First Off...

MPO Policy Committee. The Committee will meet next Thursday, March 8 at 10:00 a.m. Materials can be found here.

PPP analysis. We posted the final installment in our four-part series of new CMAP research analyzing Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) on our Policy Updates blog. This blog focuses on the potential to develop major capital projects in the region. Also available on the blog are CMAP policy reports and issue briefs, which can be found on the right-hand side of the webpage.

FLIP 2012-2013 application. The application is now available for the 2012-2013 session of CMAP’s Future Leaders in Planning (FLIP). Through FLIP, high school students from around the region meet one Saturday a month and go behind the scenes to learn about what keeps our region strong, safe, healthy, and moving. On February 25, 2012, FLIP students assisted with a Winter Wonderland Energy Savings workshop, where student leaders put into practice what they have learned so far by performing demonstrations of best snow removal techniques to 50 participants. View a photo slideshow from the event. For more information, contact Ricardo Lopez (rlopez@cmap.illinois.gov or 312-386-8766).

Transportation reauthorization update. This week, the U.S. House of Representatives discussed replacing their initial 5-year reauthorization bill, the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act (AEIJA), with a reduced 18-month program. This proposal would fund federal transportation programs through mid-2013, and would reconnect mass transit funding to the Highway Trust Fund. Also this week, the U.S. Senate failed to advance one of the non-germane amendments that have been attached to Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), the two-year reauthorization bill. Senate Majority Leader Reid announced that he intends to file cloture on the substitute amendment to MAP-21. The vote is scheduled for March 6. Read more on our Policy Updates blog.

Other News and Announcements

LTA updates. CMAP's Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program is helping the Village of Park Forest create a sustainability plan. The Village and CMAP will be hosting an open house for residents to review the draft plan on March 20 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Dining on the Green (349 Main Street, Park Forest). CMAP is also working with the Village of Riverside to develop a Central Business District plan for the Village's downtown. The first public meeting will be held on April 11 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at Riverside Township Auditorium (27 Riverside Road, Riverside).

Latino Travel Tracker Survey. CMAP is conducting a Latino Travel Tracker Survey to learn more about the transportation needs of the region's growing Latino community. The survey will help CMAP plan better transportation options for everyone in the region. To learn more, read a press release available in English and Spanish.

New case study. We have added a new case study from the Wood Dale Police Department to our case studies library. In 2008, the Police Department adopted a Vehicle Anti-Idling Policy, a recommendation stemming from the City’s Clean Air Counts Committee. Fuel efficiency increased nearly every month in the year following implementation of the policy. If you know of an exemplary project that should be included to this web database of completed projects that reflect recommendations in the GO TO 2040 plan, please contact Lindsay Banks (lbanks@cmap.illinois.gov or 312-386-8826).

CMAQ in the news. The Northwest Herald wrote about a Johnsburg Road improvement project for a continuous left turn lane, which is partially funded through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) program. The Daily Herald wrote about another project partially funded through CMAQ for a grade separation at IL 38 and Kautz Road in West Chicago. This project is also part of the CREATE program.

Lake County Pace survey. Lake County is seeking resident and employee input on how to improve Pace bus routes through an on-line survey. The survey is funded by a grant through CMAP's Unified Work Program. Read more at TribLocal.

Green Power webinar. On March 6, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) will host a webinar on community choice aggregation, a procurement framework that allows municipalities to purchase electricity to both meet the collective load of their local residents and businesses while also increasing the supply of green power locally and nationally. The webinar is from noon to 1:00 p.m. CT.

HUD grants. Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants are now available through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The grants are designed to help communities develop and implement a revitalization strategy for transforming distressed public and assisted housing into energy-efficient, mixed-income neighborhoods with access to well-functioning services. Applications are due April 10.

Data Depot

Poverty data. Find the percentage of the population living below the poverty level from 1989 through 2009 by county for the entire CMAP region on MetroPulse. The federal poverty threshold in 2008 for a four-person family unit with two children was $21,834. Households with incomes below this level face extreme difficulty satisfying basic human needs for food, clothing, and housing.

Cultural Vitality Indicators. CMAP and The Chicago Community Trust demonstrated how Cultural Vitality Indicators (CVI) data can be visualized on MetroPulse at a recent workshop hosted by the University of Chicago's Cultural Policy Center. CMAP is supporting the CVI initiative by hosting data describing regional cultural vitality conditions on MetroPulse.

CMAP Blogs

Soles and Spokes. CMAP’s bike-ped planning blog featured a report on the role of the Federal Highway Administration programs play in promoting the concept of livability. We also highlighted a study by the National Center for Safe Routes to School exploring how school-level dynamics and policies relate to the percentage of students who walk and bicycle to school.

Reminders

Ike Planning Program. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has opened applications for the Illinois “Ike” Disaster Recovery Planning Program. DCEO will host workshops and teleconference calls to inform local governments about this program. CMAP encourages communities to pursue multijurisdictional applications and will offer assistance to applicants seeking to do this. Interested local governments should contact Stephen Ostrander (312-386-8696 or sostrander@cmap.illinois.gov). Applications are due March 30, 2012.

GO TO 2040 implementation report. CMAP has released Moving Forward 2010-2011, our first annual GO TO 2040 implementation report. In conjunction with the report, we printed a combination poster-brochure and would love to see it on walls across the region. Please grab a copy or two the next time you visit us, and we can make a box available for distribution by partner organizations. Contact Hillary Green (hgreen@cmap.illinois.gov or 312-386-8619).

ITEP applications. The Illinois Department of Transportation is seeking proposals for the 2012 Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP). Approximately $50 million is available for projects. Proposals are due May 29.

New EI2 tool. Energy Impact Illinois (EI2) recently launched Encompass, a new energy calculator for commercial building owners to determine the best path towards energy savings. Be sure to check out the latest "Energy Bills" video webisodes that show residents of northeastern Illinois how to save energy and money by improving their home's efficiency. The Metropolitan Planning Council also featured a guest blog post on the new Home Energy Renovations for Employees (HERE) program they administer through EI2.