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Looking back on a year of people and progress
As 2022 comes to an end, it's an opportunity to reflect on the progress we've made together toward our shared goals of building an inclusive and thriving region.
This year, in partnership with all of you, we engaged with our communities through the Future Leaders in Planning summer program, the ON TO 2050 exhibit at the Dunn Museum, and the recently launched Community Alliance for Regional Equity (more below).
We built consensus and brought funding to our region through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and we maximized regional economic growth through a new regional partnership and the job quality and accessibility tool.
We supported the future of our region by updating the ONTO 2050 plan, reimagining transportation post-pandemic through mobility recovery, taking stock of greenhouse gas emissions, and improving accessibility and ADA compliance.
As we head into an exciting and busy year ahead, we look forward to working together to continue to make progress toward broad, lasting prosperity and improved quality of life for our region’s 8.6 million people and keeping them at the center of everything we do.
Erin Aleman, executive director
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Traffic congestion growing, transit ridership steadily increasing — analysis shows how travel is changing
The ways people and goods move through northeastern Illinois has changed significantly in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic started. In 2022, the region saw traffic on its expressways return to pre-pandemic patterns, while the number of people using transit steadily increased as more workers returned to offices and hybrid arrangements.
The past year brought additional changes, as well. The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) recently updated its ongoing analysis of northeastern Illinois’ transportation system — roads, transit, freight rail, and safety. The latest update provides a snapshot of how travel has changed in northeastern Illinois nearly three years after the pandemic began.
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Sign up for free ADA training that can help improve accessibility in your community
CMAP invites you to join a free training session to learn about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Title II. The workshop will be held Wednesday, January 18, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Frankfort Village Hall, 432 W. Nebraska St., Frankfort.
The training will focus on the administrative requirements of the ADA and will look at the day-to-day interactions and activities that people with disabilities have with their local government. Time will be dedicated to specific issues important to your community and for sharing any best practices you may already be using. You will leave the training with a clear understanding of ADA requirements and ideas on how to improve accessibility in your community.
The training is intended for elected officials, municipal administrators, program directors or managers, section leaders, city clerks, communications/media managers, and administrative staff from libraries, parks and recreation, and other divisions of local government.
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Meet the first Community Alliance for Regional Equity cohort
Following an extensive application and review process, a group of 12 community organizations from across the region are part of CMAP’s new Community Alliance for Regional Equity (CARE).
This is a first of its kind initiative for our region to bring greater equity into regional planning,
"I'm very proud that CMAP is leading this profound and powerful work that will help us advance our goals to foster an inclusive and thriving region throughout northeastern Illinois," said Erin Aleman, executive director of CMAP. "We know that governments at all levels — including regional planning agencies — have played a role in past policies that have harmed marginalized communities through redlining, highway construction, zoning, and other decisions. CMAP would like to repair that harm by pursuing equity and transforming the way we engage with communities through the CARE program."
The 12 organizations that form the inaugural CARE cohort are:
- Access Living
- Alliance of the Southeast
- Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County
- Batavia Community Diversity Initiative
- Elgin Community Bikes
- Evanston/North Shore NAACP
- Faith in Place
- Far South Community Development Corporation
- Hanul Family Alliance
- North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council
- Northwest Center
- Palenque LSNA.
We look forward to working with these organizations to foster an inclusive and thriving northeastern Illinois.
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CMAP wishes you a wonderful holiday season
Enjoy the holiday season. CMAP offices will be closed on Monday, December 26, and also on Monday, January 2.
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Apply now: RAISE grants from USDOT can help communities improve transportation
State and local partners, including municipalities and counties, can apply for infrastructure grants available through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program.
The popular RAISE program helps communities carry out freight and passenger transportation improvements with significant local or regional impact. In 2022, RAISE funded 166 infrastructure improvements throughout the country.
As authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the RAISE program prioritizes projects that can address safety, environmental sustainability, mobility and community connectivity, and quality of life. The USDOT is accepting applications through Tuesday, February 28.
CMAP has been sharing notices about IIJA grants since the law took effect in fall 2021 as part of the agency’s effort to build regional consensus and awareness around the infrastructure law’s historic funding opportunities.
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Inflation Reduction Act guidebook available
The guidebook provides background on each program’s purpose, eligibility requirements, period of availability, and other key details. State, local, territorial, and tribal leaders, as well as the private sector, nonprofits, and communities, are encouraged to use it to better understand how to benefit from these investments and unlock the full potential of the law.
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