Center for Neighborhood Technology

CNT Update, April 2007

Quick List of Earth Month To-Do’s:

***Sign up for a Fresh Squeeze, and vote for CNT as your favorite non-profit!
A Fresh Squeeze is Chicago’s newest e-newsletters choke full of great tips and information for living green. “You Subscribe, We Donate” Campaign has gone live and A Fresh Squeeze will now donate $1 for each new subscriber to their listserv. The best part is you as the subscriber then decides which green organization wins the donation, and we sure hope you vote for CNT!
http://www.afreshsqueeze.com/wedonate.php

***Vote for I-GO Audio Emissions, and buy your tickets for the show at the Metro!
Until April 30th, you can help choose the final lineup for the CD, already featuring Andrew Bird, Koko Taylor, Mucca Pazza, Devil in a Woodpile and other amazing Chicago acts. And then buy your tickets for the CD release party at the Metro on May 31st. You’ll get a copy of the CD along with live performances by Detholz!, Palliard, Quantazelle and Madison Buchanan. Vote here!

***Send us your Climate Change mitigation ideas
CNT is working with the Chicago Department of Environment in developing a Climate Action Strategy to meet its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 20% by 2010. Send us your ideas for programs, projects, and policies to mitigate climate change and we will post to a wiki of ideas being closely examined by the city and its partners. Send ideas to matt@cnt.org.

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And now the Update…
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Sustainability News
1. Chicago Ranks at #10 for Renewable Energy
2. Creative Ways to Reduce Congestion: Higher Taxes, Lower Insurance
3. Streetcars and the Importance of Transit-Oriented Development

CNT News
1. Local Physician Wins Fellowship to Study Pedestrian Issues
2. CNT Around Promoting Earth Month
3. CNT Gives Trainings in Stormwater Best Management Practices
4. New Staff

CNT Toolbox
1. Report Spotlight: “School Safety Busing”
2. CNT in the News
3. Job Openings

Local Events
1. 3rd Annual Richard J. Daley Urban Forum
2. CNT’s Tools for Sustainable Communities Open House
3. Memorial Day Green Ride: Mini Ride for Climate

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Sustainability News
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1. Chicago Ranks at #10 for Renewable Energy
SustainLane recently released the results of a study that looked at the largest 50 U.S. cities and ranked them by the highest percentage of power produced from renewable energy sources. They determined the percentage of each city’s electricity that comes from renewables such as solar, wind, geothermal, and small-scale hydro energy.

Despite Chicago’s low ranking, there are some very innovative efforts going on to reduce the cities environmental impact. For example, Chicago is one of the cities offering a tax break for green developments with funding that is backed mostly by the U.S. Department of Environment. The city has also introduced a green bungalow initiative. Through this program, bungalows that are in the process of renovation are using eco-friendly materials and technology. Chicago also has a high standard to address the footprint that new buildings have on the environment. All new buildings must meet a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold or silver rating, which factors in energy efficiency, transit orientation and interaction with the city.

Fifteen other areas of urban sustainability were factored in to SustainLane’s study, including public transit use, air and tap water quality, planning and land use, affordability, energy and climate change policy, local food and agriculture, green economy and sustainability management.

Chicago is recognized as a leader in the green movement towards sustainability and will continue to develop pioneering technology and well as collaborate and understand what sustainability means worldwide to further its efforts.

To read more about SustainLane’s rankings go here.

2. Creative Ways to Reduce Congestion: Higher Taxes, Lower Insurance
In New York, Mayor Bloomberg recently announced an ambitious sustainability plan for the city. “PlaNYC” outlines 127 green initiatives and goals, “to make New York the first environmentally sustainable 21st-century city”. Improving public transportation, planting more than 1 million trees, and cleaning up 7,600 acres of polluted brownfields are some of the large-scale features of the plan. PlaNYC even takes cues from cities like London and Singapore by calling for a “congestion tax” that will charge drivers in Manhattan a fee during peak periods of congestion, so as to encourage public transportation usage, reducing traffic and auto emissions while raising money for transportation projects.

In another environmentally-innovative city, Seattle, legislators are considering a pilot program that encourages people to drive less and take public transportation namely in peak congestion times, by lowering their insurance rates. Providing economic incentive for people to drive less will result in cleaner air and lessen the impact of global warming, owing to reduced exhaust emissions, and less traffic congestion, freeing up additional highway capacity without the high cost of construction.

