Metropolitan Planning Council

Railroad Escrow Account passes both chambers

pskosey@metroplanning.org (Peter Skosey) — Thu, 31 May 2012 12:00:00 CST

Hooray!

After stalling for a short while in the House, SB 2861 passed both chambers in the final hours of the 97^th Illinois General Assembly. The IDOT–Railroad Escrow Account bill establishes a fund to be used on maintenance of the higher speed rail line being developed from Chicago to St. Louis. MPC supports this intelligent approach to managing project maintenance costs. Read the letter of support to Sen. Sandoval and Rep. Burke.

Mark your calendars for BRT Open House meetings

kriggio@metroplanning.org (Kara Riggio) — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:00:00 CST

By Kara Riggio

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is coming to Chicago – possibly your community! The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and Chicago Dept. of Transportation (CDOT) are launching a study of Western and Ashland avenues to determine if BRT is feasible for these corridors.

Unfamiliar with BRT? MPC and Active Transportation Alliance developed this handy BRT fact sheet, which will bring you up to speed. Both of our organizations are part of the Chicago BRT Task Force, which is assisting CTA and CDOT as they develop Chicago’s system plan for BRT, including the Western and Ashland Alternatives Analysis.

Through this analysis, funded by the Federal Transit Administration, CTA and CDOT will study approximately 21 miles of Western and Ashland avenues, from Howard Street on the north to 95^th Street on the south. The goal is to explore both the positive and negative impacts of implementing a variety of BRT features and service plans, or “alternatives,” on these corridors.

If you are interested in learning more about the potential for BRT along Western and/or Ashland avenues, mark your calendar for one of three Open House meetings CTA and CDOT are hosting for the Western and Ashland Corridors BRT project. Information presented will be the same at all meetings. The purpose of this meeting is to:

Introduce the project and the Alternatives Analysis process, which is a study of the potential impacts of the various project options, or “alternatives,” which include different features and service plans;
Provide additional information to the public about the project; and
Solicit feedback from the community on the project.

When and Where?

Tuesday, June 12, 2012
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
7^th District Police Station
1438 W. 63^rd St.
Chicago

Wednesday, June 13, 2012
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Lane Tech College Prep High School
2501 W. Addison St.
Chicago

Thursday, June 14, 2012
5:30 to 7:30
Wells Community Academy High School
936 N. Ashland Ave.
Chicago

MPC urges General Assembly to fix state pension crisis

cnichols@metroplanning.org (Chrissy Mancini Nichols) — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:00:00 CST

By Chrissy Mancini Nichols

The Metropolitan Planning Council sent the following letter to Gov. Pat Quinn, Ill. Senate President John Cullerton, Ill. House Speaker Michael Madigan, Ill. Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno, and Ill. House Republican Leader Tom Cross, urging them to fix the state's pension systems.

The General Assembly must act urgently to fix the state’s pension crisis and put Illinois on the path to fiscal stability. For three decades, the state has mismanaged the five systems, making costly promises to employees while failing to make its required payments. This irresponsibility has led to an $83 billion pension unfunded liability and the worst funded system in the country.

Pension contributions are a two way street. While employees have kept their end of the bargain, making their required pension payments, via payroll deductions, the state has not. Leaders have never adhered to the 50-year plan enacted in 1995 to make the systems whole by 2045, even taking a “pension holiday” and issuing pension obligation bonds during times of budgetary stress. This lack of fiscal discipline has led to the current situation; each time the state failed to pay its required pension contribution, the amount it ultimately must contribute has to be paid back with interest, compounded at each retirement system’s target rate of return. Currently, state pension debt accounts for 70 percent of the annual payment, with only 30 percent allocated to the normal cost -- the present value of the benefits earned by members of the retirement systems in that year.

By 2014, annual pension payments will grow to encompass over a quarter of the state’s general fund budget, with retiree health care costs adding another $900 million per year. Leaders have little choice but to make structural reforms to the systems now or risk eliminating funding of basic state functions and investments that will grow our economy.

The Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) applauds Governor Quinn’s leadership on pension reform. By restructuring cost of living adjustments and health care benefits, Governor Quinn’s blueprint is one that can begin to put Illinois on the road to recovery. We fully recognize the complexity of implementing pension reforms. However, after years of inaction, there is simply no way to stabilize the budget without taming the pension beast.

MPC urges state leaders not to make superficial changes, but to insist on lasting structural reforms. Because the Illinois constitution requires that state employee retiree benefits “shall not be diminished or impaired,” any solution also must pass legal muster. Further, the only serious way to tackle the unfunded liability is apply reforms to current employees. This approach must be balanced, ensuring adequate retirement security for public employees. Most participants in the states pension systems are not eligible for Social Security and will rely solely on their pension benefits in retirement. As the debate progresses we are eager to review details including legislative language and projected state yearly pension contributions.

After years of mishandling pensions, the state is left with no easy answers. The consequences of inaction will be far worse for all Illinois residents. Absent reforms to pensions, it will be impossible for the state to invest in vital projects that will grow our economy, such as transportation, energy, housing, economic development projects, workforce training, and education.

Sincerely,
MarySue Barrett
President

In the Loop: May 18, 2012

cnichols@metroplanning.org (Chrissy Mancini Nichols) — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:00:00 CST

By Chrissy Mancini Nichols

In the Loop is your Friday round-up of what's going on in the transportation world, posted in conjunction with Talking Transit.

@ MPC

The success of MPC's Commute Options pilot proves that commuters want alternatives to driving. (The upcoming Bike to Work Week is a great time to try bike commuting!) MPC urges the transportation bill conference committee to include MAP-21 provisions and eliminate the tolling prohibitions on interstates. Retooling the United Center could mean a new Green Line station.

Elsewhere

Not waiting for Washington, Chicago gets its trust. The CTA is touting its new Yellow Line station in Skokie as "perfect TOD," and a virtual grocery store at State/Lake allows commuters to shop from the platform. (The new Morgan station on the Green and Pink lines opens today, too!) CDOT released the City’s first comprehensive transportation plan, while Illinois DOT released its long range plan for the state, which some are calling an austerity plan for roads. Who are Rockford’s 14,000 supercommuters?

Also tired of waiting on the feds, Los Angeles and Baton Rouge taxpayers pony up to build transit. Dallas pours billions into roads, while Las Vegas and Utah use transit to reduce congestion and spur and economic development. Your name here: Washington State plans to sell bridge and highway naming rights to pay for infrastructure improvements. Don't laugh: New York City’s already doing it, and getting a $50 million bike share system without spending a penny of taxpayer money.

