Table of Contents

• First Off . . .
• Other News and Announcements
• CMAP Blogs
• Reminders
• Events

First Off...

Tollway capital plan proposed.  The Illinois Tollway has proposed a 15-year, $12 billion capital plan for the maintenance, modernization, and expansion of the Tollway system.  An $8 billion investment is planned for needs on the existing system, and the plan includes a number of GO TO 2040 priority projects:  reconstruction, modernization, and capacity building to the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90); construction of the I-294/I-57 Interchange; construction of the Elgin O'Hare West Bypass; and extension of Central Lake County Corridor (IL 53 North and IL 120 Limited Access).  Read more about how aspects of the Tollway's proposed plan align with GO TO 2040 priorities on our Policy Updates blog.  The Tollway will host a series of public meetings to solicit public feedback from August 18 through 22, 2011. 

HUD planning grants.  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced this year’s Community Challenge Planning Grant Program.  The program will award approximately $28.6 million in grants to support local projects, which may include amending or replacing local master plans, zoning codes, and building codes to promote mixed-use development, affordable housing, the reuse of older buildings and structures for new purposes, and similar activities with the goal of promoting sustainability at the local or neighborhood level.  CMAP asks communities that apply to let us know by contacting Stephen Ostrander (sostrander@cmap.illinois.gov or 312-386-8696).  Applications must be submitted through http://www.grants.gov/ by September 9, 2011.

Value capture analysis.  A new report, "Transportation Value Capture Analysis for the CMAP Region," is now available on-line.  Prepared by S.B. Friedman for CMAP, the study applied existing analysis of the potential for utilizing value capture to fund transportation projects in the region to a broader set of transportation improvements.  GO TO 2040 specifically recommends conducting detailed value capture studies as one method to find new innovative financing mechanisms for the transportation system.  Read the Executive Summary, or find the full report on our Technical Reports web page.
 

Other News and Announcements

LTA in the news.  The Morton Grove Patch covered the first video in a series highlighting projects from CMAP's Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program.  The Village is developing an industrial areas plan with assistance from CMAP through the program.  Also, Will County and CMAP will host another public meeting on August 11 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Shiloh Baptist Church (18101 Oak Avenue, Lockport) to continue development of a comprehensive plan for the Fairmont community.  The City of Berwyn will kick off the development of a comprehensive plan with meetings to solicit public feedback on August 13 from 10:00 a.m. to noon at the North Berwyn Park District Community Center (1619 S. Wesley Avenue, Berwyn) and August 20 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Berwyn Public Library (2701 S. Harlem Avenue, Berwyn).

Understanding the LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System.  On September 19, the U.S. Green Buildings Council-Illinois Chapter will host “ND 251: Understanding the LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System” at the Merchandise Mart Conference Center from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  The course is designed for those taking the LEED AP ND exam and will cover foundations of the LEED certification process, synergies among credits, and credit intents, requirements, and referenced standards.  Register on-line.

APA-IL conference.  The Illinois Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA-IL) will hold its annual conference in Evanston from October 5 to 7.  CMAP's Bob Dean will be participating on a panel, "Regionalism and the Role of Metropolitan Planning Organizations Today," on October 6.  More information and registration is available on-line.  

Green Infrastructure Grants announced.  The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $5 million in Green Infrastructure Grants that aim to decrease pollution in Illinois waterways from stormwater sources.  Several projects in the northeastern Illinois region received grants, including the City of Joliet, the Village of Riverside, and the Beverly Area Planning Association.

Metra survey.  This week, Metra released a survey to receive public input on issues concerning the agency’s 2012 budget.  The deadline to complete the survey is August 5.  Metra's Board of Directors will begin discussing the budget process starting at its August 12 meeting.

Federal gas tax video.  Pavia Systems has released a video, “Understanding the Federal Gas Tax.”  The video provides a breakdown of the federal gas tax and how it funds highway and transit projects.
 

CMAP Blogs

Policy Updates.  We wrote about joint hearings being held by the Illinois Senate Revenue Committee and House Revenue & Finance Committees to discuss the State's business tax structure.  We also highlighted a new report that proposes a new gas tax structure for the U.S. transportation system.

Green Signals.  CMAP’s transportation operations blog informed readers of the upcoming integrating operations, safety, and multimodal planning webinar.

Soles and Spokes.  CMAP’s bike-ped planning blog featured a national map showing bicycle commuting rates (along with other cycling information) for all 50 states and selected cities.  We also announced the release for public comment of the U.S. Access Board’s proposed guidelines for accessible public rights-of-way (PROWAG), following up on last week’s post .
 

Reminders

Draft Municipal Directory.  CMAP's updated draft Municipal Directory is available for download.  We would appreciate feedback from municipalities, including corrections if needed.  The final version will be posted later this summer.  Please contact Sherry Kane (skane@cmap.illinois.gov or 312-386-8600).

Apply for FLIP.  The 2011-2012 FLIP (Future Leaders in Planning) application is available.  Please share materials with local high school students who would like to learn about planning and contribute to a better future for our region.  Keep up with FLIP at its Facebook page.

GIS workshops.  CMAP offers a low-cost, introductory, hands-on ArcGIS 10 workshop.  The next two-day sessions will be September 21-22, October 26-27, and November 30 to December 1, 2011.  Cost is $350 per person, which includes a manual.  Please contact Jan Drennan (312-386-8686 or jdrennan@cmap.illinois.gov) or David Clark (312-386-8682 or dcclark@cmap.illinois.gov).

Events

Municipal Plans for Energy and Greenhouse Gas Reductions
August 3, 2011
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
CMAP Offices: 233 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 800, Chicago
Hosted by CMAP, the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, and ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability Midwest Regional Office
Registration

IDOT Open House
August 5, 2011
1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
CMAP Offices: 233 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 800, Chicago
RSVP to jkrell@cmap.illinois.gov
More information

Berwyn Planning Kickoff Meetings
August 13, 2011
10:00 a.m. to noon
North Berwyn Park District Community Center: 1619 S. Wesley Avenue, Berwyn
August 20, 2011
11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Berwyn Public Library: 2701 S. Harlem Avenue, Berwyn
Hosted by the City of Berwyn and CMAP
More information

Green Economy Roadshow- South
September 9 to 10, 2011
Moraine Valley Community College: 9000 W. College Parkway, Palos Hills
Hosted by the Delta Institute and Mindful Metropolis
More information

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