Creative planning solutions are vital when it comes to dealing with real problems like congestion and gas prices. More importantly they set us up to begin to address issues like air pollution and global warming.

3. Streetcars and the Importance of Transit-Oriented Development
Streetcars are the latest strategy for creative transportation solutions that face large and smaller cities alike. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is considering the development of a half-mile streetcar line to act as a test phase before a proposed 11-mile system is approved. And consultants say the system shouldn’t be built without transit-oriented development.

Transit-oriented development and streetcars go hand-in-hand for creating dense urban communities with diverse transit options—not only streetcar-oriented—but also biking and walking. Cities like Myrtle Beach and Portland see them as viable and attractive mass transit option offering 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 more appealing. 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.

If you’re interested in learning more about the streetcar revival, including the chapter on history written by CNT’s Scott Bernstein, you can order a copy of “Street Smart: Streetcars and Cities in the 21st Century”, by filling out an order form here and emailing or faxing back.

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CNT News
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1. Local Physician Wins Fellowship to Study Pedestrian Issues
Dr. Kyran Quinlan, MD, MPH, from the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Chicago has been awarded a two-year Physician Advocacy Fellowship from the Center on Medicine as a Profession. CNT sponsored Dr. Quinlan’s recent application for a fellowship to study pedestrian issues in Chicago, as he will be working closely with CNT’s Pedestrian Program.

As part of CNT’s mission at making communities more livable and sustainable, pedestrian advocacy is an important tool. Working to create walkable neighborhoods provides many health, environment and economic benefits. Walkable communities are better places to live: they are more accessible and safe for residents, including children, seniors, and those without cars; more convenient because residents can shop and run errands close to their homes; and environmentally healthier with fewer car trips, less traffic congestion, less noise and cleaner air.

Read more about CNT’s programs to make communities more walkable, like Walkers Win! @ http://www.cnt.org/tsp/trans/ctaqc/ww/.

2. CNT Around Promoting Earth Month
Kicking off with “Step it Up”, CNT was all over this past month promoting all that is green. At “Step it Up”, CNT’er Peter Haas got the crowd charged up with a poem from Carl Sandburg and a call-to-action to Congress, Illinois, Cook County and Chicago alike. Read more about “Step it Up” and it’s goal of calling on Congress to “step up” their climate change agendas and reduce 80% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

I-GO was all over town, showing off its low-emissions fleet at the Alternative Transportation Festival at the University of Chicago and signing up new members who wanted to ‘step up’ their actions at the “Step it Up” rally.

Rounding out some exciting events was the Green Festival at McCormick Place. This was the place to be to learn about the most innovative and cutting-edge green technologies, products and services, with over 300 exhibitors. I-GO CEO Sharon Feigon and CNT’s Jacky Grimshaw, Vice president for Policy, Transportation & Community Development were two of the featured speakers at the event.

The next place to find CNT is in Evanston on Sunday, May 29, as a co-sponsor for Evanston’s Earth Day. More info here.

3. CNT Gives Trainings in Stormwater Best Management Practices
One of the biggest obstacles in achieving widespread implementation of the sustainable low-tech solutions to stormwater management issues known as “green” infrastructure is actually training the engineers and municipal planners who will use the methods. These innovative technologies and how to design with them was part of a recent training held by the Delta Institute. CNT presented the Green Values Calculator, one of the tools in CNT’s stormwater toolbox, and guided conference participants through an exercise using the calculator when formulating initial stormwater management designs.

Participants were given a real example from the Champaign/Urbana area and asked to re-envision the stormwater management design in order to maximize use of green infrastructure. An analysis of the site was done with the Green Values calculator to identify the costs and benefits of implementing BMPs on the site. Bill Eyring, senior engineer at CNT, presented results that showed that the developer of the site could diminish the required land for stormwater detention by 55% and save $150,000 in construction costs if (s)he used a combination of green infrastructure techniques: 50% native vegetation on the lawn, rain gardens at all roof downspouts, vegetated swales, and permeable pavement for sidewalks, patios, and driveways.

