Ideas for Improving Transit
MPC’s Transit Innovations project sparks fresh thinking about public transportation planning, management and finance strategies and elevates decision-makers’ expectations about the value of expanding and improving transportation options to keep Chicagoland attractive and economically competitive. Through the bi-weekly e-newsletter Talking Transit and the Bombardier Peer Exchange, an international sharing of transit models being developed and used in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Stockholm and Berlin, MPC is exploring innovative ways to mitigate congestion, connect jobs, retail and homes, increase road and transit capacity, improve transportation financing, and plan for the region’s future.
Talking Transit monthly newsletter
Each month in Talking Transit, a bi-weekly e-newsletter, MPC provides updates about transit-related activities around the world. Sign up for Talking Transit, at www.metroplanning.org/personalize.asp.
Past issues are available >>
Articles
Former MPC Board Chair John S. Gates Jr. will help keep Regional Transportation Authority on track-
- Congratulations to newly appointed Regional Transportation Authority Chairman John S. Gates, Jr., chairman and CEO of PortaeCoa, and longtime friend, former chair, and current member of the Metropolitan Planning Council's Board of Governors.
"John Gates' expertise in real estate development,…
Bike commuting in Chicago-
- MPC Research Assistant Lawrence Montague wrote this article.
Bike commuting is on the rise in cities across the nation and Chicago is no different. Last month, 478 companies in the Chicagoland area participated in the Active Transportation Alliance 2010 Bike to Work Week event, up 48 percent from…
Chicago Tribune poll confirms regional demand for transit-
- The Chicago Tribune released poll results this weekend showing suburbanites think transit investment is more important than money for roads. Among the key findings:
When asked whether improving or building expressways and tollways or improving and adding to mass transit should be a greater…
Minnesota battles traffic with congestion pricing-
- In 2005, nine miles of underutilized carpool lanes along Minnesota’s I-394 corridor were converted into toll lanes. Since then, the lanes have accommodated more than 940,000 vehicles every year, and 90 percent of users maintain a very high level of satisfaction. Passengers in the non-tolled…
Reinventing Detroit-
- In the first half of the twentieth century, Detroit was a transit city. In 1922, it became home to the largest municipally-owned transit system in the country, and at its peak in 1945, Detroit’s transit network provided 492 million rides. The streetcar system alone operated almost 1,500…
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Multimedia
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…
Bus Rapid Transit: Our Ticket to Livable Cities-
- Listen to this June 16, 2010, event featuring a panel discussion on:
An update on the future of bus rapid transit in Chicago.
How we can plan now for a more walkable, transit-friendly Chicagoland — including national and international models and local ingredients for success.
How the…
Tourism Benefits of Higher Speed Rail-
- Publication
- (90 KB)
- April 30, 2010
- Illinois was awarded $1.2 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to improve the current Chicago-to-St. Louis rail corridor. This improved rail service will entice people to make the trip to Chicago that they otherwise would not have. Projections show that over the next 10…
Complete Streets: Creating safe streets for everyone-
- Publication
- (409 KB)
- March 16, 2010
- Safe streets are some of our most valuable public spaces. In March, MPC and CDOT co-hosted Designing for Complete Streets, a workshop for CDOT and IDOT employess that discussed ways to design streets that are safe for all forms of traffic. This fact sheet describes the components of a Complete…
Transportation Investment Accountability Act
HB 4768: A results-based approach to transportation spending-
- Publication
- (41 KB)
- February 19, 2010
- HB 4768 will create the State Transportation Policy Committee, which will work with the Illinois Dept. of Transportation (IDOT) to ensure transportation investments will enhance state and local economic development, and quality of life for Illinois residents. The goals of the bill will create…
More related multimedia »
Links
- American Public Transportation Association (APTA)
- To strengthen and improve public transportation, APTA serves and leads its diverse membership through advocacy, innovation, and information sharing. The APTA web site has a wealth of information and statistics about public transportation in the U.S. More info »
- The Infrastructurist: America Under Construction
- The Infrastructurist is a daily blog featuring news and commentary on infrastructure planning in the U.S. Contributors to The Infrastructurist include editor Jebediah Reed, as well as politicians, academics, representatives of major industry and advocacy groups, and journalists. More info »
- Streetsblog
- Streetsblog is a daily news source, online community, and political mobilizer for the worldwide Livable Streets movement, working to transform our cities by reducing dependence on private automobiles and improving conditions for cyclists, pedestrians and transit riders. More info »
- Planetizen
- Planetizen is a public-interest information exchange provided by Urban Insight for the urban planning, design, and development community. Interchange is Planetizen’s daily blog featuring opinions and commentary from leaders in the field on all things relating to the built environment. More info »
More related links »
