Center for Neighborhood Technology

D Day for Transit Town

Who among us hasn’t cursed the CTA bus that is slow to arrive or a not-so-occasional delay on the El. Recently Crain’s Chicago Business highlighted the mounting problems with the CTA in Chicago. The article revealed problems such as “crippling infrastructure, funding shortfalls, questionable choices by CTA management” as some of the conditions overwhelming Chicago’s rail system.

This investigation is timely given two very important discussions set to begin on February 6. We at CNT hope these discussions will raise the bar on what Illinoisans and Chicagoans demand from the state’s plan for transportation.

One discussion will take place at the start of the 2007 Illinois General Assembly session that will take up mass transit reform. Also on that day, the new Chicago Metropolitan Agency on Planning (CMAP) is bringing in the “best and the brightest” in transportation from around the country to show us how the Chicago metro area stacks up against other region’s that have the highest performing transit and how those regions got to be the best. The event, “Innovation + Integration” is a summit co-sponsored by CMAP, Chicago Metropolis 2020, the Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus, the Center for Neighborhood Technology and the Metropolitan Planning Council (for registration information, visit www.chicagoareaplanning.org). The summit’s national and local speakers will address the intersection of jobs, housing and transportation planning.

CNT is urging Illinois policymakers to closely monitor the proceedings of the CMAP event and to consider how their choices affect the cost of living and doing business in Illinois. Our research has shown that those places that enjoy good, frequent mass transit with lots of local shopping have households who own on average one car less per household than do their surrounding communities. As a result, these households—at all income levels—are saving 10 percent on their cost of living. Working families earning $20,000 to $50,000 who no longer can afford to live in Chicago find that when they move beyond 10 miles out to find the “affordable” home, their savings are wiped out by the extra transportation costs. For these families, their transportation actually costs more than their housing. This in Chicago where between 1850 and 1900 a series of decisions made us the hub of the nation’s transportation system and a city that could plan on availability of a collective asset—mass transportation—to keep everyday travel expenses at 3-5 percent of a family expenses. Today the average is 20 percent, and for those working families (no longer a minority population when poverty is now more prevalent in the suburbs than in the city), it can be as high as 30 percent of their income.

We expect to learn on February 6 that the best regions are the ones in states that don’t treat mass transit as an adjunct to highways, but as a core asset. They don’t just manage toward the vague goal of “congestion mitigation,” but pay attention to what good transportation choices actually do for a region’s households, businesses and the economy. Finally, the best of the best are in places that actually plan—for coordinated city-suburban service and for connectivity between buses and trains and airports. These best models collaborate with their regional planning bodies to ensure that development around transit stations occurs in the most economically advantageous way to create value for the riders and for the community, which in turns guarantees reliable and steadily increasing patronage.

We encourage you to join us on February 6 and to help make the case to lawmakers that we must demand performance, coordination, and accountability from our transit system.

January 2007

January 2007

Sustainability News
1. Chicago Gets a B in Sustainability
2. By the Way, You Don’t Have to Build a New Building to Go Green
3. 2007 Looks to be a Record-Setter

What’s New @ CNT
1. Real-Time Electricity Pricing Goes Statewide in Illinois
2. If Not a Skyway, Then What?
3. Return of the Streetcar
4. New Staff

CNT Toolbox
1. Tool Spotlight: “Civic Footprint”
2. CNT in the News
3. Jobs

Local Events
1. Mark Swartz Reading
2. Global Chicago
3. Innovation + Integration
4. Sierra Club Film Festival

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CLIMATE-FRIENDLY TIP: Did you know that each I-GO car eliminates 17 cars on the road? Ditch your car and become an I-GO Car Sharing member and have access to a car for use by the hour via an automated reservation system. Visit http://www.igocars.org/.
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Sustainability News
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1. Chicago Gets a B in Sustainability
The latest issue of Conscious Choice magazine features an environmental report card on the state of Chicago. The city has had high aspirations to become “the greenest city in the world”, and overall, if the report card is any indication, is moving in the right direction.

Many of the leaders in the sustainability movement gave their opinions on the state of the Chicago environment as well as their expertise on what needs to happen to continue forward progress. The report card looks at 11 issues and gave them a letter grade based on what’s happened over the last year, ranging from the seriously-taken effort to clean up the Chicago River, to the city’s begrudging effort to overhaul the current recycling program with a more real effort at reducing and reusing the city’s waste.