Mexico City opened a new BRT line by making some narrow, historic streets bus-only. The Cairo metro is the one thing Egyptians can count on. London’s congestion charge works! It's dramatically increased biking and walking. Copenhagen’s getting into the match making business – on its buses. Why do the world’s subway maps all look alike?

Check out the corresponding edition of Talking Transit, about sharing toll road revenues with transit.

Ride your bike to work! No excuses!

rgriffin-stegink@metroplanning.org (Ryan Griffin-Stegink) — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:00:00 CST

By Ryan Griffin-Stegink

Bike to Work Week is coming up soon: June 9 to 15! Get your office rolling with Active Transportation Alliance's Bike Commuter Challenge!

Your train is packed. Your bus is stuck in traffic. You arrive at the office, already worn out from your commute, and chug a tall cup of coffee to get going again. A great start to another work day.

Or, you could ride your bike to work and arrive awake and refreshed, ready to tackle another day. What's that? You've never tried riding your bike to work? Oh, I see. You have a whole list of excuses. Well, let's get those out of the way.

My bike is old and inadequate.

You don't need a fancy, shiny bike. I commute every day on the same bike I've had since I was 15. Just drag that old one out of the basement, blow the dust off, and put some air in the tires. And make sure the brakes work.

If your bike needs any maintenance to return it to working order, just take it to your neighborhood bike shop, and it'll probably cost less than a tank of gas (or a monthly CTA pass) to get it in tip-top shape.

I'm not an experienced cyclist.

You don't have to be Lance Armstrong to make it to work in the morning. You don't even have to go fast! I often do my five mile commute at a leisurely 10 to 15 m.p.h., and it takes just under 30 minutes, which is the same time it takes me to walk to the CTA station and ride the train.

I can't come to work all sweaty!

If you're sweating a lot, ride slower. If you still sweat too much, roll your work clothes up and toss them in a backpack, and ride to work in gym clothes. When you get to work, just towel dry, put some deodorant on, and get dressed.

If you're lucky enough to have a shower at the office (or a nearby gym), take advantage of that and ride harder. You can replace that hour or more you spend inside at the gym every day with a vigorous ride to and from work.

I don't have anywhere to park my bike.

Many office buildings offer indoor, secure bike parking. Ask around and you may be pleasantly surprised. Failing that, your office might just let you bring your bike inside. It makes a great desk/cubicle accessory! Don't be afraid to lock your bike to a rack outside, either. Just remove or secure any gadgets (including your front wheel, lights, etc.) that have quick releases.

It's dangerous!

Assuming you ride safely, I don't believe that riding your bike around Chicago is significantly more dangerous than being a pedestrian or transit rider. You've probably seen some bikers do pretty crazy things, like blowing through red lights and weaving through stopped cars. You don't have to do any of that! You don't have to be a daredevil to be cool; you're automatically a baller because you're riding your bike to work.

A new bike lane on Roscoe Street.

Here are my tips for being safe on a bike:

Wear a helmet. Seriously. Non-negotiable. I encourage you to mock people who don't wear helmets, because they're not cool.
Be visible. Get bright, blinky lights (front and back) and use them day or night. (You'd be surprised how visible most modern bike lights are, even in the day, especially when it's cloudy or you're in the urban canyon of the Loop.) Or, get a bright, reflective vest for daytime use. When riding at night, though, you absolutely must have lights.
Don't be afraid to take the lane. When riding on a street with no bike lane, it can be safer to take a whole lane for yourself than squeezing to one side, which makes you less visible, encourages drivers to squeeze around you, and puts you in danger of being doored by a parked car. Some drivers will get indignant and honk at you, but rest assured, you're a vehicle, too, and it's your legal right. Let them honk. Give them a friendly wave! Try to avoid the one-fingered salute. A friendly ring from your bell is more effective than shouting obscenities (although sometimes I do that, too).
Signal turns by sticking your left or right arm out. If you're going to stop suddenly for a non-obvious reason (i.e., it's not an intersection or stop sign), try and stick an arm out to signal that too.
Know your route. The first time you ride your bike on a new route can be sort of nerve-wracking, but you'll quickily become familiar with the streets, signals, and any potential trouble spots. Use Google Bike Maps and the City of Chicago's bike map to help plan your route. As an aside, you'll find some major thoroughfares simply aren't good for cycling, such as Michigan Avenue, Wacker Drive, and Western Avenue. Luckily, there are almost always adjacent streets that are calmer and great for cycling.

What if the weather turns bad?

Should the weather take a turn for the worse during your ride, or later in the day before you can ride home, remember that you can toss your bike on the front of any CTA bus at any time. As long as it's not rush hour, you can also take your bike on CTA trains. (Metra, too! But not the South Shore, yet.) This is also handy if you happen to go to happy hour after work and become incapacitated.

I live way too far from work, or I don't live in the city.

Combine your bike ride with a train or bus ride. A bike can be a great replacement for a car to connect you to transit to go that first or last mile.

I don't want to be the only weirdo in my office who bikes to work!

Now that you're happily riding your bike to work on a regular basis, get some co-workers to join you! A great way to get people motivated is to participate in Active Transportation Alliance's Bike Commuter Challenge during Bike to Work Week, June 9 to 15, 2012. Sign up now as a team leader for your workplace (you'll get a toolkit with resources and schwag), and start sending those all-staff emails around now!

I still have more excuses or unanswered questions.

Active Trans has an extensive list of tips and tricks for biking to work, as well as more information about bringing your bike on transit. Don't be lame! You've gotta try it at least once (or twice) before you can discount riding your bike to work as a serious option.

I did it once and now I can't stop. I think I'm addicted. I have biking fever.

The only cure is more cowbell. Or, riding to work every day. You can even do it when it's raining, or cold, as long as the streets aren't too slick. Just bundle up! I rode to work nearly every day this past winter.

Planning for livability with the CMAP Local Technical Assistance Program

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:00:00 CST

Though opinions differ on what makes a community appealing, livable communities tend to share some common traits. They are healthy, safe, and walkable. They offer choices for timely transportation to schools, jobs, services, and basic needs. They are more cost-effective for individuals and local governments. They make the region more economically competitive.

Whether we choose to live and work in a newer community or one that has been around for decades, a community's unique "sense of place" draws people and makes us feel at home and welcome there. Though that sense may seem intangible, livability is seldom an accident. Livable communities are created through effective planning and decisions by local officials, developers, and individual residents.

In October 2010, CMAP was awarded a Sustainable Communities Regional Planning grant by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assist with the implementation of GO TO 2040, the comprehensive plan for metropolitan Chicago. With funding from this grant, CMAP launched the Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program in March 2011, which involves providing assistance to communities across the Chicago metropolitan region to undertake planning projects that advance the principles of GO TO 2040.

