For more information or materials, please see the agenda and materials. The next Board meeting is scheduled for July 9 at 9.30 a.m.

MPO Policy Committee. The Policy Committee also met this week. They also endorsed the GO TO 2040 vision and approved the FY 2009 UWP. A presentation was given by the CTA and the City of Chicago on their Congestion Reduction Initiative. They will receive a total of $153.1 million in federal funds to implement four basic components: bus rapid transit projects; loading zone fees; variable parking pricing; and a parking concession agreement. A presentation was also given by CMAP staff on outreach efforts related to the GO TO 2040 campaign. The next meeting is scheduled for October 9 at 10:00 a.m.

The GO TO 2040 vision for metropolitan Chicago. This week, CMAP reached an important milestone when the GO TO 2040 Regional Vision was approved. Our process of drafting the vision began in September 2007 with a kickoff event at IIT for CMAP partners. In the months since then, we have solicited and incorporated input from across the seven counties through our committees, stakeholder groups, and the general public. I believe the resulting document captures the aspirations and concerns of our broad region, and it will be the basis of everything that ends up in our comprehensive regional plan. Click here (186KB PDF) to read about the visioning process, and see the final draft (2.7MB PDF) that was approved this week by the CMAP Board and the MPO Policy Committee. We're making some graphical tweaks before printing the GO TO 2040 Regional Vision publication next week. Copies will be available on request to info@cmap.illinois.gov. 

Water Supply Update. The Regional Water Supply Planning Group (RWSPG) has voted to approve the "Regional Water Demand Scenarios for Northeastern Illinois: 2005-2050" report. The approval is a significant milestone and provides a point of common ground for the RWSPG to begin identifying strategies for the Regional Water Supply Plan. The study presents future water demand scenarios for geographical areas, which encompass groundwater withdrawal points and surface water intakes in the 11-county regional planning area of Northeastern Illinois (Boone, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Grundy, Lake, McHenry, and Will). The study generated three water demand scenarios by major user sectors and geographical subareas within the region. The next RWSPG meeting is Tuesday, June 24 at 10:00 a.m. at the DuPage Water Commission, 600 E. Butterfield Road, Elmhurst, IL 60126.

Trip to Sweden. I will be heading to Stockholm next week with a contingent from Chicago, New York, and San Francisco to meet with Swedish officials and discuss their new central area housing project, their congestion pricing initiative and associated public transit projects. We will be talking about how we look at these issues in a coordinated manner and how that will help us think about the development of GO TO 2040.

FLIP reminder. Don't forget to encourage any high school freshmen and sophomores you know to apply for CMAP's Future Leaders in Planning (FLIP) initiative. The application deadline has been extended until June 27. The program is free and runs from September 2008 to March 2009. See /flip-future-leaders-in-planning or call 312-454-0400.

Affordable housing event. On Wednesday, June 25, the Urban Land Institute and the Preservation Compact will host a lunch-time program called "Municipal Best Practices: Affordable Rental Housing Preservation in Chicago's Suburbs." Presenters will include Cindy M. Holler, President, Mercy Lakefront Housing & Urban Advisor, ULI Chicago; Michael A. O'Connor, Mayor, City of Berwyn; S. Michael Rummel, Mayor, City of Lake Forest; and Mary Ellen Tamasy, Executive Director, Housing Opportunity Development Corporation. The Preservation Compact brings together leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors with the goal of preserving 75,000 existing affordable rental homes by 2020. In response to unique challenges in suburban Cook County and beyond, municipal leaders throughout the greater Chicagoland area are exploring innovative solutions to preserving housing, including the redevelopment of existing properties and public/private partnerships that help to bring more tools, expertise and resources to these initiatives. The location is Rosewood Restaurant, 9421 Higgins Road, in Rosemont. Register on-line or click here for a PDF registration form. Registraton deadline is June 23.