Transit Equity Day, celebrated every year on Rosa Parks' birthday of February 4, is an occasion to support equitable, accessible, and sustainable public transportation.

Our transportation system is a literal route to opportunity, connecting residents to jobs, education, and services. And yet, significant transportation inequities exist.

Last year, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) detailed how transportation fees, fines, and fares impact residents with low income and people of color — and recommended policy changes to improve equity in our region.

On Transit Equity Day, learn more about the Improving equity in transportation fees, fines, and fares report and how communities can take action.

Pace has launched its DuPage Access Program, a pilot project with Uber to improve transportation for passengers eligible for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) paratransit services. 

The new program allows passengers to book trips (up to $30) using the Uber app as an alternative option to dedicated paratransit services. ADA-eligible passengers who don't use a smartphone also can take advantage of the program by reserving by phone.

The Illinois International Port District recently was awarded more than $21.5 million in Rebuild Illinois funding for two critical projects. The funding will go toward rehabilitating the primary dock wall and improving four transit sheds. Both projects were identified in the master planning process that CMAP is conducting with the port district. This new funding will help implement elements of the plan.

But the planning process is not over yet. CMAP and the port district also want to hear from residents and stakeholders about the community amenities they would like to see at Lake Calumet. The survey takes 90 seconds to complete and is available in both English and Spanish.
 

On Wednesday, Governor J.B. Pritzker unveiled his fiscal year 2023 (FY23) state budget proposal, touting Illinois' strong fiscal position and highlighting a projected $1.7 billion surplus for fiscal year 2022. The governor emphasized administrative achievements related to governance, economic recovery, climate, and the pandemic. He also called for continued fiscal responsibility and debt alleviation efforts in FY23. 

Governor Pritzker's proposed budget would appropriate $112.5 billion for the operating budget, which includes $45.4 billion in general funds. The budget proposal would also direct $46.5 billion to the capital budget, including $26.7 billion in total capital appropriations for the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). This includes reappropriations from Rebuild Illinois, as well as new and increased appropriations related to the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The Governor's Office of Management and Budget has indicated IIJA funds will be allocated to IDOT to support multimodal infrastructure projects and increase formula funds, but additional detail is still expected.

Key components of the governor's budget proposal amount to nearly $1 billion in tax cuts, including a proposed one-year freeze on the annual inflation-based increase in the motor fuel tax rate (MFT). The state originally began indexing the MFT to inflation in 2019 to ensure sustainable transportation revenues, a key recommendation from ON TO 2050, the region's long-range plan.

CMAP will continue to analyze the governor's proposal to determine impacts to northeastern Illinois. View the governor's speech and documents from the Governor's Office of Management and Budget. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has released a free resource to help rural communities take advantage of federal funding for electric vehicle charging stations. The guide, Charging Forward: A Toolkit for Planning and Funding Rural Electric Mobility Infrastructure, contains best practices for planning electric vehicle charging networks and tips to navigate federal funding and financing. USDOT will also hold workshops with rural communities to use the toolkit most effectively.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes $7.5 billion to build out a nationwide network of electric vehicle chargers.

The CMAP Board meets next on Wednesday, February 9, from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. via Zoom.

CMAP has moved to a new system for sharing meeting information. You can now find meeting materials, webinar links, minutes, and recordings for these and forthcoming meetings on CMAP's Legistar page. 

CMAP is requesting proposals for a website redesign. CMAP will hold a non-mandatory pre-bid information webinar on Tuesday, February 8, at 11:00 a.m. Proposals are due by 3:00 p.m. on Friday, March 4.

Lawrence Barroll "Larry" Christmas, former regional planner and president of the village of Oak Park, passed away January 23. He was 86.

Christmas served as the executive director of the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) in the 1980s. NIPC later merged with the Chicago Area Transportation Study to form CMAP. Prior to leading NIPC, Christmas was executive director of the Metropolitan Housing and Planning Council.

After retiring from planning, Christmas served as president of Oak Park from 1993 to 1997.

The Evolution of Virtual Public Involvement During the Pandemic: MPO Practices
February 8, from noon to 1:00 p.m.
Host: Federal Highway Administration

Coordinating Committee
February 9, from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m.
Host: CMAP

CMAP Board
February 9, from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.
Host: CMAP

Executive Committee
February 9, from 11:00 to 11:30 a.m.
Host: CMAP

STP Project Selection Committee
February 10, from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.
Host: CMAP

CMAQ Project Selection Committee
February 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Host: CMAP

Red Line Extension Supplemental Environmental Assessment and Section 4(f) Evaluation Public Hearings
February 15 and 17, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Host: Chicago Transit Authority

2022 CRTI Tree Risk Short Course: Changing Climate, Changing Urban Forests
February 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Host: The Morton Arboretum