Legislative & Policy Statements

CMAP has prepared a 2018 Federal Agenda to inform federal legislators and other national policy makers about the agency's positions on national policy issues. This agenda focuses on principles that will help to direct CMAP's support or opposition to specific pieces of legislation over the course of the federal legislative calendar.

In June 2014, the CMAP Board and MPO Policy Committee approved an updated set of transportation reauthorization principles.  The federal government should:

• Provide sustainable, robust funding for surface transportation, including both highways and transit.
• Implement performance-based funding.
• Provide appropriate tools to regions to support the transportation system.
• Support a robust freight program.
• Continue to streamline the project review process.

In February 2014, CMAP and other major metro organizations co-signed a letter that calls on the federal government to establish a "Freight Trust Fund" and to integrate metropolitan regions in the freight decision-making process.  More specifically, the letter recommends the following:

• Integrating metropolitan regions into the freight investment decision-making process.
• Dedicating a range of funding sources and authorizing a minimum of $2 billion funding per year for freight investments, consistent with proposals from national freight advocacy organizations.
• Redefining the national freight network to comprise a multimodal transportation system

Based on GO TO 2040 and transportation policy analysis, in May 2013 the CMAP Board approved new principles for a new state capital program.  Given the lack of stable funding, the continuation of the arbitrary "55/45 split" that directs only 45 percent of State highway funds to the Chicago region, and the lack of transparent project selection, CMAP believes that any new state capital program must be coupled with reform.  Specifically, any new program (1) must be funded through new user-fee generated revenues, (2) must move away from the 55/45 split and toward a performance-based funding system, and (3) must provide additional capital funding for both highways and transit.

Each session of the Illinois General Assembly, the CMAP Board takes formal positions on some bills relevant to the implementation of GO TO 2040.  Information on the bills tracked by CMAP is available under the Board's "Meeting Materials" area.