Successful only if complemented with enhanced public transit, congestion pricing can be an effective way to reduce congestion, improve the environment, and expand transportation choices to meet people’s needs. Congestion pricing works by giving people options: to pay a fee to drive on a traffic-free road, to travel on an alternative route, or to take transit. Currently this tool is being studied or is in operation in at least 22 states, including Illinois.
Learn more by reading MPC’s report, “The Road Less Traveled: Exploring Congestion Pricing in Chicagoland,” funded by the FHWA and commissioned by the Illinois Tollway, with technical consultation provided by Wilbur Smith Associates, Inc., and guidance provided by regional mayors and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.
Most recent
LincolnParkZooNatureBoardwalk.MP4-
- Video
- (1:10)
- August 26, 2010
- Lincon Park Zoo's Senior Vice President of Conservation Programs Steve Thompson explains the zoo's new Nature Boardwalk, which is attractive to animals, fish and people -- and saves water.
- Frank Benichou explains Veolia's new Water Impact Index
-
- Watch this video to hear Frank Benichou, Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer at Veolia Water North America, explain Veolia's new Water Impact Index. The Water Impact Index moves beyond the basic volumetric assessment of water use to incorporate energy consumption, carbon emission,…
- Frank Benichou: The difference between water footprints and carbon footprints
-
- Watch this video to hear Frank Benichou, Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer at Veolia Water North America, explain why it is important to understand the local impact of water use.
Watch the first video in this series, in which Benichou explains Veolia's new Water Impact Index,…
- Michael Webber on the energy-water nexus
-
- Metropolitan Planning Council and Openlands hosted a roundtable on Aug. 3, 2010, focused on the connections between energy and water use. This was the second event in our summer series, "Choosing our Water Future," and topics explored included:
* The energy demands of water systems, and the water…
Down the Drain, Up in Smoke: Exploring the Water-Energy Nexus in the Chicago Region-
- Listen to this Aug. 3, 2010, event, the second in MPC and Openland's summer series, "Choosing our Water Future." This roundtable explores:
The energy demands of water systems, and the water demands of energy production,
The impact of energy costs for water consumption on municipal budgets in…
South Cook Street, Barrington, IL-
- Video
- (3:31)
- August 2, 2010
- Submitted by Peggy B. South Cook Street is Barrington's center of activity for shopping, dining, events and entertainment, making it home to the "Best Summer Ever". The South Cook Street corridor provides a small town feel with a mix of historic buildings and attractive, integrated new…
Taltree Arboretum and Gardens, Valparaiso, Indiana-
- Video
- (4:00)
- August 2, 2010
- Until recently, Taltree Arboretum & Gardens has been one of northwest Indianas best kept secrets but now it's one that we want to share with the rest of Chicagoland! Taltree Arboretum & Gardens is on a mission to improve the quality of life for the south Lake Michigan region by preserving green…
All Aboard Breakfast-
- Slideshow
- (18 slides)
- July 28, 2010
- MPC’s Regional Planning & Investment Committee summer outing Union Station, Chicago Photos by Jane Hornstein.
The Road Less Traveled: Exploring Congestion Pricing in Chicagoland-
- Publication
- (1 MB)
- July 22, 2010
- In 2007, the Federal Highway Administration awarded the Illinois Tollway a grant to study the potential of congestion pricing in the Chicago region. The Tollway selected Wilbur Smith Associates, Inc., as the technical consultant for the study. The Metropolitan Planning Council, a policy research…
- A Federal Perspective on Congestion Pricing
-
- Presentation
- posted by Alex Gilbert
- July 22, 2010
- This presentation provides information on implementing congestion pricing on federally-aided roads. It includes information on types of pricing, benefits, experiences, and a case study of Miami's I-95 congestion pricing scheme.
Corridor Development Initiative
Communities often find themselves reacting to a developer's proposal, rather than working to attract development that fits a local vision. MPC is reversing this dynamic through the Corridor Development Initiative, which helps local stakeholders learn to articulate their own clear vision of the development theyd like to see and approach developers with their proposal. This seven-minute video, produced by Metropolitan Planning Council and Free Spirit Media, explains the process for community leaders who may want to try this approach in their neighborhoods. The video features highlights of MPC's work in 2008 with Lawndale, a community on Chicago's Southwest Side.