The City of Chicago’s new stormwater ordinance (effective Jan 2008) will require on-site stormwater storage for regulated developments and CNT has developed a version of the Green Values calculator that is specific to the regulations set out in the ordinance, and can be used by developers to estimate different ways of meeting the new requirements by using green infrastructure BMPs. The same cost/benefit comparison of a conventional system vs. a green system that is available in great detail on the Green Values calculator is laid out in the Chicago version.

For more information or to get started calculating the benefits of your own stormwater management project, visit greenvalues.cnt.org.

4. New Staff

Beth Sholtis is linking her business background and sociology undergrad degree by planning and promoting CNT’s Tools for Sustainable Communities open house. She is learning how to incorporate sustainable development practices into a traditional business mindset, as she prepares to begin a master’s degree in urban planning.

Joe Grant, recent graduate of the University of Chicago, is working on new ventures that promote CNT’s mission through the marketplace.

Jessica Simoncelli, a recent graduate of Tufts University, is serving as an intern at CNT. She is helping to market CNT’s consulting tools and seeking projects where the tools might be applied in municipal or regional planning agencies in the Midwest.

Interns Jocelyn Driessen and Mollie Nye will be helping I-GO staff summer festivals.

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CNT Toolbox
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1. Report Spotlight: School Safety Busing: Serious Safety Hazards in Cook County, 1980-2006
Since 1980, as part of the School Safety Busing program, school boards across Illinois have been documenting Serious Safety Hazard Findings and submitting them to their IDOT district office for approval. Thousands of forms were submitted in the last two-and-a-half decades representing an opportunity to document and assess safety hazards affecting children in Illinois: Where do we find most approved hazards? What kinds of approved hazards occur most frequently? Are there particular locations that have a high concentration of approved hazards?

The answers to these questions offer valuable information towards improving conditions for walking and biking to school. In the report, CNT sought to answer some of these questions and identify less obvious questions that may need to be addressed. In January CNT presented this report to Illinois Department of Transportation.

Download the report here

2. CNT in the News

“Your Neighborhood Green Think Tank”. Recently CNT was described as this by the special Chicago Life section of “The New York Times”. CEO Kathy Tholin sat down and talked about where CNT has been in 30 years and where it plans to go.
http://www.chicagolife.net/content/interview/Your_Neighborhood_Green_Think_Tank

One of the greatest qualities of I-GO car-sharing is the mutual benefits to you and the environment. The “Chicago Sun-Times” recently ran an article about the ‘accidental environmentalists’ who became I-GO members to reduce the impact on their wallet only to learn and support the reduced impacts on the environment as well.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/transportation/352300,CST-NWS-greenshare22.article

CNT’s Transit Future has been launched, complete with a new website and regular newsletters. It has been getting attention as a “strong push to improve the CTA”. Read more about it at the Neighbors Project blog.
http://neighborsproject.blogspot.com/2007/04/cta-project-updates.html

3. Job Openings

CNT, Development and Communications Assistant
CNT Development-Communication-Assistant.doc

Andersonville Development Corporation, Managing Director
Position announcement - Mg Dir 071.doc

Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, Community Liaison/Sunday Parkways Organizer
http://www.biketraffic.org/content.php?id=1225_0_3_0_C

Safe Routes to School, various part-time State Networking Organizers
http://bikesbelong.org/page.cfm?PageID=400

City of Park Ridge, Urban Forester
Ad - Urban Forester-Inspector.pdf

Natural Resources Defense Council, California Smart Growth/Location Efficiency Advocate
http://www.planetizen.com/node/23739

Walk San Diego, Executive Director
http://www.walksandiego.org/

STPP, Executive Director
http://www.cnt.org/jobs?job=stpp-executive-director

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Local Events
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1.  3rd Annual Richard J. Daley Urban Forum
On Wednesday, May 2, 9-4:30, the University of Illinois-Chicago welcomes keynote Speaker Robert E. Rubin, Former Secretary of the United States Treasury, to lead the 2007 Richard J. Daley Urban Forum “Building the Future City”, which will examine the roles that major infrastructure projects will play in developing and sustaining future cities. Speakers will discuss how these projects can be financed, their impact on the environment, and their ultimate costs and benefi ts. They also will discuss how cities should deal with decaying infrastructure that cannot be renewed, and examine how decisions made now will affect the future economic and social vitality of a city and the lives of its citizens.