Not that it’s time to pat ourselves on the backs; Chicago is still far behind other major cities on valuing its mass transit system as well as taking steps to improve air quality. One thing, according to the report card, that Chicago has done an excellent job at is at creating awareness, marketing and credibility. CNT is proud to be part of this scorecard; staff member Jan Metzger had a hand in the section on improving the city’s mass transit and also CNT was one of the agencies featured in “Eden’s: Lost and Found” which was mentioned in the scorecard.

To read the report card, go to http://www.consciouschoice.com/2007/01/reportcard0701.html

2. By the Way, You Don’t Have to Build a New Building to Go Green
It’s evident that green buildings are the newest sought-after architectural and environmental trend for cities, businesses and non-profits. But a recent New York Times article points out the fact that most of the organizations that are choosing to go green do so with new construction projects.

We must ask, then, how sustainable is it to build a new green building and then boast its environmental-friendliness when in many cases existing infrastructure can be retrofitted, thereby reducing the overall waste created and materials used by a new building. Perhaps renovation is not always the most feasible for an organization that wants to be green. But what The New York Times article points out is that, often times, the opportunity is simply overlooked.

When CNT began the renovation of our building in 2000, there was not even a LEED certification for Existing Building; we were the first Platinum-certified building that used an existing building to renovate. Location of a building is just as important for it to be deemed sustainable. Often times choosing an existing building also means choosing a more dense urban location with diverse transportation options available. This is an integral feature to what is deemed sustainable, green building.

Check out The New York Times article for simple tips on going green in your existing building at http://info.cnt.org/~annette/CNT Update/GreenBuilding_NYTimes.011007.pdf

3. 2007 Looks to be a Record-Setter
It’s hard to imagine while basking in the dead of winter, but Britain’s Meteorological Office predicts that 2007 will be the hottest year recorded worldwide. To give some context to what that means—2006 was the sixth hottest year recorded in history. Additionally, the world’s ten warmest years have occurred since 1994.

Most of us know the potential destruction that global warming can cause: melting polar ice caps, rising sea levels, floods, violent storms and famine. We also know many of the sources of global warming: greenhouse gases, namely carbon dioxide, caused by burning fossil fuels.

The next step is to overcome the stunning outcomes, recompose and look at how we can change our daily life and the lives of the people around us to collectively mitigate these heinous effects of global warming. Think about how and where we build, what products we buy and use, and how we move about our communities.

Small, individual changes—when made by a critical mass of households—are incredibly important to long-term climate conditions. Though climate change is a global problem, all greenhouse gas emissions come from specific places, and reductions need to take place in real communities. This requires increasing the efficiency of our communities, making them places that allow us to consume less energy, create less waste, and use clean energy when we need it.

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What’s New @ CNT
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1. Real-Time Electricity Pricing Goes Statewide in Illinois
Recently the Community Energy Cooperative has received a great deal of media attention for its role in bringing real-time electricity pricing to residential customers in Illinois. The four-year pilot Energy-Smart Pricing Plan demonstrated the potential benefits of real-time electricity pricing. Participants saved money, became more energy efficient, and reduced their electricity usage during peak hours. This year, real-time pricing will be open to households across Illinois.

Pending final approval of the Illinois Commerce Commission, the Community Energy Cooperative has been selected as the program administrator for the new residential price response program (also known as real-time pricing) that will be offered in the areas of Illinois served by Ameren Illinois Utilities. This new program will build up the successful four-year Energy-Smart Pricing Plan pilot program that the Cooperative ran in Northern Illinois. It will offer customers an option that may help them better manage their energy bills.

For more information, go to http://www.energycooperative.org/

2. If Not a Skyway, Then What?
Earlier this year it was in Seattle, now in Buffalo the same conversations are taking place. What to do with expensive, aging infrastructure that impedes from a valuable waterfront development. The latest in Buffalo focuses on the Skyway that runs through the downtown area.

Known as experts in urban redevelopment and transportation reform, CNT’s Scott Bernstein and John Norquist of the Congress for the New Urbanism, were called upon to study the transportation impacts of removing the elevated highway known as the Buffalo Skyway. Buffalo is just one city that is part of a national analysis of the economic and transportation impacts experienced in cities that have replaced elevated freeways with boulevards, with a focus on how to apply these lessons in cities with elevated freeways in their downtowns.

As Scott Bernstein points out, replacing the Skyway with at-grade surface boulevards would produce long range cost savings; reconnection of the street grid would add value to properties in the area; and better transit connectivity would produce more accessibility, fewer cars, and less congestion.

Buffalo is a great example of a city that has a great potential to utilize its waterfront for open space, recreation, and in turn economic development; but will miss these opportunities so long as a giant, obstructive highway divides the waterfront from the city.

