Supporting Smart Investment
Illinois does not have a process for selecting and prioritizing transportation investments, and the result is wasteful spending and uncoordinated development. Illinois’ scarce capital resources should support projects that provide the greatest return on investment, so MPC is advocating for the state to establish goals and measurable criteria to evaluate how well transportation investments meet those goals. Such a system would put Illinois in a more favorable position for federal funding, since the Obama administration has indicated its intent to provide more support for innovative state projects that help achieve national priorities.
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,…
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…
Senate candidates go on the record on regional, state planning issues at MPC's 2010 Annual Luncheon-
- At MPC’s 2010 Annual Luncheon on Monday, June 21, Illinois’ U.S. Senate candidates Alexi Giannoulias (D), Mark Kirk (R), and LeAlan Jones (Green) had the opportunity to explain their platforms for supporting the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning's efforts in metropolitan Chicago,…
Charting a new course for the Chicago River-
- The Chicago River has been in the public eye in the past few weeks, a spotlight it too rarely enjoys. First, the Obama Adminstration came down on the side of disinfection; Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley subsequently reiterated his ongoing support enhanced treatment and a cleaner river. Asian carp…
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Multimedia
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…
Dispatches from Berlin: What American Cities Can Learn from Berlin-
- Listen to this recording of MPC's Nov. 3, 2009, roundtable, which featured a panel discussion with three of the 10 transportation and regional planning professionals from New York, Chicago and San Francisco who attended a Peer Exchange in Berlin, Germany. The panelists discussed highlights from…
Traffic Costs Chicago Area $7.3 Billion a Year-
- Video
- (1:52)
- September 4, 2009
- Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) Vice President of External Relations Peter Skosey discusses discusses MPC's recent report, "Moving at the Speed of Congestion," which quantifies the true cost of traffic to metropolitan Chicago. This video was recorded in August 2008, in conjunction with the…
- What's Wrong with America's Trains
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- While America is a producer of cutting-edge software, has some of the best universities in the world, and boasts world-class hospitals, some of its technology for moving goods from one place to another is stuck in the 19th century.
In this report, which aired on the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on…
- Freight Train Network Suffers Lack of Modernization
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- Chicago has been a freight rail hub for the past 150 years, but an outdated layout often makes it a bottleneck for the country's shipping network. PBS special correspondent Rick Karr reports in this installment of the Blueprint America series on infrastructure. MPC President MarySue Barrett is…
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Links
- American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
- The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials advocates transportation-related policies and provides technical services to support states in their efforts to efficiently and safely move people and goods. More info »
- Fast Lane
- Subscribe to the official blog of U.S. Sect. of Transportation Ray LaHood. More info »
- Transportation for America
- MPC is a member of Transportation for America, a broad coalition seeking to align national, state, and local transportation policies with an array of issues such as economic opportunity, climate change, energy security, health, housing and community development. Subscribe to T4America’s blog to stay up to date on federal legislation related to these goals. More info »
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Collaborators
Funders
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The Chicago Community Trust
Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation
McCormick Foundation
Union Pacific
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