The LTA program is currently helping 70 local governments, nonprofits, and intergovernmental organizations to address local issues at the intersection of transportation, land use, and housing, including the natural environment, economic growth, and community development. To highlight the work that has been accomplished to date, CMAP will host an Ideas Exchange event on May 24 to share what CMAP and our partners are doing to help create more livable communities across the region. While interacting with these community-based visionaries, attendees will have the chance to discuss the latest Call for Projects from the LTA program, for which proposals are due Aug. 1.

Collaboration will be a strong focus of the event. Since CMAP was established in 2005, we have been collaborating with regional public and civic organizations that provide technical assistance to communities. Continuing and strengthening these partnerships was a key component of CMAP’s original application for HUD funding. With these resources, CMAP formalized a consortium of more than 20 organizations from across the region and is leveraging their breadth of knowledge, capacity, and expertise to maximize the LTA program, coordinate planning efforts, and ensure communities across the region have access to quality planning assistance. Members of the consortium are directly assisting many of the current LTA projects. Through this consortium, CMAP has formalized a partnership with the Regional Transportation Authority and successfully aligned the two organizations’ funding applications. Partnerships with organizations such as the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Metropolitan Planning Council, Openlands, and the Arts Alliance have strengthened the LTA program.

CMAP's first LTA Call for Projects in 2011 prompted over 220 proposals from more than 130 municipalities, counties, interjurisdictional groups, and nongovernmental organizations. This year may be even more competitive, and priority will be given to applicants that collaborate with their neighbors or with other partner organizations. Attendees can give their community's 2012 proposal a significant advantage by attending the May 24 event.

Panel discussions will highlight local examples of best practices in site planning, sustainability planning, planning for demographic change and more from large urban communities like Joliet and Norridge to local neighborhoods, such as the Bronzeville community in Chicago. Registration is available online at www.cmap.illinois.gov/lta.

Commute Options pilot proving need for permanent Transportation Demand Management strategy in Chicago area

tgrzesiakowski@metroplanning.org (Tim Grzesiakowski) — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:00:00 CST

By Tim Grzesiakowski

In late 2010, MPC rolled out a one-year Commute Options pilot, to help local employers design incentives that encourage their employees to drive less and try “alternative” commutes, such as transit, biking, carpooling and even walking. A little more than a year later, based on the interest we’ve seen from a variety of employers, we believe this pilot is demonstrating the need for a permanent Transportation Demand Management initiative in the Chicago area. Our thinking was reinforced in April, when the Regional Transportation Authority’s (RTA) Board voted to approve a one-year contract with MPC to continue to study Commute Options as a potential solution to increase transit use among area workers.

So far, the Commute Options pilot has attracted 12 employers, representing a mix of city and suburban locations and ranging in size from 27 employees to more than 2,000 employees. Discussions are underway with several more employers, and recruitment will continue through late spring /early summer 2012. Participating employers have told us Commute Options not only helps save their employees time and money on their commutes, but also helps achieve corporate sustainability goals. Here’s what some of them have had to say:

“As a company that is dependent on natural resources and energy, we are always trying new ways to lower our impact on the environment. When we can wrap in our employees, it helps us not only reach our environmental goals, but also helps our employees make a direct contribution to those goals.”
Tony Bowker, Chief Operating Officer, Goose Island Beer Company

“Grainger is a leader in offering customers the solutions they need to maintain their facilities in a sustainable manner. We are equally committed to reducing our impact on the environment. We are delighted to pilot a program that offers more convenient commuting options to our team members while contributing to a better environment in Chicago.”
Gail Edgar, Vice President, Corporate Facilities Services, Grainger

Employers aren’t the only ones realizing benefits from Commute Options: Before we recruited even one employer, we formed a providers group comprised of representatives of RTA, Chicago Transit Authority, Metra, Pace, and local environmental, transportation, and advocacy groups such as Active Transportation Alliance and I-GO car-sharing. This group meets several times a year to discuss various issues impacting commuting in the Chicago area. They have been instrumental in reviewing various transportation demand management (TDM) models that exist in North American metropolitan areas, as well as in encouraging RTA to investigate next steps toward developing an institutionalized TDM strategy for the Chicago area.

Commute Options: What’s ahead in year two

More challenges lie ahead in year two of the Commute Options pilot. Since the pilot began, we have found that awareness – whether of what services exist for employees, or of what outside incentives and services employer can tap to help employees with their commutes – is a major issue, regardless of the size or location of the employer. Compounding the issue, most of the provider organizations – from transit service providers to private and nonprofit groups like I-GO and Active Trans – have limited outreach staff covering wide geographic areas, in many cases the entire Chicago metropolitan area. In spite of these awareness issues, as fuel prices rise, employees continue looking for alternate ways to get to work besides driving alone.

To address these realities, the providers group will work with RTA to establish a regional TDM strategy for the Chicago area. What’s more, even as MPC continues to recruit the remaining pilot employers through early summer, we will conduct “post surveys” with employers who joined the pilot in late 2010 and early 2011. This will be a two-part process: Employees will complete a “post survey” designed to analyzed how many employees changed their commute behavior as a result of the pilot and the incentives initiated by their employers; and we also will use metrics such as those developed by the Best Workplaces for Commuters to measure other impacts of the Commute Options pilot, such as improvements to regional air quality improvement and employee behavior – hopefully further proving the need for a regional TDM strategy in the Chicago area.

President Clinton addresses energy efficiency and other economic recovery strategies

sdekoven@metroplanning.org (Samantha DeKoven) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:00:00 CST

By Samantha DeKoven

While in Chicago for the Nobel Peace Prize winners’ summit, President Bill Clinton addressed an audience of business and nonprofit leaders – including me – on domestic economic recovery, including workforce development and energy efficiency initiatives. The conversation will continue in Chicago June 7 and 8 at the Clinton Global Initiative America convening.

President Clinton touched on a range of issues, from the need to invest in education and workforce development to the importance of a long-term national debt reduction plan. He challenged us to bring together business and government to make change through strong partnerships, and he pointed to his climate change initiative as an example: employers have agreed to retrofit their facilities to be more energy efficient, then they’ve taken that savings and offered their employees funding to retrofit their homes. Both the corporation and the homeowners benefit from lower utility bills, the utility companies have increased capacity to support more business needs (without raising prices), and we all experience a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

MPC takes this advice to heart, as all our initiatives rely on strong partnerships and collaborative efforts. Through our Home Energy Renovations for Employees program, we are administering a program in the Chicago region that is similar to the Arkansas model President Clinton described. We have matching funds from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (which came from the U.S. Dept. of Energy) to help employees improve the energy efficiency of their homes – when they get financial assistance from their employer.