Check out a great interview the independent Buffalo publication, Art Voice, did with Scott and John at http://artvoice.com/issues/v5n51/bye_bye_skyway.

3. Return of the Streetcar
For some, streetcars evoke a feeling of urbanism in its heyday when cities thrived. Some may long nostalgically for those days; while others are finding and promoting real, current-day value in this historic transportation alternative. Whether driven by a nostalgic tribute to what America’s early cities represented or consideration of the benefits of a simple idea—or likely a combination of both—the U.S. and cities all over the world are looking back to the streetcar as a viable and attractive form of mass transit.

USA Today recently wrote an article about this movement that is making a return to major cities. Streetcars are helping to shape new cities and revive old ones. They are becoming a focal point of investment for developers while attracting urban dwellers to new neighborhoods and back to old ones.

Streetcars are looked at as a more flexible approach to many of the transportation issues that urban areas face. What sometimes prevents heavy-rail development—infrastructure and costs—makes streetcars a more appealing option. Light-rail is easier to build, less expensive and, as is the case now, often does not require federal funding. Instead, private funders see it as a sustainable way to attract commercial and residential development around transit zones.

Reconnecting America, a national organization formed to link transportation networks and the communities they serve, recently published a book on the streetcar revival, “Street Smarts.” The book is a great reference for the history of streetcars all the way up to the newfound role in the 21st century. CNT’s Scott Bernstein writes the chapter on the history of streetcars.

The streetcar renaissance is becoming a solution to urban issues that appeals to planners, environmentalists, mass transit advocates, government, and private enterprise and could be an integral part in the movement back to America’s cities. To order a copy of “Street Smarts”, contact nicoleg@cnt.org.

Read the USA Today article at http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-01-08-streetcars_x.htm

4. CNT Says Hello and Goodbye
In 28 years, CNT has been home to some great thinkers and do’ers and just as the seasons change, so do we. Recently we’ve gone through a “change of seasons”.

Carrie Makarewicz, CNT’s Research Manager has moved on to Virginia Tech to pursue her Ph.D. in Urban Planning. Carrie was the researcher and co-author of several significant papers on housing and transportation issues.

Thanks and good luck, Carrie!

CNT has gained the expertise of Steve Wise, as our new Natural Resources Portfolio Manager. Steve came all the way from Oregon and will use his expertise of more than 15 years in environmental research and advocacy with a particular focus on watersheds and water quality.

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CNT Toolbox
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1. Tool Spotlight: “Civic Footprint”
As the website says, “Find out where you stand and who stands for you…” Now you won’t have an excuse to say you didn’t vote because you didn’t know who your alderman is. Just plug in your address and all that valuable information will display immediately.

There are some important elections coming up and part of being an engaged citizen working to making communities more livable and sustainable is to learn as much as you can about who stands for you. Civic Footprint is a tool to help you take that large step forward.

http://www.civicfootprint.org

2. CNT in the News
Our Energy-Smart Pricing Plans has gotten great coverage all over the nation. Other states are grasping onto the idea that if you give residents the necessary information to buy their electricity at hourly, market rates, they will make decisions that save them money and reduce stress on the overall grid. Perhaps a sign of a reform in the electricity market?

The New York Times:
http://weblog.cnt.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/ESPP-NYTimes.010807.pdf

CNBC video clip with Anthony Star: http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=166594967&play=1

Yahoo Financial article:
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070111/cgth039.html?.v=79

For more article links, go to http://weblog.cnt.org/2007/01/08/cnts-energy-cooperative-in-the-new-york-times/

3. Jobs
CNT Research Manager
http://www.cnt.org/jobs?job=research-manager&nofoot=1

I-GO Operations Manager,
http://www.cnt.org/jobs?job=i-go-operations-manager

I-GO Fleet Assistant
http://www.cnt.org/jobs?job=i-go-fleet-assistant

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Local Events
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1. TONIGHT!!! Mark Swartz’s reading
Join author Mark Swartz as he introduces his new novel H2O, set in Chicago in the year 2020. With the entire world facing a dire shortage of drinkable water, filters and drains engineer Hayden Shivers stumbles upon a method for synthesizing fake water, but the new product may not be the miracle it’s cracked up to be. Co-sponsored by CNT, with an appearance by Senior Engineer, Bill Eyring.
http://www.cnt.org/calendar#h2obookevent

2. Global Chicago presents, “Global Warming: What Can YOU Do?”
Take part in this engaging town-hall style meeting about real solutions to curbing global warming, participate in Q & A with panelists, and connect with dozens of grassroots organizations.

