|
Celebrating northeastern Illinois’ regional economy
The Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership (GCEP) has already become a regional force since launching in January. The partnership is a collaboration among northeastern Illinois' seven counties — Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will — and the City of Chicago.
Greg Bedalov, president and CEO of Choose DuPage, describes how GCEP helps all of its members: "Promoting Chicagoland takes a village. Scratch that — it takes an entire region."
Here are four recent highlights for GCEP and World Business Chicago, which manages the partnership:
- Illinois is an innovation hub. A research report from the World Business Chicago Research Center found that Illinois ranks fifth in the United States, with nearly 67,000 companies involved in product or business innovations.
- Choose DuPage highlighted the creativity it took to turn the closed Pheasant Run golf course in St. Charles into a 1.5-million-square-foot industrial development.
-
Site Selection Magazine ranked the top 20 counties by economic development projects — and four of "America's Best" counties are in northeastern Illinois! Cook County tied for 2nd overall with 231 projects, DuPage County was 9th with 91 projects, followed by Kane County (14th, 52 projects), and Will County (16th, 48 projects).
4. In Crain's Chicago Business, GCEP touted successes such as S&C Electric's expansion in Palatine and Lion Electric's manufacturing facility in Will County.
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) set GCEP in motion two years ago, supported by a grant from the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust, at the request of the region’s county board chairs and the deputy mayor of Chicago.
|
|
|
 A meeting of the steering committee of the Plan of Action for Regional Transit (PART).
|
|
CMAP and regional stakeholders finalize recommendations to address transit crisis
Transit plays a critical role in achieving the inclusive and thriving region the ON TO 2050 plan envisions. Transit drives the region's economy. It connects people to jobs, education, social services, healthcare, and other essential services. It advances equity by providing access to all people across the region. And transit is directly connected to our ability to address climate change.
Our region’s transit system is facing a fiscal cliff — a $730 million annual budget gap. The three agencies that operate bus and rail services across the region are going to run out of funds in less than two years, when federal funding assistance runs out.
If a 20 percent cut was made to operations funding, that would equate to about 40 percent of service cuts. This could mean that more than 100 cities, towns, and villages across the region would lose access to Metra services. More than 20 Chicago neighborhoods and 6 suburban communities would lose access to train services and more than 150 bus routes would be cut. Transit cuts would cripple local economies across our region.
The proposed Plan of Action for Regional Transit (PART) — a report with legislative recommendations to help address our current transit funding crisis — is in the final stages of development. The report includes recommendations that consider the financial stability of the transit system, system improvements, and mechanisms to make it happen — like reforms to revenue and governance. It also requires us to consider important issues like racial equity, climate change, and economic development.
We are engaging partners at all levels — state, county, municipal, as well as the transit service boards and other groups. The PART steering committee will provide input on recommendations to the CMAP Board and MPO Policy Committee in September for approval before sending to the Legislature and Governor by the mandated January 1 deadline.
Information and resources, including recently published draft recommendations, are available online. Additional draft recommendations will be posted throughout the year.
|
|
Looking for demographic, transportation, economic data and more? Explore our Community Data Snapshots
Do you know how many people in your community take transit to work? Do you want to know the top industry sectors in your community?
CMAP released a new set of Community Data Snapshots to help local leaders and the public track progress and make informed decisions in their communities.
These data-rich snapshots — one for each of the region’s seven counties, 284 municipalities, and 77 Chicago neighborhoods — provide information about population and households, housing, transportation, employment, water supply, and more.
View your community’s snapshot on the CMAP website, or visit CMAP’s newly redesigned Data Hub to download the data.
|
|
Eye Opener: four indicators that show how Will County is positioned for economic success
Will County is well positioned for continued economic success — that was the takeaway at the Will County Center for Economic Development's (CED) annual Eye Opener event attended by many local elected officials, business leaders and other stakeholders.
Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant recognized CMAP for its leadership and partnership in developing the Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership, a first-of-its-kind regional initiative to coordinate and strengthen economic development on a regional level.
“This partnership will help diversify our economy and attract business from around the world to Will County,” Bertino-Tarrant told the group.
The Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership includes northeastern Illinois' seven counties and the City of Chicago, working together to drive inclusive economic development across Chicagoland.
CED President and CEO Doug Pryor also highlighted important economic indicators for Will County, including:
-
All-time high employment: Employment hit a new high in April, up 67,000 since COVID-19.
-
Very low unemployment: High job growth and modest workforce gains hold unemployment numbers very low — among the lowest ever recorded.
- More jobs: Manufacturing remains the largest sector of Will County’s economy, adding more than 1,000 jobs and $339 million in new wages in the past two years.
-
Higher wages: Like the rest of the nation, low unemployment continues to drive wages higher, with wages for all industries up 17 percent since 2019.
Way to go, Will County! We are indeed stronger together. Thank you for your efforts and contributions to strengthen all of northeastern Illinois.
|
|
A boost for Englewood: CTA gets federal funding to assess reopening Racine Green Line station
A long-closed Green Line station in Englewood could be reopened as the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will receive $778,500 in federal funds to assess the Racine station.
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced $20 million in funding as part of the Areas of Persistent Poverty program. The CTA project will engage residents and other advocates to consider reopening the station with modern accessibility standards.
The FTA program aims to improve transit for residents with limited or no transportation options. The Racine Green Line station has been closed since 1996.
|
|
See how Metra aims to simplify its fare structure
Metra is proposing a plan for 2024 that aims to simplify the fare structure for its commuter rail service.
Metra is suggesting changes to:
- Zones: The 10 fare zones would be discontinued and replaced with four zones.
- The 10-ride ticket: It would be replaced with a bundle of five-day passes. The bundle would be available only on the Ventra app and priced the same as the 10-ride ticket.
- Incremental fares: The surcharge to travel beyond the zones indicated on the ticket would be discontinued. Riders would be required to buy a ticket valid for the trip they are taking.
Check out a Q-and-A about the fare plan, including the proposed prices for each product and how fares for each zone were determined.
|
|
Program seeks to help workers get access to personal vehicles in hopes of removing a barrier to wealth
Cook County and the Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance are working on a project to provide northeastern Illinois' workforce with access to personal transportation.
Access to personal transportation is one of the social determinants of wealth because car ownership is often necessary for work, especially in areas that do not have adequate options for public transit.
The goal is to provide access to personal transportation for more participants over time. Partnerships may propose a variety of ways to achieve the goal. The deadline is Friday, August 18.
|
|
Program seeks applicants who can help increase diversity in construction and building trades
The Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program, which aims to increase diversity in the construction and building trades, is seeking applicants for grants of between $55,000 and $550,000.
Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development launched $10 million in funding for the program's third round. The latest round will focus on grants in areas without pre-apprenticeship programs and increasing representation of underrepresented groups including Asian-Americans, veterans, and women.
Grantees will be selected from a notice of funding opportunity process. Applications will be accepted until 5:00 p.m., on Wednesday, August 30.
|
|
CNT launches Jacky Grimshaw Fellows Program to prepare women of color for careers in transportation
The Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) launched a program that promises to "shape the next generation of transportation decision-makers." The Jacky Grimshaw Fellows Program prepare women of color to lead transportation into a sustainable and equitable future..
The program will support two-year, full-time positions at CNT. There also will be two annual year-long internships. CNT is seeking support for the Jacky Fellows Fund to administer the program.
Jacky Grimshaw played a key role in CMAP's formation. She helped to ensure a strong beginning for CMAP, serving on agency committees and resource groups, including involvement with the improving equity in transportation fees, fines, and fares work.
|
|
Grants aim to help Cook County small businesses in their post-pandemic recovery
The Cook County Small Business Source introduced a program that provides $40 million in grants to small businesses to help "stabilize operations, foster recovery and resiliency, and advance equity in a post-pandemic economy." The deadline is Friday, August 18.
Businesses are eligible if they are located in Cook County with fewer than 20 full-time employees, and if they were in business before 2020.
The program will prioritize suburban businesses in sectors hit hard by COVID-19, including:
- Arts and entertainment
- Childcare and social assistance
- Hospitality, food and tourism
- Retail trade
- Transportation and warehousing
|
|
|
|
|