MPC has been invited to participate in the Housing Recovery working group at the June Clinton Global Initiative America convening, to highlight the role employers are playing in supporting local economic recovery priorities, including foreclosure response, community development efforts, and interjurisdictional partnerships around housing. Our latest issue of the EAH Advantage e-newsletter describes some of those employer efforts.

These strategies can work for various types of employers, and we welcome the opportunity to work with your company to tailor incentives to your workforce that also help advance a more competitive, sustainable, and equitable region and your bottom line. Please contact me with questions or ideas or for help designing a program.

In the Loop: April 27, 2012

cnichols@metroplanning.org (Chrissy Mancini Nichols) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:00:00 CST

By Chrissy Mancini Nichols

In the Loop is your Friday round-up of what's going on in the transportation world, posted in conjunction with Talking Transit.

@ MPC

Want to know more about the new Loop (East-West) Bus Rapid Transit? Attend the open house on May 2. In D.C., conference is beginning on a federal transportation extension. Value Capture financing is helping Denver rehab its Union Station and Washington, D.C. expand transit, and MPC is harnessing technology to create better cities.

Elsewhere

Illinois took the first steps to rebuilding the Circle interchange and the City Council approved the Chicago Infrastructure Trust. (Here's a graphic explaining how it would work.) Bus tracker is helping students stay safe and two Chicago guys set a record for riding to every CTA station, noting development patterns along the way. Registration is now open for this year's Transport Chicago conference.

The feds grant Austin $38 billion to build Bus Rapid Transit and Los Angeles is getting bike share. Want to fix U.S. transportation? Ask a nine-year old! Let’s rethink parking while we're at it, too. GAO says technology will curb congestion, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce rebuffs the WSJ and insists that transit drives economic development and cuts traffic.

London’s congestion charge is driving people to public transit, while Ferrari launches Europe's first privately-owned high speed rail in Italy. Toronto is investing $8 billion in transit and Dublin is funding 100 bike and pedestrian projects.

Harnessing Technology for Strong Cities: MPC hosts the Urban Systems Collaborative

mnovara@metroplanning.org (Marisa Novara) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:00:00 CST

By Marisa Novara

We shape our technology; thereafter it shapes us (to paraphrase an oft-abused Winston Churchill quote). We got a first-hand look at the relevance of technology to our work in 2011 when, with support from IBM, we sponsored a Placemaking apps contest within the larger Apps for Metro Chicago competition. It was a great year for open data: reams of information previously held close to the vest were being released at all levels of government, and citizen programmers were creating apps at a breakneck clip. Many of these apps had elements of Placemaking in that they helped people identify and learn about places that already exist. Our goal, though, was to use technology as a platform for interaction by equipping people with the tools to actually create places that matter to them. The winning app, Mi Parque, did just that in a big way, and it whet our appetite to think more broadly about the power of technology to democratize the planning process.

That’s right; rather than a dehumanizing effect, we saw with Mi Parque that technology can dramatically broaden both the breadth of people involved in a project, as well as the influence that they have. Not everyone can or will come to a two-hour community meeting on a given project, but countless more can and will contribute ideas and give feedback at all hours through the use of, say, an interactive smart phone app. Wouldn’t you rather help plan your community in your pajamas?

IBM's Pol MacAonghusa of Dublin

Photo by Ryan Griffin-Stegink

This initial experience with the power of technology got us thinking of further possibilities, such as how technology could connect people who might not otherwise recognize their mutual interest. This is why on April 19, MPC hosted a symposium of the Urban Systems Collaborative, a day-long gathering of urban planners, software designers, developers, architects, and community-level folks to discuss the information that feeds their work, where breakdowns in information flows are occurring, and where innovation could better assist them in connecting ideas. For example, an attendee that works with multiple community groups pointed out that the city’s foreclosure data is based on calls made to 311 to report a vacant building (the “squeaky wheels”). When a community group actually walked their streets of their particular neighborhood, they found the data hugely undercounted the scope of the problem. Why? Not every wheel squeaks on its own. How can technology help establish better information? In this case, it was suggested, perhaps citizens – in the form of mail carriers – outfitted with technology to report in real time could help solve the problem. As IBM's Bob Schloss pointed out, while officially captured data is nice, the most interesting data in a city is observable by regular people.

Capturing those observations by regular people is apparently catching on, through technology that enables innovative community engagement in public projects. For instance, Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Transform Metro Atlanta web site features an interactive project map that seeks feedback while educating residents about a penny sales tax increase to help alleviate Atlanta’s traffic gridlock. A web site and social media blitz on the Huey P. Long bridge widening project in New Orleans not only informs stakeholders of construction plans and progress, but also invites them on My Huey P to share personal stories about the bridge. MPC envisions similar platforms in Chicago, where technology-meets-community-engagement tools like Mi Parque are expanded to shape and guide a myriad of public projects.

We agree with Chicago’s Chief Technology Officer, John Tolva, who remarked at the Urban Systems Collaborative that data alone is not sufficient to address the needs of the city. If the city, as he stated, is a platform for interaction, then it is up to us to couple open data with increasingly sophisticated technology that can point us to a more accurate understanding of what the city’s residents want and need. After all, as IBM’s Pol MacAonghusa stated, “we are not designing computer systems. We are helping people to better live their lives.”

Deadline extended! 2012 Burnham Award for Excellence in Planning

rgriffin-stegink@metroplanning.org (Ryan Griffin-Stegink) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:00:00 CST

By Ryan Griffin-Stegink

Deadline extended to 4 p.m. on May 23! Submit your nomination now.

The Burnham Award for Excellence in Planning encourages sensible growth by honoring innovative and visionary planning efforts in the Chicago metropolitan region. The Metropolitan Planning Council invites you to participate in the celebration of the best in plans and planning by nominating projects you think deserve such recognition.

Since 1988, the Metropolitan Planning Council has presented the annual Burnham Award to a plan that:

Promotes and implements sensible planning and development policies;
Encourages public participation and follows an open process;
Provides long-term benefits to the community and its surroundings;
Is provocative, balancing realistic expectations with vision;
Is innovative, breaking new ground in planning practices; and
Is sufficiently completed to evaluate whether the desired results have been realized.

For examples, see the list of past winners. The 2012 winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize and will be recognized at MPC’s Annual Luncheon on July 25.

Submit your nomination

Download the nomination form and submit it, along with any supporting materials, by 4 p.m. on May 23, 2012.

Lake County housing development financed through Regional Housing Initiative wins Gail Cincotta Award

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:00:00 CST

At the Illinois Governor’s Housing Conference on April 16, Noelle Moore, executive director of A Safe Place—a Chicago-based nonprofit that supports women and children who have experienced domestic violence—accepted the Gail Cincotta Award for A Safe Place II, the organization's first permanent housing community. The Lake County development was financed in part through the Regional Housing Initiative (RHI), which provides financial incentives, via operating subsidies, to developers and owners of quality rental housing.

