Posted on April 22, 2011 2:51 PM
April 22, 2011
Table of Contents
First Off...
CMAP Board.The Board held a brief meeting on Tuesday prior to the Earth Day Transportation Summit sponsored by the Tollway. The Board approved new membership to the Citizens’ Advisory Committee and the Regional Tax Task Force. Additionally, the Board discussed a number of pending bills in the State Legislative Update. The next meeting is May 11 at 9:30 a.m. Read about the summit in the Tribune and Daily Herald.
Local students GO TO 2040. Students in LaGrange Park Junior High School's STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) class learned about GO TO 2040 this winter. Teacher Sydney Schuler's students came up with ways to help promote the plan recommendations for sustainable local food, which they presented to CMAP Board Chairman Mayor Gerald Bennett of Palos Hills, Board Member President Mike Gorman of Riverside, Mayor James Discipio of LaGrange Park, Mayor Elizabeth Asperger of LaGrange, Mayor Michael Garvey of Brookfield, and myself. Read more and watch a video from this event in our Moving Forward webspace. Pioneer Local also wrote about it.
Other News and Announcements
Campton Hills planning. On May 2, the Village of Campton Hills will kick off the work of updating its comprehensive plan with a public meeting to solicit feedback from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Wasco Elementary School (4N782 School Street, Wasco). Read more in Trib Local. With staff funded by our grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, CMAP is providing technical assistance to the village in this effort, including help with public participation in the plan's development.
Quality of Kane. Kane County will host a series of open houses to gather public input on its long-range planning efforts. Quality of Kane open houses will be held from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Monday, April 25, at the Prisco Community Center in Aurora; Tuesday, April 26, at the Batavia Public Library; Wednesday, April 27, at Kaneland High School; Monday, May 2, at Hampshire High School; and Tuesday, May 3, at the Sugar Grove Public Library.
Water resource forums. CMAP will host two forums to promote and educate on issues from Water 2050. On May 6, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, we will co-host (with the Delta Institute) "Groundwater Protection: Science, Planning, and Action." RSVP to yambriz@cmap.illinois.gov. A second forum on June 9 will focus on valuation of water resources. More information will be available in coming weeks on our new Water 2050 forums web page, along with materials from previous forums.
Data transparency. Cook County is taking important steps to share and improve public access to its data resources. This week, it announced the Open Cook County Initiative.
Green Jobs Summit. On May 17, the fourth annual Chicagoland Green Collar Jobs Summit will be held at the Chicago-Kent College of Law from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. The summit will feature a variety of workshops on regional green job growth, navigating credentials, and innovative green workforce strategies.
Sustainability 101 Series. The Chicago Community Loan Fund will host three upcoming sessions in its Sustainability 101 Series in May, June, and July. Sessions will cover integrated design, green benchmarking, risk management, and financing with resources and case studies.
Illinois Tax Credit. A new $2,500 tax credit is available from the State of Illinois for small businesses that create and hire a new position for a full-time employee with a salary of $10 per hour or more. Learn more at http://jobstaxcredit.illinois.gov.
Expressway naming. The Tribune's Becky Schlikerman summarized how and when our region's expressways got their names.
CMAP Blogs
Policy Updates. As revenue sources for our transportation system -- such as the federal and state gas tax, vehicle registration fees, and transit fares -- rapidly lose purchase power when not adjusted to keep pace with construction and operating cost increases, it is important to find new means of bolstering transportation user fees. Read more on this topic in our policy blog post about a new pilot project by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Green Signals. CMAP’s transportation operations blog highlights our agency's efforts in collecting and summarizing transit on-time performance in the Chicago region.
Soles and Spokes. CMAP’s bike-ped planning blog highlighted a new Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) tool to help individuals and communities promote commuting by bicycle (and just in time for National Bike-to-Work Month this May). We also highlighted a new NCHRP study on the challenges and design solutions for creating roundabouts and channelized right-turn lanes that are accessible for vision-impaired pedestrians.
Reminders
Community Planning Program. On April 6, 2011, CMAP, in collaboration with the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), launched the 2012 Community Planning Program. This competitive grant program will provide funding for northeastern Illinois municipalities to participate in projects linking land use and transportation. The partnership between the two agencies will provide additional funding to an expanded base of eligible applicants and projects, as well as facilitate inter-agency coordination. The deadline for receipt of applications is 3:00 p.m. CST on June 9, 2011. CMAP and RTA staff will host the following open house events:
- April 25, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., RTA Offices (Board Room, 175 West Jackson Blvd, Suite 1650, Chicago)
- April 26, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., Arlington Heights Village Hall (Community Meeting Room, 33 South Arlington Heights Rd, Arlington Heights)
- April 27, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., DuPage County Building (Auditorium, 421 North County Farm Rd, Wheaton)
- April 28, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., South Suburban Mayors & Managers Offices, 1906 West 174th St, East Hazel Crest)
Apply for FLIP. The 2011-2012 FLIP (Future Leaders in Planning) application is now available. Please share materials with local high school students who would be interested in learning more about planning and contribute to make a better future for our region. Keep up with FLIP by becoming a fan of its Facebook page.
Events
GO TO 2040 Roundtable: "We Have a Plan. Let's Do It!"
April 27, 2011
Noon to 1:30 p.m.
140 S. Dearborn Street, Suite 1400, Chicago
Hosted by the Metropolitan Planning Council
Registration Closed
GreenTown: The Future of Community
April 28, 2011
The Centre, 100 Symphony Way, Elgin
Hosted by the City of Elgin
Registration
Planning Commissioner Training -- Southwest Cook
April 30 and May 14, 2011
8:00 to 11:45 a.m.
Palos Hills Community Center: 8545 W. 103rd Street, Palos Hills
Hosted by CMAP, Southwest Council of Mayors
Registration
Infrastructure for Our Future
May 3, 2011
5:45 to 8:00 p..
Chicago Bar Foundation, 312 S. Plymouth Court, Chicago
Hosted by the Center for Neighborhood Technology
RSVP
FLIP Final Presentation
May 7, 2011
2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Fairmont Community Center, 525 Barry Ave, Lockport
RSVP
Planning Commissioner Training -- DuPage County
May 7 and 21, 2011
8:00 to 11:45 a.m.
Carol Stream Village Hall, 500 N. Gary Avenue, Carol Stream
Hosted by CMAP, DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference
Registration
Tri-State Alliance Summit
May 9, 2011
Radisson Hotel, 200 S. Bell School Road, Rockford
Registration
E-Government Workshop: Achieving IT Efficiencies Through Collaboration
May 12, 2011
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Hilton Lisle/Naperville, 3003 Corporate West Drive, Lisle
Hosted by University of Illinois at Chicago - College of Urban Planning & Public Affairs
Discounted registration for CMAP Partners
Bike the Drive
May 29, 2011
Lake Shore Drive
Hosted by MB Financial Bank
Save $5 on registration with coupon code CMAP5
Transport Chicago
June 3, 2011
211 East Chicago Ave, Chicago
Early registration through May 23
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