First Off...

CMAP meetings. The CMAP Board will meet at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 9, 2012. At 8:00 a.m. that morning, the Local Coordinating Committee will meet. All materials can be found by clicking on the respective links.

LTA Ideas Exchange: Register by May 11. Don't forget to register by next Friday for the first Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program Ideas Exchange event on May 24, 2012, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the second floor of UBS Tower, One North Wacker Drive, Chicago. Watch for a special announcement next week regarding CMAP's 2012 call for LTA proposals. In addition to highlighting accomplishments and lessons learned in the program's inaugural year, this special event will be an opportunity for attendees to discuss grant opportunities. Elected officials, municipal planners, and other stakeholders are encouraged to attend.

FLIP final presentation. On May 31, student participants in our Future Leaders in Planning (FLIP) program will present their findings on innovative ice and snow removal techniques in a special event at Journey World (770 N. Halsted St., Chicago) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The final presentation to elected officials and other community leaders from across the region will feature multimedia demonstrations and other materials about best snow removal practices to help reduce environmental impacts. These high school students met one Saturday per month to learn about the issues that shape our region’s economy and quality of life. The early deadline for the FLIP 2012-13 application is June 1. Students who will be sophomores, juniors, or seniors in the 2012-13 school year are eligible. For more information, contact Ricardo Lopez (rlopez@cmap.illinois.gov or 312-386-8766).

Unincorporated Cook. The Cook County Unincorporated Task Force issued its findings this week, recommending annexation of all unincorporated areas into existing municipalities. I am a member of the task force, which President Toni Preckwinkle created late last year to identify potential efficiencies and cost savings. Read more in the Chicago Tribune (including a letter by Metropolis Strategies board chairman George Ranney), Sun-Times, Daily Herald (with editorial), and other media.

Case Study Library chat. On Tuesday, May 8, CMAP will host a Twitter chat on the GO TO 2040 Case Study Library starting at 10:00 a.m. Using the hashtag #CSLchat, CMAP staff Lindsay Banks (@lindsaybanks) will answer questions on using the library, sharing examples of current case studies, and how communities can submit case studies for review. Join the conversation and follow CMAP @GOTO2040.

Other News and Announcements

LTA in the news. The Oak Leaves covered the release of the West Cook County Housing Collaborative Homes for a Changing Region report and quotes CMAP's Drew Williams-Clark. The report details policies and strategies for current and future housing in the communities of Oak Park, Bellwood, Berwyn, Forest Park, and Maywood. In other LTA news, the Riverside-Brookfield Landmark wrote about the kickoff of the development of a downtown plan for the Village of Riverside. We also have a new landing page for Evanston's development of a water conservation and efficiency plan.

CMAP in the news. On Monday, the new Oakton Street station began operation on the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Yellow Line in the Village of Skokie. The Chicago Tribune's preview of the opening described how CMAP's Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) program helped to fund the station. The Zion-Benton News also covered the Village of Winthrop Earth Day panel regarding interjurisdictional cooperation on Lake Michigan resources and quotes CMAP staff Hala Ahmed, who also spoke on the panel. And a Times of Northwest Indiana story about the Southeast Commuter Rail Transit District quotes CMAP's Don Kopec.

Invasive species workshop. The Morton Arboretum and the Northeastern Illinois Invasive Plant Partnership will host the 2012 Invasive Species workshop on May 24 at the Morton Arboretum (4100 Illinois 53, Lisle) from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The workshop will feature speakers discussing past, present, and future invasive species in our state.

Streets for Cycling Plan 2020 public meetings. The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) is holding open houses and webinars throughout Chicago to get input on a draft network for the Streets for Cycling Plan 2020. The plan will identify a network of bicycling facilities that will make bike trips safe and comfortable for Chicagoans. For information and webinar reservations, visit this CDOT web page.
 

Data Depot

Brownfield cleanup. CMAP’s MetroPulse data portal tracks the percentage of municipalities that, in a 2010 survey, reported public or private remediation of brownfields in their community. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides more detailed information about actual cleanup sites and their locations.

Data in the news. This week, a KMWorld Magazine editorial featured MetroPulse as a case study of how public access to data can increase government transparency. CMAP’s Greg Sanders is quoted in the article.

CMAP Blogs

Soles and Spokes. CMAP’s bike-ped planning blog highlighted a new Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT) from the World Health Organization designed to assess the economic value of health benefits associated with walking and cycling. We also featured three educational videos made by Dan Burden and the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute to help the general public understand the basics of walkability, road diets, and head-out angled parking.

Reminders

Elgin-O'Hare comment period. Public comments are being sought through May 14 regarding the draft environmental impact statement for the Elgin-O'Hare West Bypass, which is among the major capital projects recommended by GO TO 2040.

Chicago food plan meetings. At a series of public meetings, Chicago residents can learn and provide feedback about the City's “Healthy Food Chicago” plan. To RSVP or request special accommodations, contact info@healthyplaceschicago.org or 312-573-7786.

Construction season. Our website features a map showing construction planned throughout the region for 2012, as well as a resource page for real-time construction information. To help build system operators' awareness of other agencies’ scheduled projects, CMAP held a meeting in February for implementers to exchange information about 2012 construction.

Events