Representing Brinshore Development, LLC, the company that served as the developer to this terrific nonprofit, I am honored that A Safe Place II has been recognized as a model for "innovation and excellence in affordable housing." It truly is a terrific example of quality housing and services for very low-income women and children who have weathered domestic violence. A Safe Place II provides a secure, nurturing environment for women to recover and raise their children—a compelling mission, and certainly one worthy of an award named in honor of one of Chicago's leading advocates for community development, fair lending, and neighborhood renewal.

Established in 1994, Brinshore Development is an innovative real estate company specializing in the development of residential communities that foster conservation, collaboration and affordability. Brinshore has undertaken dozens of developments, from large-scale master planned communities to the restoration of meticulously preserved historic properties.

Financing developments like A Safe Place II is often complex, and a number of financing tools and resources were necessary to write this success story. The Regional Housing Initiative (RHI)—managed by the Metropolitan Planning Council in coordination with eight public housing authorities, the Illinois Housing Development Authority, and a range of other partners—is one such example. For most any low-income family trying to re-establish themselves, rental support is vital. However, in the case of abused women, removing the burden of how they'll put a roof over their heads and shelter their children is essential for them to leave an abusive situation and heal. By providing operating subsidies to help keep rents low at A Safe Place II, RHI provides this support.

Today’s economy poses a number of competing challenges for developers. On one hand, this weak housing market means that household and community needs are greater than ever, and innovation is essential. On the other hand, financing sources are more scarce and credit availability less certain. In addition to these realities, our region continues to demand housing affordable for families with varying income levels and needs.

The operating subsidies provided by RHI—thanks to project-based vouchers pooled by the participating housing authorities to support developments that comply with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Housing Endorsement Criteria —are key to the bottom-line stability of A Safe Place II and other developments. While financing for affordable housing development is a competitive and complex process, the Regional Housing Initiative streamlined its application with larger, state financing applications (including the Illinois Low-Income Housing Tax Credit application) to make it easier for developers like Brinshore to apply for resources that address demands in traditionally underserved communities.

As a developer, I look at underserved communities in two ways. There are the households warranting housing and services, but there are also the towns needing new development, or redevelopment, to address local demands. For us, RHI has helped on both fronts, serving as a financing source for both A Safe Place II, as well as Emerson Square in Evanston, Cook County. I look forward to providing additional needed homes in welcoming communities and celebrating future groundbreakings and ribbon-cuttings, thanks to RHI support.

Attend May 2 open house on Central Loop (East-West) Bus Rapid Transit project

mburrell@metroplanning.org (Mandy Burrell Booth) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:00:00 CST

By Mandy Burrell Booth

Want to learn more about the Central Loop (East-West) Bus Rapid Transit project? Mark your calendar for an open house on the project, next Wednesday, May 2, from 5 to 7:30 p.m., at the Chicago Architecture Foundation, 224 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago.

The Chicago Dept. of Transportation (CDOT), in partnership with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and Ald. Brendan Reilly (42^nd Ward), invites you to attend the open house to learn more about this new bus service, which will provide riders with fast and reliable connections throughout the central business district—from Union Station and Ogilvie Transportation Center, through the Loop, and up to Streeterville and Navy Pier.

The open house begins at 5 p.m. with the following program:

Open session: 5 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Attendees can view and discuss project plans with CDOT, CTA and the project team. Written feedback can also be submitted at this time.

Presentation: 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Ald. Reilly and CDOT Commissioner Gabe Klein will make introductory remarks on Bus Rapid Transit. CDOT Deputy Commissioner Luann Hamilton will present the City of Chicago’s plans for the Central Loop Bus Rapid Transit project.

Open session: 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Attendees have a final opportunity to view and discuss project plans with the project team and submit feedback.

Your participation is important. Please share this with your colleagues, customers and organizational membership. RSVPs can be emailed to Nick Nottoli, nnottoli@grisko.com.

Housing development in Chicago's south suburbs showcases burgeoning partnership between private, public sectors

rsnyderman@metroplanning.org (Robin Snyderman) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:00:00 CST

By Robin Snyderman

What happens when neighboring communities commit to work together—and in partnership with every level of government, as well as private investors—to do strategic housing redevelopment to address the foreclosed and vacant properties devastating their neighborhoods?

Since the advent of the foreclosure crisis, that’s the strategy that MPC, the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and a range of committed partners have been testing out. We call it “interjurisdictional collaboration,” which is a lot of syllables for a relatively simple concept: towns working together, across municipal borders, to implement a jointly developed plan. Three clusters of Cook County suburbs are demonstrating how to bring back communities devastated by the economic downturn through joint planning, and the pooling and targeting of resources, to redevelop homes near transit stops and job centers.

When the cluster in the south—the Chicago Southland Housing and Community Development Collaborative—first formed to tackle the area's devastating foreclosure trends, we identified three ingredients necessary for success, a "Recipe for Change." It’s taken a bit of work, but all three ingredients are in the pot:

A joint municipal strategy in the southern suburbs, building on local assets and aligning priorities. Check! The communities embraced housing priorities described in the south suburbs’ Green TIME Zone redevelopment strategy, which builds on local transit assets to attract and revitalize mixed-use, mixed-income development. With support from visionary philanthropic organizations—The Chicago Community Trust, Grand Victoria Foundation, and Field Foundation—they hired a Director of Housing Initiatives, Janice Morrissy, to facilitate the collaboration, manage local deals, and build capacity. A subregional housing policy plan, through Homes for Chaning Region, was recently published -- after an inclusive community engagement process with policymakers and the full range of stakeholders.
Support for this strategy from every level of government (in particular county, regional, state and federal). The gang’s all here: Government agencies at all levels—including Cook County, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Regional Transportation Authority, Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Illinois Housing Development Authority, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)—have rewarded this collaborative planning and local leadership with more than $20 million. (More details on all these public sector investments available at www.metroplanning.org/ij.)
Private sector investment in this strategy from the development community, employers and banks. There isn’t and never will be enough public funding to address the local demands and vast number of foreclosures that have occurred. To ensure this collaborative model is replicable and scalable, private sector investment is mission critical.

The south collaborative has spent much of their first several years addressing the first two ingredients, with less attention focused on engaging the private sector. But that is starting to change, with new tools and initiatives underway to attract private sector support.

That’s why I’m thrilled to report, based on three recent milestones, that the private sector is at the table.

