Table of Contents

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

First Off... 

CMAP Board recap. At its meeting on Wednesday, the Board was presented a summary of the public comment period for the draft GO TO 2040 plan. Over the course of two months, staff held well over 200 meetings and talked with thousands of people across the region to gain input on the draft plan. Staff is currently considering and addressing the comments and will present a more thorough summary and a revised draft plan for both the Board and the MPO Policy Committee’s September meetings. Both policy boards will discuss their final comments on the revised plan at their separate September meetings, and the plan will be considered for adoption by both policy boards at a joint meeting on October 13. The Board was also briefed on the progress and design of the popular (shorter) version of GO TO 2040, the revised CMAP website, the logo, and the media outreach plan moving forward, in anticipation of the October 13 GO TO 2040 launch.

Professor Joe Schwieterman, who recently co-authored the book Beyond Burnham: An Illustrated History of Planning for the Chicago Region, gave a lively presentation on the history of regional planning in northeastern Illinois. His presentation provided excellent context as we move toward completion of the region’s new comprehensive plan. Finally, we are pleased to announce our newest Board member Susan Campbell. She is appointed by Mayor Daley to represent the City of Chicago and is currently an associate vice president at the University of Chicago. We welcome Ms. Campbell to the CMAP Board.

Save the date: GO TO 2040 launch.  Following the October 13 joint meeting at which the CMAP Board and MPO Policy Committee will vote on adoption of the region's new comprehensive plan, please save the date to help officially launch GO TO 2040's implementation phase at 11:00 a.m. on October 13, 2010.  RSVP by September 15 to info@cmap.illinois.gov, and location details will follow later this month.  This event will be to thank and inspire all of you who have contributed to the plan's development, and who will now help CMAP to lead its implementation.  We appreciate all who took the time to comment on the draft GO TO 2040 plan.  We've posted the comments in unfiltered form (more than 1,100 pages' worth) and will be busy making changes as appropriate over the next several weeks.

CMAP in the news.  The Chicago Tribune ran a full page spread on the GO TO 2040 plan and the major capital projects included in the plan in last Sunday's paper.  The story included a map with major capital projects and some interesting sidebars giving more information about CMAP, the plan, and transportation facts. 

Water 2050 newsletter.  Highlights from our latest bimonthly Water 2050 newsletter include watershed plans that CMAP will be completing in the Fox River basin, as well as assistance provided by CMAP on projects designed to help reduce nonpoint source pollution in the Village of West Dundee, Dundee Township, and the City of Aurora.  View a photo set of before and after pictures of the projects.

Events

Jelke Creek Reclamation Project tour.  Dundee Township, the Fox River Ecosystem Partnership (FREP), and CMAP will host a FREP Noon Network presentation and tour on Wednesday, August 18, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Township’s Jelke Creek Bird Sanctuary.  This is one of several Section 319 Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program projects within the Fox River watershed that have been administered by CMAP.  Township Supervisor Sue Harney will describe the transformation of this former gravel quarry from an eroding landscape of spoil piles to an array of best management practices providing water quality and habitat benefits.  Bring your lunch and meet at the Sleepy Hollow Village Hall, 1 Thorobred Lane, Sleepy Hollow, IL, 60118, for the presentation, followed by a walking tour of the project site.  Contact Holly Hudson (312-386-8700 or hhudson@cmap.illinois.gov) with questions.


Other News and Announcements 

Stimulus newsletter.  This Wednesday we published the latest CMAP Economic Recovery Update.  Highlights include the progress of the Put Illinois to Work program and Illinois' selection as a finalist in the Race to the Top education grant program.  CMAP also issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the Chicago Region Retrofit Ramp-up (CR3) program. The RFP is for the selection of an implementation agency for program management of the CR3 program. A non-mandatory pre-bid session will take place at CMAP's offices on August 16, 2010, at 9:20 a.m. The session will also be accessible by webinar. Please see the RFP for details on how to sign-up to attend the information session in person or to access the webinar.

Clean construction bill.  Public Act 96-1416 is new Illinois legislation that changes the Clean Construction or Demolition Debris (CCDD) requirements. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) website has details.  Municipalities should be aware of new, interim requirements for fill operators.  All fill soil requires certification from the owner or operator of the site of origin that the site has never been used for commercial or industrial purposes and is presumed to be uncontaminated soil.  Also required is certification by a licensed professional engineer that the soil is uncontaminated.  Here is a flyer about free IEPA seminars, though space is limited.  Contact Karen.a.hoffman@illinois.gov to RSVP.  Thanks to Michael Walczak of the Northwest Municipal Conference for this timely information.

Hard times = good times for public engagement.  The City Fix recently blogged about the importance of public engagement and how difficult times are the best times "to engage citizens and welcome the growing desire of the public to be heard and participate in civic government."  CMAP's GO TO 2040 campaign was cited as one of the country's many success stories for public engagement initiatives.

Vote on the undiscovered.  In July, we alerted you to a contest being sponsored by the Metropolitan Planning Council and Chicago Architecture Foundation, "What Makes Your Place Great?  Your Secret Corner of Chicagoland."  Submissions to the contest included a photo or video and description of your favorite undiscovered public space in the region.  Now it's your chance to vote online for your favorite of two dozen finalists.  The four winners will be announced on September 17.

CMAP Blogs 

Green Signals.  In the past two weeks, CMAP’s transportation operations blog informed readers about the Talking Freight -- Freight Performance Measures Webinar.  The webinar will discuss performance measures that are currently used in the freight industry.  The blog also highlighted the recently released National Cooperative Freight Research Program (NCFRP) Report 3: Separation of Vehicles – CMV-Only Lanes.  The report examines major issues and concepts that should be understood in developing new applications of Commercial Motor Vehicle-Only lanes.  New York City’s Off-Hour Delivery Pilot Program was also highlighted.  This program explored the impacts of commercial trucks making deliveries during the off-peak hours in New York City.  Strategies to facilitate off-peak deliveries in the Chicago region are also included in the GO TO 2040 section: Create a More Efficient Network.  Last of all, the blog informed readers about the recently released report Highway Traffic Safety Data Overview for Metropolitan Chicago.  The report, completed by CMAP staff, is an updated analysis of 2002, 2005, and 2008 crash data for the CMAP planning region.

Soles and Spokes.  This week, CMAP’s bike-ped planning blog directed readers to a new fact sheet describing the need for and design of channels and ramps alongside stairs for bicycles.  Such channels are particularly important at transit stations where stairs are a common impediment to linking travel modes.  In addition, the blog highlighted the launch of a new crash support group program and hotline for bicycle and pedestrian crash victims, organized by the Active Transportation Alliance.  Finally, we alerted readers to a new study examining factors contributing to pedestrian and bicycle crashes on rural roads, published as part of the Federal Highway Administration’s Highway Safety Information System (HSIS).