Exploring New Ways to Reduce Traffic
Successful only if coupled with significant public transportation improvements, congestion pricing can be an effective way to reduce congestion, improve the environment, and expand transportation choices to meet people’s needs. Congestion pricing gives people options: to pay a fee to drive on a traffic-free road, to travel on an alternative route, or to take transit. MPC is highlighting places where congestion pricing has worked and exploring options to improve Chicagoland’s transit system in tandem with congestion pricing. Following our 2008 "Moving at the Speed of Congestion" report, MPC has led the process of engaging elected officials as part of a team studying pricing options for the Tollway.
Articles
MPC by the numbers, 2009-
- From jobless rates to the Dow Jones Industrial Average, from Illinois’ budget gap to foreclosure trends, news reports in 2009 were awash with gloomy figures. It’s been a challenging year, and the numbers don’t lie.
Yet, fortunately, they rarely tell the whole…
- Transportation for America hiring Illinois field organizer
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- Transportation for America is seeking a smart and motivated individual to grow an active field operation in Illinois, as part of a national campaign. The Illinois Field Organizer will direct the day-to-day development of a diverse coalition of prominent state and local organizations working in key…
- Statement on T4
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- Every six years or so, the U.S. Congress enacts legislation that allocates funds and sets the direction of America’s surface transportation systems. Beginning with the very first Federal-Aid Road Act of 1916, transportation bills have continued to shape our nation’s highway system, road…
- Reinventing investment for a more livable Chicago region
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The second event of the MPC-CAF summer discussion series, "Reinventing Public Investment", focused on how federal policies in housing, transportation and economic development have shaped decisions and community development in the Chicago Region.
Alternatives to Driving: Transit on the Tollway-
- Nationally, 76 percent of all commuters drove alone to work in 2007.
Multimedia
Congestion Pricing Fact Sheet-
- Publication
- (536 KB)
- January 27, 2010
- Congestion pricing is an innovative strategy used to help reduce congestion, improve the environment, and promote multimodal approaches to meet transportation needs. With the Highway Trust Fund becoming increasingly unsteady and congestion in our region worsening, this fact sheet will highlight…
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…
- Around the World in 90 Minutes: Infrastructure Best Practices Across the Globe
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- Hear about global planning and development trends from knowledgeable, well-traveled pros, in this 90-minute “whirlwind tour." Panelists at this MPC roundtable luncheon discussed real estate, transportation, and other infrastructure best practices.
- Moving at the Speed of Congestion
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- Listen to remarks made at the August 2008 release of Moving at the Speed of Congestion.
Putting Illinois Back on the Map-
- Publication
- (2 MB)
- May 1, 2008
- MPC's recommendations in this May 2008 report offered a package of policy and revenue recommendations with one common goal: to improve Chicago’s transportation network to ensure the region’s continued economic growth. Without new and progressive transportation policies and sufficient…
Links
- 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 »
- Transportation Alternatives
- The New York-based Transportation Alternatives promotes congestion pricing as one of “the most powerful policy tool at the hands of city officials to reduce unnecessary driving, promote environmentally sound transportation, and finance 21st Century improvements to our aging transportation infrastructure.” Visit the site for mor resources on congestion pricing. More info »
- Environmental Defense Fund
- This EDF Web article, “A Smart Solution for Reducing Traffic in Urban Centers and Busy Corridors,” provides a smart breakdown of congestion pricing by city as it relates to the CO2 emissions, traffic accidents, transit ridership and effects on traffic. More info »
- Victoria Transport Institute—Online Transportation Demand Management Encyclopedia
- Check out Victoria Transport Institute’s web site to learn more about congestion pricing and other strategies to manage transportation demand. More info »
More related links »
Collaborators
Partners
Illinois Tollway
Wilbur Smith Associates
Funders
The Chicago Community Trust
Illinois Tollway