On Thursday, April 5, the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association formalized an agreement with the nationally reputed Enterprise Community Partners and the locally accomplished Chicago Community Loan Fund to manage the new Southland Community Development Fund and Investment Consortium. Their goal? To take $1.5 million in seed money provided by a HUD Sustainable Communities Initiative Challenge Grant and $4.5 million Enterprise is bringing to the table to leverage another $9 million, which will bring to life the south suburb’s transit-oriented development plans.

On Thursday, April 12, members of the Chicago Southland Housing and Community Development Collaborative adopted a new tool developed by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning to help participating municipal leaders prioritize its pipeline of development activity for maximum impact. For developers wary of “doing business” with dozens of different towns, the transparency and predictability of this tool underscores that political leadership indeed exists and that “a single point of entry” can promote efficiencies. This tool also can help prioritize demolition activity for the land assembly needed to implement catalytic development plans.

On March 22, at a panel discussion I participated in at the Illinois Housing Council’s Annual Meeting, fellow panelist Rafael Leon, executive director of the Chicago Metropolitan Housing Development Corporation (CMHDC), boasted to his developer peers about how he recently acquired 86 units of scattered site rental housing in the south suburbs through a bulk acquisition from Bank Financial Corp. The south suburbs of Country Club Hills, East Hazel Crest, Hazel Crest, Matteson, Park Forest, Richton Park, Sauk Village, and University Park all benefitted from this transaction. While many industry leaders are talking about scattered site rental as one of the few scalable solutions to the vacant and abandoned building crisis devastating so many communities, Leon also noted that “It was a tremendous business opportunity.”As for concerns about community opposition, Leon further stressed that "these properties are already occupied by residents of the communities and “I’ve been heartened by the political support and leadership of SSMMA and the collaborative. The fact that we were able to close one transaction that crossed borders in six communities really demonstrates that it’s a new day for developers in the southern suburbs.”

Several south suburban employers have been committed to Employer-Assisted Housing (EAH), through which they help their employees purchase, rent or retrofit homes in or near the communities where they work. Employers such as Robinson Engineering and St. James Hospital and Health Centers are refining their EAH programs to encourage local employee demand for priority developments.

The creation of the Southland Community Development Fund and Investment Consortium and the selection of its capable managers are incredibly promising. The interest of local employers and banks (and the precedent started by Bank Financial Corp.’s transaction with CMHDC) offers further inspiration. And the new project selection tool developed by CMAP further ensures public and private sector stakeholders that sound, politically vetted criteria is being used to prioritize investment. Indeed, it is a new day for developers in the southern suburbs.

Learn more about how interjurisdictional collaboration is leading to housing redevelopment and economic recovery in Chicagoland:

Visit the Chicago Southland Economic Development Corporation web site to see the transit-oriented development (TOD) visions towns are adopting. To implement these plans, the communities are approving new zoning and demonstrating market demand by sharing critical information on local transit ridership, population growth, retail development opportunities, and more. Visit public.cshcdc.org to see the many housing tools aligned through Director of Housing Initiatives Janice Morrissy.
Read the Federal Reserve Bank’s November 2011 special edition issue of Profitwise magazine, which illustrates how Chicagoland’s housing collaboratives are deploying this "Recipe for Change" to fit their specific local challenges and needs.

House ignores veto threat, passes 10th transportation extension

cnichols@metroplanning.org (Chrissy Mancini Nichols) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:00:00 CST

By Chrissy Mancini Nichols

On Wednesday, April 18, the House passed the 10th extension (HB4348) of the long-term federal transportation program, SAFETEA-LU, by a vote of 293-127. While the vote would extend the federal transportation program through September, the House actually passed the bill to begin the conference process on a longer-term bill with the Senate.

After the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill, senior members from each party “conference” to resolve disagreements. The committee drafts a compromise bill that both Houses of Congress can accept. Once that compromise bill has been passed by a conference committee, it goes directly to the floor of both houses for a vote, and is not open to further amendment. The Senate will conference with its bipartisan bill, the two-year MAP-21. MAP-21 passed the Senate on March 14 by a vote of 74-22.

It's imperative to begin the conference process on a long-term transportation bill, a critical part of improving the economy. Short-term extensions mean uncertain federal funding, which hamstrings states’ ability to plan transportation programs for the long term and limits their bonding ability. We’ve already seen states pulling back on construction spending for summer 2012 due to this uncertainty. If Congress does not pass a full authorization and instead passes another extension, diminishing gas tax revenues means federal transportation spending will be cut by 1/3 beginning this summer. Further, the ratings agency Standard and Poor's has warned that there are serious risks posed by inaction and extensions to the nation's transportation sector, and to the millions of jobs that rely upon it.

Conference will likely be contentious. Unlike previous extensions to SAFETEA-LU this one included five amendments, three highly divisive:

1. Keystone XL pipeline. The pipeline would transport oil produced from Canadian tar sands to Port Arthur, Texas. The White House has threatened to veto the GOP bill because of the Keystone addition, which it says bypasses longstanding practices for the approval of cross-border pipelines. The veto statement noted that a final pipeline route has yet to be decided.

2. Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act. This amendment would prevent the federal government from regulating the hazardous waste that results from producing energy from coal and instead reserve that right to the states.

3. Environmental streamlining. This amendment removes environmental review rules, which could be construed as allowing all highway projects to bypass federal environmental review altogether.

Two other amendments included the House extension are:

1. RESTORE Act: This amendment guarantees that Gulf States receive 80 percent of revenues from the Clean Water Act fines resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

2. RAMP Act: This amendment requires all revenues collected through the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to be fully used for their intended purpose of harbor maintenance.

The extension passed with the support of 69 Democrats. House Democrats say they voted for it not because they support the Keystone XL Pipeline, but to go to a conference with the Senate to pass a long-term bill.

Though the Senate’s MAP-21 would likely pass the House, House leaders have refused to allow it for a vote. House Republican leadership has been unable to pass its proposed long-term transportation reauthorization, H.R. 7, a five-year, $260 billion bill. Democrats don’t support H.R. 7 because it eliminates dedicated transit funding, takes away local control of planning, and cuts funding for bike and pedestrian programs, high-speed rail, and programs that improve air quality. Further, H.R. 7 would allow construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, which is highly controversial, due to environmental concerns. What’s more, some are challenging the oil industry, saying it has inflated both job creation figures and projected declines in Midwest gas prices that would result from the pipeline’s construction. Moderate Republicans, like U.S. Rep. Dold, don’t like H.R. 7 because it cuts transportation spending and eliminates dedicated transit funding. Others think it is too large. (For reference, the last long-term transportation bill, SAFETEA-LU, passed under President George W. Bush in 2004, was $284 billion.)

Senate and House members assigned to conference are expected to be announced early next week. Party leaders make the final decision on appointees.

