Posted on January 14, 2011 1:50 PM
January 14, 2011
Table of Contents
First Off...
CMAP meetings recap. The Board met on Wednesday, discussing and approving changes to the committee structure (see memo and revised chart) and the 2011 federal agenda. Both the Board and the MPO Policy Committee, which met on Thursday, separately heard presentations on the Fiscal Year 2012 Unified Work Program (UWP) Priorities and the implementation of our technical assistance program and a funding program in partnership with the RTA. Additionally, the MPO Policy Committee also discussed and approved a number of changes, including a revised programming approach to the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program that focuses on implementing GO TO 2040.
Thank you, Judge Hartigan. Welcome, President Gorman. For his service to region, I'd like to thank Judge Russell Hartigan, who has left the CMAP Board since being appointed as a Circuit Judge of Cook County last fall. His former seat representing West Cook County on the CMAP Board is now filled by President Michael Gorman of the Village of Riverside. We welcome President Gorman and look forward to working with him on behalf of the seven-county region and its 284 municipalities.
New innovation legislation. On January 4, 2011, President Obama signed the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010. Of significant local interest is that the legislation authorizes the creation of a “regional innovation program” to “encourage and support the development of regional innovation strategies, including regional innovation clusters.” A new competitive grant program would make awards available to regional cluster initiatives on a matching basis. Read more at CMAP's Policy Updates blog, where we also posted an item about the new state income tax increase. The Illinois Municipal League website is another good resource for information on the recently signed tax and budget bill.
Events
Invasive plant program. On January 19, 2011, the Fox River Ecosystem Partnership and City of Elgin Park and Recreation Department are hosting a program on the Northeast Illinois Invasive Plant Partnership and the New Invaders Watch List at 1:00 p.m. at the Hawthorne Hill Nature Center in Elgin. The program is free and open to the public.
Upcoming economic events. On January 24, CMAP will co-sponsor "Trends, Myths, and Opportunities: Economic Development in 2011" event with the American Planning Association's Illinois chapter, the Illinois Development Council, and the Illinois City/County Management Association. Register online for the event, which will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Hilton Hotel is Lisle. On January 27, businesses can learn about grants, incentives, and future opportunities with presentations from the Kane County Board, Elgin Community College, River Valley Workforce Investment Board, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and CMAP. The event takes place from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. and costs $15, which includes a continental breakfast. RSVP by tomorrow, January 15, at 630-859-9923 ext. 2 or knappginger@rivervalleywib.org.
Comparative Urbanisms lecture. On January 27, the University of Illinois at Chicago's (UIC) Great Cities Institute will host its first seminar in the Comparative Urbanisms series, "The Third City: Chicago and American Urbanisms." The lecture is from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. at 412 S. Peoria Street in Chicago.
Future City Competition. On January 29, the Chicago regional finals for the Future City Competition will be held at UIC). Projects address this year's theme of "providing a reliable and effective health care product or system that improves a sick, injured, or disabled patient's quality of life and comfort." CMAP will help judge this year's competition.
Save the date: EcoSummit. Mark your calendars for EcoSummit 2012, which will take place from September 30 to October 5, 2012 in Columbus, OH. The conference theme is Ecological Sustainability: Restoring the Planet’s Ecosystem Services.
Other News and Announcements
Media tip sheet. This Wednesday, CMAP issued its latest media tip sheet, which included information on the preliminary results of CMAP's first annual Municipal Plans, Programs, and Operations Survey for all of the municipalities in the seven-county northeastern Illinois region, the new Policy Updates blog, redevelopment goals for the region, and more.
Air quality contest. Design Makes Change, a non-profit, volunteer-run initiative, in collaboration with Unit 2 Collective, is launching The Air We Breathe: The Chicago Clean Air Design Challenge. This contest invites students and professionals in product design, graphic design, architecture, urban planning, and public space design to propose creative and innovative solutions to address air quality issues in the neighborhoods of Little Village and Pilsen.
Winter programming at the Morton. The Morton Arboretum is offering a variety of educational programs this winter, including classes like "Glaciers in Your Backyard" and "Living in the Urban Game Park!" To see a full program listing, visit www.mortonarb.org/education.html.
CTA Red and Purple Line Modernization Project. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will hold four public scoping meetings later this month in order to gather community input for its Red and Purple Line Modernization (RPM) Project. Subject to availability of funding, the CTA is seeking to improve the Red and Purple lines between the Belmont Station in Chicago and the Linden Station in Evanston. The proposed improvements are needed to bring the existing transit stations, track systems, and structures into a state of good repair. For the dates, times, locations and more information on the meetings, visit the CTA RPM project website.
CMAP in the news. This Wednesday I spoke at Foresight's Green Drinks on the state of sustainable Chicago. Read more at Medill Reports Chicago.
CMAP Blogs
Green Signals. This week, CMAP’s transportation operations blog featured the Chicago Transit Authority’s train tracker website. The website will provide estimated arrival times for all trains and electronic signs at 10 stations. The blog also informed readers about the report Efficient Use of Highway Capacity Summary, which summarizes the implementation of safety shoulders as travel lanes as a method to increase highway capacity.
Soles and Spokes. CMAP’s bike-ped planning blog announced and congratulated two Chicagoans elected to the board of the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP): Craig Williams of Alta Planning + Design and Mark de la Vergne of Sam Schwartz Engineering. We also directed readers to the new feature to be found on Walkscore.com, which ranks walkability on the neighborhood scale. Finally, we informed them of a new tool for parent surveys completed as part of Safe Routes to School planning and funding applications.
Reminders
Water Resources Forum. On January 27, CMAP will host its second Water Resource Forum at 9:00 a.m. The free event is part of a series to follow up on key issues highlighted in the Water 2050 regional plan, this forum will focus on regional flooding and stormwater management. RSVP to Yesenia Ambriz (yambriz@cmap.illinois.gov or 312-386-8660). In other Water 2050 news, CMAP's Tim Loftus spoke recently at a Silver Creek/Sleepy Hollow Creek Watershed Planning Meeting in Crystal Lake to discuss the important of watershed planning and efforts being taken to protect our groundwater resources on January 11.
GO TO 2040 LTA program accepting applications. CMAP is currently accepting applications to provide local technical assistance (LTA) for planning projects that help to implement GO TO 2040. Eligible projects include comprehensive plans, zoning ordinance revisions, specific studies on important local issues, and many others. Eligible applicants include municipalities, counties, interjurisdictional groups, and nongovernmental organizations. Applications can be completed with a very simple, easy-to-use form and are due by January 28, 2011. For more details and to download an application form, please visit www.cmap.illinois.gov/local-planning/call-for-projects. Please contact Pete Saunders (312-386-8654 or psaunders@cmap.illinois.gov) with any questions.
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