Throughout 2020, CMAP provided critical data and analyses to help our communities stay informed and navigate new challenges. Many of those topics remain relevant today. As we enter a new year, we're sharing the five most-read pieces of 2020:

1. COVID-19 federal legislation and transportation system impacts

In this brief, CMAP provided data and analysis of how northeastern Illinois' transportation system has changed since the start of the pandemic — covering roads, trips, safety, transit, and freight rail.

2. Metropolitan Chicago's essential workers disproportionately low-income, people of color

CMAP found that a disproportionately high number of essential worker jobs are held by people of color and those who live in low-income communities. The piece highlights the need to address disparities in economic opportunity.

3. Illinois at risk of a census undercount, especially in communities of color

This CMAP analysis found that people of color were participating in the 2020 census at much lower rates than white residents. The piece also shared the ramifications of an undercount and strategies to increase participation.

4. Impact of the pandemic on municipal revenues

This piece explored how municipalities may be impacted by changes in revenue as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, particularly with sales tax, the Local Government Distributive Fund, and property tax.

5. Marginalized communities — especially Black communities — deserve equitable investments

Many members of marginalized communities still face barriers to quality housing, education, employment, and health. This piece explored those challenges in northeastern Illinois and what CMAP is doing to address them.

In 1966, Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta, brought the civil rights movement to Chicago to fight housing discrimination. To witness the injustices faced by residents himself, Dr. King moved to the North Lawndale neighborhood on the city's west side. For decades, redlining and predatory lending forced Black residents into the city's south and west sides, often under unfair physical and financial conditions. 

In response to these racist policies, Dr. King held marches, organized community members, and pressured city officials to take action. WTTW and the Chicago Sun-Times recently explored the way Dr. King and his work with the Chicago Freedom Movement impacted the Chicago region. The movement helped spur passage of the Fair Housing Act, which was signed into law less than a week after Dr. King's assassination in 1968. The landmark legislation prohibits discrimination concerning the sale or rental of housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, national origin, or familial status.  

As we reflect on Dr. King's legacy, it's important for planners and policymakers to remember how much work remains to ensure housing equity for all residents in northeastern Illinois. ON TO 2050 recommends reinvesting in disinvested communities and channeling assistance and funding to strengthen them. More recently, a CMAP policy brief detailed the importance of equitable investments in the region. 

The Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program helps local governments, nonprofits, and regional organizations address issues at the intersection of transportation, land use, and housing. 

Read more about six LTA planning projects underway this year — from a road safety plan in Flossmoor to an updated comprehensive plan for Sugar Grove.

CMAP is gathering information to inform a collaborative capacity-building program focused on helping make permanent the innovative, pandemic-inspired improvements that communities piloted in 2020.

We'd like to hear what you tried in 2020, explore how we can help others in 2021, and ultimately figure out how to keep the most positive and impactful changes that began as experiments in response to the pandemic. Please take a quick survey to let us know what you tried, what worked, and what's next in your community.

Are you following CMAP on social media? You can now find us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram at the same address: cmapillinois. Follow our accounts for the latest news and analysis about northeastern Illinois.

The CMAP Board met on Wednesday, January 13. Staff presented on mobility recovery efforts underway to help the region mitigate a likely rebound in congestion, sustain the transit system, and increase the resiliency of our multimodal transportation system. Staff also requested approval of the 2021 Regional Highway Safety Performance Targets. You can watch a recording of the meeting on YouTube. The CMAP Board meets next on Wednesday, February 10.

The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce is looking for organizations to provide feedback on what Chicago and the region can do to provide safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation options for their employees.

Please fill out this 10-minute transit survey about your business' response to transportation and return to office. The chamber asks that each organization complete the survey once. The survey is open until Wednesday, January 27.

On January 13, the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways (CCDOTH) announced a fifth round of Invest in Cook, an $8.5 million program to cover some of the cost of planning and feasibility studies, engineering, right-of-way acquisition, and construction associated with transportation improvements sponsored by local and regional governments and private partners. This program is designed to solicit applications for improvements consistent with the five priorities of Connecting Cook County.

The 2021 application period for Invest in Cook is open through March 12. Program information and the application can be found on the Cook County website.

Attend a virtual Invest in Cook workshop

CCDOTH is hosting a virtual Invest in Cook workshop for potential applicants on Wednesday, January 27, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. The workshop will be held in conjunction with the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development to provide information on applying for Community Development Block Grants.

To attend, please RSVP at the following form. Additional questions may be directed to Tim Egan at 312-603-1534 or investincook.CC@cookcountyil.gov.

History of the Forest Preserves: Deer Grove
Forest Preserves of Cook County
January 15, 2021
6:30 to 7:00 p.m.
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Together We Rise: Why We All Win with an Equitable Recovery
Executives' Club of Chicago
January 19, 2021
9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
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Visioning Workshop for the Fox River Corridor Plan
McHenry County, City of McHenry, and CMAP
January 19, 2021
2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
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Visioning Workshop for the Fox River Corridor Plan
McHenry County, City of McHenry, and CMAP
January 21, 2021
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
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Exploring President Biden's Urban Agenda
Metropolitan Planning Council, Regional Plan Association, SPUR
January 29, 2021
2:30 to 4:00 p.m.
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