Hope (for housing) springs eternal in Chicago's south suburbs

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:00:00 CST

Melvin Thompson is development director at Habitat for Humanity Chicago South Suburbs.

Despite the still very dark cloud hovering over the housing market, this past weekend a beautiful ray of sunshine eclipsed an otherwise overcast Saturday afternoon in the Village of Park Forest, Ill. Indeed, a silver lining to the seemingly endless foreclosure crisis in the South Cook County region could be found in the outpouring of love and support shown at the Village Hall, in celebration of a home dedication for Ms. Nichole Lloyd, the proud new owner and very grateful recipient of a place to call her own.

Courtesy of Habitat for Humanity Chicago South Suburbs, support from Cook County, a host of community and business partners, sponsors, local officials, and countless volunteers, Nichole Lloyd got the keys to her spacious and beautiful single-family home located at the corner of 439 Winnebago. Lloyd, the mother of five children (three step-daughters from a previous marriage and two biological sons) persevered and took advantage of a wonderful Habitat program that empowers low- and moderate-income people to live in simple, decent and affordable homes that allow them to create assets, build social capital, and most importantly, become better stewards of their income.

This is an incredibly significant feat when you consider that the South Cook County region holds the dubious distinction of leading the State of Illinois in new foreclosure filings per property in the six-county area, according to a 2011 Woodstock Institute report. At the end of that same year, we saw the moratorium on foreclosures lifted, resulting in the accelerated deterioration of neighborhood communities like Park Forest, Lansing and Chicago Heights, where disproportionate numbers of vacant and abandoned properties have become major blights to communities across the south suburbs. Adding insult to injury is the fact that personal bankruptcy filings (particularly women and people of color) are skyrocketing, most notably in Chicago Heights where the numbers are staggering.

So for Nichole to host an “open” house for the community to see her new home speaks volumes about her faith and action to change her circumstances. After the short ceremony at the Village Hall, the packed crowd retreated over to the newly remodeled home, where Nicole showed off her brand new Whirlpool kitchen appliances, maple kitchen cabinets, spacious bedrooms and updated bathrooms. The gut rehab extends to the outdoors where her family will enjoy such amenities as a very generous driveway from the street that leads to a detached, two-car garage adjacent to a huge backyard area.

Qualifying partner families often have the option of choosing the most suitable homes that Habitat has acquired and this particular house best fit Nichole’s needs, especially with three of the four children (who will actually live with her) in high school and her youngest honor roll son heading there soon. (By the way, check out the research summary on affordable housing's positive impact on education.)

At Habitat for Humanity, the philosophy is to offer a hand-up not a hand out. Each partner family is expected to pay for their own home and Habitat services the interest free mortgage. That’s right, buyers pay 0% interest and their monthly payments do not exceed more than 30% of gross income. In addition, at least 400 hours of “sweat equity” are required of prospective home buyers, which gives them that proverbial skin-in-the-game and a stake in their own futures. Homeowners are also required to maintain employment for at least one year with the same employer, which lends itself to company buy in, whether it involves allowing time off to work on their homes and/or innovative employer assisted housing opportunities.

The Park Forest home is the second home (a home in Lansing, Ill., was the first) that Habitat for Humanity Chicago South Suburbs has rehabilitated with funding provided by the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), a federal foreclosure recovery program that has brought funding to the south suburbs to help local communities advance a joint housing and economic redevelopment strategy. Collectively, HfHCSS is partnering with Cook County Bureau of Economic Development to use NSP funds for rehabbing 16 homes in Park Forest and Lansing (including the two that are now finished).

Indeed, HfHCSS is capitalizing on its opportunities to extend beyond its core of eradicating substandard housing to that of a comprehensive community developer. Having adopted the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative (NRI) into its program in 2009, HfHCSS has refurbished parks, and completed dozens of weatherization projects and critical house repairs for underemployed, low-income families in those aforementioned suburbs that otherwise would have been deferred.

Not everyone has to defer their dream of homeownership, however. That is why hosting an “open” house in the midst of a foreclosure storm (when so many of them are closing) means so much, especially in the south suburbs and to Habitat in general. The HfHCSS affiliate boasts a foreclosure rate of less than 2 percent over the past 25 years. That is sustainability—which is why one of the many housewarming gifts the Lloyd family received was a plant, a reminder that through the sunshine and the rain, life goes on. The quality of it is what drives Habitat.

If you would like to help or learn more, please go to gohabitat.net.

Applications now open for Milwaukee Avenue Green Development Corridor in Logan Square

mburrell@metroplanning.org (Mandy Burrell Booth) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:00:00 CST

By Mandy Burrell Booth

If people don't know where their water goes and how it gets there, how can they understand how to resolve community-wide problems like sewer overflows—which lead to personal problems like backyard, alley and basement flooding?

That's the question driving the Milwaukee Avenue Green Development Corridor, a pilot program helping residents and business owners in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood develop green infrastructure to help manage stormwater. Read the latest issue of What Our Water's Worth to learn more.

Live in or own property along Milwaukee Avenue in Logan Square? Visit www.logansquareh2o.org to learn more about this funding program, including how to apply.

CNT helps housing counselors prepare clients for large, hidden homeownership expense: transportation costs

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:00:00 CST

Adam Mays, CNT

Housing counselors know that their clients need to be prepared for the full cost of owning a home, which includes taxes, utilities, maintenance costs, and other expenses in addition to the mortgage payment. However, some may not have considered the impact that transportation costs have on a family budget, or how these costs are related to where that family lives. Transportation costs represent the second-largest and fastest-growing expense for the typical American family, and they can vary widely based on the location of a home, the size of the household, household income, and other factors.

The Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT), a Chicago-based nonprofit that provides urban sustainability solutions, created the Housing and Transportation (H+T^®) Affordability Index to reveal what it costs to get around in neighborhoods across the country. The Index shows that transportation costs vary between and within regions depending on neighborhood characteristics. People who live in location-efficient neighborhoods—compact, mixed-use areas with convenient access to jobs, services, transit, and amenities—tend to have lower transportation costs. People who live in location inefficient places that require automobiles for most trips are more likely to have high transportation costs.

The differences from one location to another can make a big difference in a family’s ability to service a mortgage. On the left, 7 in 10 neighborhoods (69%) in the Chicago region are considered affordable for the region’s typical household when using the conventional measure. On the right, affordability shrinks to 4 in 10 neighborhoods (42%) when using the expanded view of affordability. This produces a net loss of 1,718 neighborhoods where that typical regional family could afford to live.

CNT created an easy-to-use tool called Abogo to put this information in the hands of individuals seeking to make a decision about where to live. Now when families are evaluating their options, they can take into account not only the amount of the rent or mortgage payments and the number of bedrooms they need, but also the impact of the neighborhood on their transportation costs.

