Transit Future

In response to the urgent transportation crisis facing Northeastern Illinois, The Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) has launched the Transit Future campaign to advocate for both reform of the Regional Transportation Authority and for a substantial increase in its funding by the State of Illinois. The campaign is targeted at the members of the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor of Illinois.

Transit Future aims to galvanize organizations and stakeholders that have a vested interest in the future of public transit in Northeastern Illinois, and encourage them to communicate directly with their legislators and the Governor to advocate for transit reform and funding. In the process, we intend to build a coalition that voices the interests of every sector and every part of the region in the rapid growth of transit as an answer to congestion, high transportation costs, and global warming. The ultimate goal of these collective actions will be the reform of transit governance and planning. The resolution of the transit crisis requires changes that can be achieved through grassroots advocacy and citizen mobilization.

  • The RTA must exert financial and planning authority for CTA, Metra, and Pace in order to ensure exemplary service.
  • Transit in Northeastern Illinois requires increased operating and capital funding based on clear performance measures determined through public input and based on quantifiable and qualitative data.

Northeastern Illinois cannot afford to fall behind the rest of the world in building a world-class 21st century transit system.

To learn more about this project, visit the Transit Future website.

This project was funded in part from support from the Alphawood Foundation.

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Publications

A Heavy Load: The Combined Housing and Transportation Burdens of Working Families

This study reveals the combined housing and transportation cost burdens of households, with a focus on working families at the neighborhood level in 28 metropolitan areas.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Chicago: Emissions Inventories and Reduction Strategies for Chicago and its Metropolitan Region

By CNT: Jennifer McGraw, Peter Haas, Linda Young, and Anne Evens. February 28, 2010. (.pdf, 185.7kb)

Redefining Affordability

By Scott Bernstein, CNT. January 27, 2010. (.pdf, 140.7kb)

What We Learned From the Stimulus

By CNT, Smart Growth America and USPIRG. January 5, 2010. (.pdf, 521.0kb)

Bay Area Burden: Examining the Costs and Impacts of Housing and Transportation on Bay Area Residents, Their Neighborhoods, and the Environment

By Urban Land Institute, CNT, and Center for Housing Policy. November 4, 2009. (.pdf, 12,725.3kb)

Center for Transit-Oriented Development: 5 Years of Progress

By CTOD. August 6, 2009. (.pdf, 2,140.4kb)

Capital Bill signing by Governor Pat Quinn Remarks

By Jacky Grimshaw, CNT. July 13, 2009. (.pdf, 42.6kb)

More Transportation & Community Development publications...

News

March 12th, 2010 Chicago Celebrates Transportation Freedom Day

March 11th marked Transportation Freedom Day for the Chicago area—the date on which a typical area household has earned enough income to cover its annual transportation costs.

February 18th, 2010 USDOT Moves Forward on ‘Multi-Modal’ Vision

Yesterday, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Ray LaHood, announced the 51 projects—a mix of highways to boulevards projects, complete streets initiatives, streetcars and light-rail projects, and innovative highway funding—that will receive federal funding from the TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) program, which was funded by $1.5 billion included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

February 16th, 2010 The Recovery Act at One Year: A Jobs Analysis

Through the end of 2009, investments by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in public transportation have created almost twice as many jobs per dollar as investments in highways – and the advantage is growing.


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Transportation and Community Development

Projects

Housing + Transportation

A new and more comprehensive way of thinking about the cost of housing and true affordability by exploring the impact that transportation costs associated with the location of the housing have on a household’s economic bottom line.

Smart Communities

A public planning project to draw community benefits from undervalued transit and freight assets in Cook County suburbs.

Transit Future

CNT has been a major player in the fight for more efficient and affordable mass transit within the Chicago metropolitan area.

Transopoly®

The public involvement tools were developed to help the general public understand the relationship between transportation planning and land use planning.

Margins to Mainstream

A series of webinars and workshops to improve the quality of public involvement during transportation planning.

Sustainable Prosperity℠

Responds to two major crises of our time – economic and ecological – by increasing the wealth of asset-poor households through consumer choices that are both financially smart and promote sustainable living.

Location Efficiency

Location Efficiency recognizes the inherent efficiency of a place

Tools

Housing + Transportation Affordability Index

Developed by CNT and the Center for Transit Oriented Development (CTOD), this index takes a fresh look at the real cost of housing by factoring in the cost of transportation for various neighborhoods as a percentage of household income.

Smart Communities

Recent studies by CNT have explored ways to promote growth in older communities by expanding existing transportation and working with local and metropolitan groups to encourage business growth and public safety.

Transopoly®

The public involvement tools were developed to help the general public understand the relationship between transportation planning and land use planning.

Promoting Better Mass Transit

CNT has been a major player in the fight for more efficient and affordable mass transit within the Chicago metropolitan area.

CityNews

Community Information Technology and Neighborhood Early Warning System: Housing indicators for Chicago neighborhoods

Civic Footprint℠

CNT developed the Civic Footprint, a website to help Cook County residents find out who represents them so that they can stand up for the issues that impact their lives.

I-GO Car Sharing

I-GO exists to provide economical and environmentally sound transportation choices, aiming to reduce car ownership rates, lower family transportation costs, reduce urban congestion and improve air quality in all neighborhoods.