MPC Showcases Work at Transport Chicago Conference

MPC staff help move transportation forward at 40th Transport Chicago conference

Transport Chicago, an annual one-day convening of transportation professionals, researchers, advocates, and public sector leaders, showcased energy and passion for improving regional mobility on its 40th anniversary.

Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) was pleased to have a strong presence at the June 13, 2025, conference, participating in three sessions that discussed some of the region’s transportation challenges and showcased the importance of the work we do. These sessions are summarized below.

What’s going on with the transit fiscal cliff? A real-time update from industry thought leaders

MPC Senior Director Audrey Wennink joined a panel alongside, Maulik Vaishnav, Senior Deputy Executive Director of Planning and Capital Programming, Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), Frances Orenic, Legislative Director, Illinois AFL-CIO, and Kate Lowe, Assistant Professor, University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), in a session moderated by Elizabeth Scott, Principal Policy Analyst, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP).

The panel discussed the outcomes of the recent legislative session in Springfield and looked ahead to what comes next. Audrey shared key insights on the process that led to the development of the proposed bills in the Illinois General Assembly, the progress made on governance reforms and the ongoing challenge of securing sustainable funding. Panelists shared the urgent need for a long-term funding solution, with calls for:

• A greater role for the state in supporting transit,
• Exploration of new, more reliable revenue sources like tolling and regional cordon pricing, and
• The importance of a summer legislative session to secure the necessary funding support to avoid service cuts next year.

MPC also expressed appreciation for the progress made and the legislators who championed transit in the Senate and called on attendees to contact legislators throughout the region to continue building momentum around the urgency to fund and reform transit.

ETOD in action: in the city, in the suburbs, and in a peer city

MPC Manager Kris Tiongson and Associate Rachel Gaunce presented MPC’s work to advance Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD) in the suburbs. They highlighted how much of the region’s recent growth has occurred outside Metra and CTA station areas, resulting in a slight decline in population living near rail transit regionally over the past two decades. Rachel shared findings from stakeholder interviews MPC conducted in 2023 and 2024, identifying common barriers such as negative perceptions of density and limited funding for affordable housing.

MPC also invited attendees to share feedback on what MPC’s future role should be in advancing suburban ETOD. If you want to provide insights on the role of MPC in this matter, take the survey here.

The winding road to state legislation that will enable Complete Streets across Illinois

Audrey Wennink joined Illinois Department of Transportation attorney Kathleen Abbott and Chicago DOT Managing Deputy Commissioner Vignesh Krishnamurthy to share information about new state legislation that will enable better roadway designs to implement Complete Streets. Previously, local communities were required to build all new intersections to accommodate the turning radius of a 65-foot truck, which often precluded design features that would make intersections safer for people walking and biking. Two laws were passed that will allow communities to design for local context so pedestrian and cyclist safety can be prioritized, and add signage to indicate locations where long trucks should not travel because they will not fit. For further details see this blog.

The event featured two keynote speakers who came with inspiring messages. Luann Hamilton, a retired CDOT Deputy Commissioner involved in 34 years of transportation history, offered powerful reflections on her career and the long journey of transportation planning and policy change in Chicago. She spoke about major capital projects like CTA extensions to both airports, and the early efforts to implement bus priority infrastructure, and more recent efforts build and expand bike infrastructure and bikesharing across the city. Her message was clear: major policy and infrastructure changes don’t happen by chance; they require strong leadership and vision.

Jerome Horne, Deputy Director of Communications for the Baltimore Red Line at the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration, brought a national perspective and a call to action. He spoke about the power of local-level policy and community-driven changes in shaping transportation. His keynote reminded us why this work matters and left the audience energized and committed to staying passionate, persistent, and people centered.