"As housing counselors, our real job is to paint a realistic picture of homeownership and add to our communities by expanding the knowledge of our clients. The data that CNT provides regarding transportation costs is just one more tool that we have chosen to use in this mission.”
–Ron Chavez, The Housing Trust, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Abogo helps clients discover what it costs a typical family in a particular neighborhood to get around—not just for the commute to work, but for all those little trips that make up the bulk of our time in the car: shopping runs, picking up the kids, medical appointments, and so on. You can also use Abogo to compare the estimated transportation cost at an address to the regional average and to find the estimated carbon impact from driving.

CNT recommends that housing counselors use these tools to give clients a full understanding of the costs associated with living at a particular address. You can use Abogo to compare the average transportation costs at different addresses and determine a combined housing and transportation cost estimate for a client, making sure that a home is truly affordable and sustainable for a family. Figuring out transportation costs is a key part of assessing the total cost of owning a home.

CNT also offers a training guide to housing counselors on how to use the H+T Index in their work. It offers the tools and knowledge to help first-time homebuyers and other clients consider how they can control transportation costs while saving for a home, as part of their home-buying decision and to help them stay in their home over the long term. The guide includes talking points for use in one-on-one meetings, a take-home handout for clients, and two slides that can be used in workshop settings. We collaborated with The Housing Trust of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the City of El Paso, Texas, to develop these materials, and we are currently working to make the guide available in more areas (for more information, contact Stefanie Shull at sshull@cnt.org.)

CNT is committed to creating cities that use resources wisely and are affordable for all. Working with housing counselors to provide families the information they need to understand the transportation cost implications of where they choose to live is a key strategy in meeting that commitment.

Stefanie Shull is a transportation and community development policy analyst at CNT. Adam Mays is a social ventures associate and manages CNT’s Abogo site. http://www.cnt.org/

Congress punts again on transportation bill: Passes ninth extension

cnichols@metroplanning.org (Chrissy Mancini Nichols) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:00:00 CST

By Chrissy Mancini Nichols

Though it seemed likely this week that Congress would finally approve a long-term transportation authorization, instead today, March 29, the House and Senate approved a ninth extension of SAFETEA-LU, the federal transportation law that expired in 2009. The extension will last 90 days.

Because the House takes a two-week break beginning tonight, the Senate had little choice but to go along with passage of the extension to avert a total shutdown of transportation construction programs. The current law – and the authorization to collect the federal motor fuel tax to fund it – was set to expire this Saturday, March 31.

Unable to muster enough votes to pass their version of a long-term transportation bill, H.R. 7, House leaders refused to allow a vote on H.R.14, identical to the two-year bill approved by the Senate with a solid bipartisan 74 votes. The Senate and some Republican House members (including Illinois Reps. Judy Biggert and Robert Dold, and Democrat Rep. Mike Quigley) had urged House leaders to take up a vote on H.R. 14, arguing a longer term bill allows states and the transportation sector certainty in long-term planning, critically important as we embark on the summer construction season.

The SAFETEA-LU extension will expire June 30, 2012. MPC will continue working with our Transportation for America-Illinois partners and legislative leaders to pass a federal bill that is strategic, reduces gridlock and the demand for costly transportation expenditures, makes existing transportation infrastructure more efficient, creates new financing tools, and demonstrates the value of innovative investments. MPC submitted a letter to U.S. Rep Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.), outlining proposed measures to enhance the performance and accountability of a proposed transportation bill. Most of MPC's proposed criteria and metrics were included in MAP-21, the Senate-approved bill.; only a few of these proposals could be found in H.R. 7, the House’s bill.

Gas tax expiration looms, as Reps. Dold, Biggert, Quigley offer strategy to advance transportation bill

cnichols@metroplanning.org (Chrissy Mancini Nichols) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:00:00 CST

By Chrissy Mancini Nichols

The federal law that authorizes transportation investments and the federal motor fuel taxes that pays for them expires in three days, on Saturday, March 31. If Congress allows the bill to expire, the Chicago region will lose $1.2 million a day in federal public transit funding.

Congress has two options:

Pass the two-year, $109 billion MAP-21 bill approved by the Senate.
Approve the ninth extension of the existing authorizing legislation, SAFETEA-LU, which expired in Sept. 2009 and has been extended eight times to date.

Option two does not seem to have legs: Last night (March 26), House Republicans pulled a three-month, stop-gap extension of SAFETEA-LU from the floor after realizing they did not have the 218 votes needed to approve it. Democratic leaders in the House oppose yet another short-term extension and instead want to take up the longer, two-year Senate bill. Likewise, transportation officials prefer a longer term bill because it allows them to adequately plan ahead for local needs, critical now as the summer construction season begins.

Option one, which MPC supports, is gaining ground: Two Republican House members from Illinois, Reps. Judy Biggert and Robert Dold, and Democrat Rep. Mike Quigley signed onto a bipartisan letter urging House leaders to take up the Senate bill. In the letter, the members stressed the critical importance of providing some certainty to allow the transportation sector to plan for future investments. They also pointed out that MAP-21 was a bipartisan Senate effort, passing with a healthy margin of 74-22. MPC commends Reps. Biggert, Dold and Quigley for promoting a rational strategy to prevent a lapse in our nation’s transportation program, which would threaten the safety and maintenance of our public transit and highways, as well as cause the loss of 1.9 million good-paying jobs across the country.

Locally, some of the public transit projects that would be in jeopardy if the bill expires include Metra’s work to reduce delays by installing new switching equipment on the Milwaukee District line; Pace’s purchase of new coach busses for its bus-on-shoulder service; and Chicago Transit Authority’s purchase of new busses and rehabilitation of train stations. As for roads, the Illinois Dept. of Transportation would cut projects identified in 2012’s state highway program.

House Republicans have been unable to muster enough votes to pass H.R. 7, their five-year, $260 billion transportation plan. H.R. 7 would decimate guaranteed funding for public transit, eliminate bicycle and pedestrian programs, cut Amtrak by 25 percent, and cut successful, highly competitive programs like the TIGER program. Under H.R. 7, the Chicago region would lose up to $1.2 billion in transportation funding. MPC and our partners continue to oppose this bill.

MAP-21, on the other hand, includes many of the provisions transportation advocates have rallied for, such as performance metrics that hold states accountable for spending, local control, flexibility, and a provision that would make the commuter transit tax benefit equal to the benefit received by those who drive to work and park.

As Saturday’s deadline looms, it is urgent that House leaders heed the call of their own members, such as Reps. Dold, Biggert, and Quigley, and bring forward the bipartisan Senate bill for a vote.