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This month’s transportation newsletter features a variety of opportunities to help shape the roads we drive and bike, the transit we ride, and the pathways we walk every day. By taking just a few minutes, you can share your feedback and lived experiences with the public agencies your tax dollars support.
We’re also celebrating the next generation of planners through the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s (CMAP) Future Leaders in Planning program. Plus, we’re highlighting new tools, partner updates, and opportunities to advance safer, more connected, and more accessible communities across the region.
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2026 Regional Transportation Plan |
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RTP public comment period enters final stretch
The draft 2026 Regional Transportation Plan is open for public comment through Friday, July 31.
Why it matters: The RTP will guide transportation decision-making and investments across northeastern Illinois through 2050, shaping how people and goods move across the region.
How to engage: Review the draft plan and submit comments before the public comment period closes.
📖 Review the draft RTP and submit a comment
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CMAP will host a public hearing for the draft 2026 Regional Transportation Plan on Thursday, August 6, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. at CMAP’s office in the Old Post Office. Community members, partners, and stakeholders are invited to learn more about the draft plan and provide comments on the region’s long-range transportation priorities.
🔔 Register for the public hearing
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As you review the draft 2026 Regional Transportation Plan, take time to explore CMAP’s Regional Capital Projects map, which shows major transportation investments planned across northeastern Illinois through 2050. These projects represent some of the region’s largest transportation needs and opportunities — from improving existing roadway infrastructure to expanding Metra rail service, Pace Pulse bus rapid transit, and more.
Why it matters: CMAP identified potential Regional Capital Projects in coordination with partner agencies and evaluated them based on existing needs, future impacts, and financial costs to help prioritize limited transportation funding.
The map is a helpful companion to the draft RTP materials and public comment period, giving residents and partners a clearer look at where major investments are proposed and how they could shape the future of travel across the region.
💻 Explore the Regional Capital Projects map
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In the final installment of Faces of the RTP, Ben shares a local perspective on why transportation planning matters and how the choices we make today can shape safer, more connected, and more reliable travel across the region.
His story helps bring the RTP to life by grounding the plan’s goals in the everyday experiences of people who rely on northeastern Illinois’ transportation system.
🎥 Watch Ben's story
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Illinois' enacted sustains important transportation investments, including new support for transit through the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act. But a six-month freeze on the motor fuel tax increase and the diversion of $170 million in revenue from the sales tax on motor fuels create new uncertainty for roads, bridges, and transit operations.
CMAP's latest analysis examines what these decisions mean for northeastern Illinois, and why more sustainable, long-term transportation funding remains essential.
⛽ Read CMAP's full FY2027 state budget analysis
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Driving change: Catalyst Series event focuses on transportation for the next century
Transportation experts and stakeholders from government, business, and civic sectors joined us in Joliet for our fifth event in the Catalyst Series — Driving Change: A Regional Dialogue on Transportation for the Next Century.
How it'll help: Insights will directly inform The Century Plan, our next long-term regional vision for northeastern Illinois. Thank you to our speakers for bringing their national expertise and on-the-ground experience to the conversation — and to all the participants for contributing thoughtful questions and discussions.
The highlights:
➤ Dr. Patricia “Trish” Hendren, Executive Director of The Eastern Transportation Coalition, highlighted the need to modernize transportation revenue as the connection between how we use and pay for our system continues to evolve. She emphasized the importance of coalition building and regional collaboration in shaping sustainable funding solutions.
➤ Adie Tomer, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, spoke to the links between infrastructure and economic competitiveness. He noted that successful regions align housing, transportation, and economic strategy — and that we’re entering a new generation of transportation shaped by emerging technologies, rising costs, and climate pressures. His message was clear: we must think boldly about building the next century of transportation.
➤ Heather Worthington, Principal at Urban3, discussed the fiscal impacts of how and where we grow. She underscored the value of data-driven decision-making, regional alignment, and land use strategies that leverage existing infrastructure to create more economically resilient communities.
It was a high-energy day of learning and creative problem solving — from lightning talks to an engaging panel moderated by CMAP Executive Director Erin Aleman, to small group conversations that sparked new ideas.
We look forward to continuing this dialogue as we work toward a stronger, more connected, and more resilient region.
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The 17th annual Future Leaders in Planning (FLIP) program wrapped up with high school students learning how planning shapes the places we live, move through, and experience every day.
Transportation took center stage: Students learned about CMAP’s Regional Transportation Plan, transportation funding, and bike and pedestrian planning — including a closer look at traffic safety trends in northeastern Illinois. They also explored how transportation investments connect to accessibility, climate resilience, community development, and long-term regional goals.
The big picture: Through hands-on activities, site visits, and conversations with planners and community partners, students saw how thoughtful planning can make streets, stations, and neighborhoods safer, more accessible, and better connected.
A station-level view: The program also included a tour of the Damen Green Line station, where students learned how design can reflect local history, improve access, and support stronger connections between transit and surrounding communities.
🙏 CMAP thanks the students, staff, speakers, and partners who helped make FLIP 2026 a success!
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From our partners across the region |
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The Illinois Tollway is seeking feedback on Driving Connections, its proposed 15-year, $26.5 billion capital program to improve traffic, road conditions, and regional connectivity across the Tollway system. The proposed program would run from 2027 to 2042 and include investments in infrastructure renewal, congestion reduction, corridor modernization, interchange improvements, technology, and regional partnerships.
Get involved: Public comments on the proposed toll rate adjustment that would help fund the program are due by noon on Monday, August 3.
🚗 Review the proposed program and submit a comment
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Join the Metropolitan Planning Council on Wednesday, July 29, for a conversation with leaders at the forefront of transit-oriented development (TOD).
The session — Transit & Real Estate Talks: How do we fund TOD in the suburbs? — will explore:
- The financial and regulatory barriers communities face
- Innovative funding tools that can help unlock development opportunities
- Lessons learned from implementing TOD projects across northeastern Illinois
The panel will feature:
- Amanda M. Orenchuk, AICP, Director of Community Development, Village of Mundelein
- Gina Fridberg, Executive Vice President, Wintrust Commercial Real Estate
- Michael J. Cassady, Village Manager, Village of Mount Prospect
- Richard Filler, President and COO, Harlem Irving Companies, Inc.
The discussion takes place from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on July 29 at Mount Prospect Village Hall, 50 S Emerson St. Following the event, there will be an optional networking session with panelists, followed by a walking tour of TOD sites in Mount Prospect.
📅 Sign up today for the event
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Pace celebrated the introduction of 24 new hybrid-electric buses to its Will County fleet. This marks another important step in the agency's commitment to transition to a fully zero-emission fleet by 2040. The buses will deliver immediate benefits, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions, lower fuel consumption, quieter operation, and a smoother, more comfortable ride.
The Will County fleet is part of a broader rollout of new hybrid-electric buses across Pace's service region. In addition to the 24 buses in Will County, Pace will deploy hybrid vehicles at other garages later this summer as the agency continues modernizing its fleet.
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SSMMA hiring transportation planner/planning liaison
The South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association (SSMMA) is hiring a transportation planner/planning liaison to support regional transportation planning and programming for highways, freight, transit, and active transportation projects. The role will serve as a primary liaison among SSMMA, CMAP, IDOT, and local governments, while helping manage the South Council of Mayors’ STP and oversee the region’s TIP.
🏢 View the job posting
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