The event features Sadhu Johnston, Commissioner for the Chicago Department of Environment, with Rev. Calvin S. Morris Ph.D., Exec. Director of Community Renewal Society moderating, and panelists Rev. Clare Butterfield, Director of Faith-in-Place, CNT’s Steve Perkins, Sr. Vice-President, and Lori Morrison Contreras, Vice-President of Little Village Environmental Justice Organization.
http://www.cnt.org/calendar#globalchicago

3. Innovation + Integration
CNT is a partner for this summit on the intersection of jobs, housing and transportation planning. This all-day event at the University of Illinois, Chicago will feature national and local presenters, including keynote speaker Mike Moskow, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. The meeting is for elected officials, policy advocates, transportation and land use planners, developers, and housing, labor, workforce, or economic and community development practitioners. Cost per person is $50, which includes breakfast and lunch.
http://www.cnt.org/calendar#innoint

4. Sierra Club Film Festival
Film: “SUV City and Out of Balance”, co-sponsored by Conscious Choice and Center for Neighborhood Technology. Join members throughout Chicago for a film festival focusing on energy issues - ranging from fuel-efficient cars, to light switches, to international energy policies. Where we get our energy and how we use it are topics that are rapidly rising to the top of the list of concerns in America. This film festival offers us an opportunity to learn more about the problems of global warming, air pollution and how to solve these problems through innovative technologies and proactive policies. Maybe best of all, it gives us an opportunity to gather with like-minded folks to exchange ideas on how to make a change in our energy future here in Illinois.
http://www.cnt.org/calendar#film

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Return of the Streetcar

For some, streetcars evoke a feeling of urbanism in its heyday when cities thrived. Some may long nostalgically for those days; while others are finding and promoting real, current-day value in this historic transportation alternative. Whether driven by a nostalgic tribute to what America’s early cities represented or consideration of the benefits of a simple idea—or likely a combination of both—the U.S. and cities all over the world are looking back to the streetcar as a viable and attractive form of mass transit.

USA Today recently wrote an article about this movement that is making a return to major cities. Streetcars are helping to shape new cities and revive old ones. They are becoming a focal point of investment for developers while attracting urban dwellers to new neighborhoods and back to old ones.

Streetcars are looked at as a more flexible approach to many of the transportation issues that urban areas face. What sometimes prevents heavy-rail development—infrastructure and costs—makes streetcars a more appealing option. Light-rail is easier to build, less expensive and, as is the case now, often does not require federal funding. Instead, private funders see it as a sustainable way to attract commercial and residential development around transit zones.

Reconnecting America, a national organization formed to link transportation networks and the communities they serve, recently published a book on the streetcar revival, “Street Smarts.” The book is a great reference for the history of streetcars all the way up to the newfound role in the 21st century. CNT’s Scott Bernstein writes the chapter on the history of streetcars.

The streetcar renaissance is becoming a solution to urban issues that appeals to planners, environmentalists, mass transit advocates, government, and private enterprise and could be an integral part in the movement back to America’s cities.

CNT’s Energy Cooperative in The New York Times

Monday’s front page of The New York Times (01/08/07) covered CNT’s Community Energy Cooperative and its role in today’s energy market. Read here about the Energy-Smart Pricing Plan and how consumers are paying for their electricity by the hour.

It’s really a natural extension in our information-driven life right now, so it makes sense that consumers should have access to their electricity prices. Instead of paying per month from an averaged-out sum of each day’s peaks and valleys, consumers have the right to know and make decisions based on real-time prices by the hour.

And now that consumers are becoming aware of this option, they are demanding it and as the Energy-Smart Pricing Plan shows, their decisions are saving them money.

This isn’t a new idea either, as The New York Times article points out. Cell phone customers wait to make phone calls when they are free on nights and weekends. Personal accountability really plays out in these situations: if you give people the right tools and information, they will make decisions to better their lives. In the real-time pricing situation, this means saving consumers money, as well as bettering the lives of others by relieving stress on the grid as a whole and, in turn, reducing air pollution.

This is an excitingly progressive reform in the energy market and will be interesting to follow in the next few months.

Read more about this topic below:

ABC 7 Chicago
“Pilot Program Gives Consumers More Control Over Electric Bill”

Fox News Chicago
“ComEd Customers Save 10%+”

Chicago Sun Times
“New Way to Cut Electric Bills Kicks in Today”

CNBC video
“Taking Control of Your Electric Bill”