-on ArcGIS 10 workshop. The next two-day session will be November 30 to December 1, 2011. Cost is $350 per person, which includes a manual. Please contact Jan Drennan (jdrennan@cmap.illinois.gov or 312-386-8686) or David Clark (dcclark@cmap.illinois.gov or 312-386- 8682).
Moving Forward Together. Mercy Housing will host its annual event, Moving Forward Together, on October 19 at Swissotel in Chicago. Purchase tickets online.
Case study library. CMAP has created a searchable web database of completed local projects that reflect recommendations of the GO TO 2040 plan. If you know of an exemplary project that should be included, please contact Lindsay Banks (lbanks@cmap.illinois.gov or 312-386-8826).
Blogs (Weekly Updates) 
