First Off...

Board recap.The CMAP Board met on Wednesday and recognized the resignation of Alan Bennett from his position on the Board representing suburban Cook County since 2008. We thank him for his years of service to the region and wish him well in his retirement from public service. Staff presented an update on progress and changes to our Energy Impact Illinois (EI2) program, which promotes residential, commercial, and industrial building retrofits to gain greater energy efficiency throughout the region. For the Local Technical Assistance (LTA) Program, the Board also heard about progress of ongoing projects and an overview of new projects submitted. Board approval of recommended new LTA projects will be requested in October. The Board also approved the Election of Officers recommended by the Nominating Committee. Additionally, the agency’s Annual Report is available, as is the latest state legislative update.

The CMAP Board will hold its annual joint meeting with the MPO Policy Committee at 9:30 a.m. on October 10, 2012. Staff will give a brief recap of our work as we end the second year of GO TO 2040 implementation. And similar to last year, we will lead a policy discussion centered around transportation issues.

Policy Updates. In addition to improving fuel efficiency, newly passed vehicle standards will reduce the amount of motor fuel tax revenues available to fund transportation projects. Read our latest Policy Updates blog, which highlights the need for better ways to fund improvements.
 

Other News and Announcements

AMPO post. Congratulations to Don Kopec, CMAP deputy executive director for planning and programming, who was elected this week to serve as president of the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations.

LTA updates. The Village of Addison will host an open house for residents to review its draft comprehensive plan on September 27 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Addison Village Hall (1 Friendship Plaza). The City of Chicago with LISC/Chicago, Teamwork Englewood, and Washington Park Consortium will host the third public meeting for development of the Green and Healthy Neighborhoods Land Use Plan at Coppin Memorial A.M.E. Church (5627 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago) on September 29 from 9:00 to 11:45 a.m. The Village of Antioch and CMAP are hosting the first public meeting for development of a Lifestyle Corridor plan on October 9 from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Antioch Area Senior Center (817 Holbeck Drive, Antioch). All four projects are being developed through our Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program. Additionally, the recently adopted Old Town Area plan for the Village of Carpentersville is now available on-line.

LTA in the news. Patch and the Herald-News both wrote about a transportation plan under development in Plainfield. The study is funded with a $120,000 grant through the LTA program. The Riverside-Brookfield Landmark wrote about last week's public meeting for development of Riverside's downtown plan. The article quotes CMAP's Nora Beck and Trevor Dick.

Green Living Festival. The Evanston Environmental Association and the City of Evanston will host the 6th annual Green Living Festival “Water: Preserving and Protecting It!” at the Evanston Ecology Center (2024 McCormick Boulevard, Evanston) on September 29 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:0 p.m. CMAP and Evanston representatives will be available to discuss the City's new water conservation and efficiency plan, which was developed through CMAP’s LTA program. Read more about the plan and its adoption in the Evanston Roundtable.

CMAQ in the news. The Daily Herald wrote about Elgin's construction of a 2.7-mile bike trail. The Daily Herald's Marni Pyke also wrote a column on her experience riding Pace Route 855, which is part of the Bus on Shoulder program. Both projects are funded in part through Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) program funds.

ArcView workshops. CMAP periodically offers a Two-Day Basic ArcView 10 Workshop, and dates are set for September 26 to 27, October 24 to 25, November 28 to 29, and January 9 to 10. Attendance at each workshop is limited to five people, so register early. The cost is $350. To register, please contact Jan Drennan (jdrennan@cmap.illinois.gov).

De-icing workshops. The Lake County Stormwater Management Commission and partners will host de-icing workshops on October 2 and 3, 2012. The workshops will focus on best winter maintenance practices for roads and parking lots and sidewalks.

IDOT meetings. IDOT is hosting public outreach meetings for comment on the FY 2013-2018 Proposed Multi-Modal Transportation Improvement Program. Meetings in our region will begin October 2.

Freight improvements. On Wednesday, Cook County announced a new road project in Harvey to reconstruct and widen an intermodal freight connector on the National Highway System that serves the CN Railway’s Gateway Intermodal Terminal and several other industrial and transportation firms. The reconstruction is expected to make the area more attractive to additional economic development. CMAP's recent freight “drill-down” report highlights the importance of improving infrastructure to support freight movement in our region.

New transit app. The Chicago Sun-Times covered a new transit app under development that can take advantage of newly public transportation data. The article highlights MetroPulse as an example of how government agencies are making their data accessible and user-friendly for the public.
 

CMAP Blogs

Green Signals. CMAP’s transportation operations blog described an upcoming adaptive signal control initiative and validation webinar.

Soles and Spokes. CMAP’s bike-ped planning blog highlighted the August edition of the CDC’s Vitalsigns™ and Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), which focus on walking and its health benefits. We also featured a new report on existing designs, policies, and operational characteristics of shared bicycle/bus lanes in municipalities across the U.S. and in other countries. Read about the Designing for Bicycle Safety workshop CMAP held a few weeks ago on the Grid Chicago blog.
 

Reminders

EI2 rebates. Energy Impact Illinois (EI2) is offering rebates up to $1750 (an estimated 70-percent cost savings) for upgrades you can make to improve the comfort of your home. To get the message out, EI2 now has 20 field staff conducting outreach throughout the region. Keep an eye out for them, organizing house parties or community events. For more information, contact Emily Plagman at eplagman@cmap.illinois.gov. To see if you qualify for the rebate, please call 1-855-9-IMPACT.

EV Charging Station rebates. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has opened the FY13 Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Rebate Program. The rebates are available for the installation of Level II EV charging stations and cover 50 percent of equipment and installation up to range of $3,750 to $6,000 depending on stations types. Rebate applications are due December 20, 2012 at 4:30 p.m.

FLIP applications. Applications are available for our Future Leaders in Planning (FLIP) program, through which high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors from throughout the region meet one Saturday per month to learn about the issues that shape our region’s economy and quality of life. Contact Ricardo Lopez (rlopez@cmap.illinois.gov or 312-386-8766).
 

Events

Mercy Housing Annual Event: Moving Forward Together
October 2, 2012
3:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Swissotel: 323 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago
More information