Event will take place in the Illinois Room, Student Center East of the UIC Campus, 750 South Halsted Street. Breakfast/Registration begins at 7:30 AM. For more information or to register, visit www.RJDUrbanForum.uic.edu. $25 per person, Free to all students, cost includes continental breakfast, lunch and parking.

2. CNT’s Tools for Sustainable Communities Open House
CNT will be hosting an open house highlighting our innovative tools available to support sustainable communities. Come see our LEED-certified Platinum building while you learn about our various tools: calculators, GIS analysis, market innovations, planning and research. We will be giving tours of our building and conducting mini workshops.

Thursday, May 10 from 3:00-7:00 at the Center for Neighborhood Technology, 2125 W. North Ave. For more information, go to http://www.cnt.org/events/toolfair07

3. Memorial Day Green Ride: Mini-Ride for Climate
Two global warming experts are riding across the country to raise awareness of the global warming crisis in a Ride for Climate. They will join us to tour some of Chicago’s efforts at mitigating global warming such as green buildings like CNT, recycling facilities and more. The ride will take place at 9AM - Monday, May 28, 2007 (Memorial Day) and will be about 35 miles at 10-14 mph pace. Starts at Waveland Clock Tower 3700 N. Lake Shore Drive in Lincoln Park. Please wear your helmet.

Questions to Kathy Schubert (773) 248 5499 or kangarookathy@yahoo.com. This is a joint ride of Chicago Cycling Club and Cycling Sisters.

Transit Future Update, April 2007

Transit Future Update

Contents
Transit Future Announces Launch of Website!
Transit Crisis Update: Mass Transit Hearing Examines Auditor General’s Report
Brief Transit Survey
Important Upcoming Meetings
Recent Articles on Transit

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Transit Future Announces Launch of Website!
Transit Future’s website is now up and running, so check it out at www.transitfuture.org.

On the website you can find out about the campaign, access background information on the transit crisis, find links to recent articles, and discover how you can take action. It is still a work in progress, but there is a wealth of useful information on how you too can help advocate for better transit in the region.

Transit Crisis Update: Mass Transit Hearing Examines Auditor General’s Report
State legislators, transit officials and reform advocates convened Monday at an all-day joint state legislative committee hearing to discuss the recent report by state Auditor General William Holland. The hearing included a presentation of the report by the Auditor General’s consulting team, remarks from the heads of the RTA, CTA, Metra and Pace, a question and answer session lead by the state legislators, and a period for public comment at the end of the day.

Despite several intensely debated issues addressed in the report, there was a universal consensus behind the key finding that Chicago area’s transit agencies are in “dire” financial condition.

Legislators were quick to acknowledge that transit desperately needs funding, but warned that members of the General Assembly will not simply hand out a “blank check” to the RTA and the service boards. In order to obtain the operational and capital funds, the RTA’s funding formula needs to be revisited. Additionally, the RTA and service boards must provide greater transparency about how they plan to spend the money.

Rep. Julie Hamos, the Head of the Mass Transit Committee, argued that the problems with transit funding will not be resolved until the RTA has greater authority to conduct strong, centralized planning for regional transit. Her proposed legislation, House Bill 1841, gives the RTA greater coordinating and planning powers, such as the ability to set fares for and arbitrate disputes between the service boards, create a regional transportation plan and distribute funding based on set performance measures.

The Auditor General’s report states, “The absence of a long-term plan that incorporates financial, programmatic and operational aspects of the service boards and the RTA contributes to the problems that face mass transit in northeastern Illinois.”

As part of the public commentary at the end of the day, CNT’s Vice President, Jacky Grimshaw, expressed CNT’s support of the Auditor General’s suggestions. She further stressed the need for a unified fare media, advanced information systems that can help with traffic flow improvements and advanced traveler notification, and more incentives for transit-oriented real-estate development.

Brief Transit Survey
Illinois PIRG has created a short transit survey focusing on the average transit user’s satisfaction with recent service. The group hopes to take the aggregate results of the survey down to Springfield to aid their advocacy efforts for more adequate transit funding in Northeastern Illinois. Take a few minutes to go through the survey and ensure that your opinions are heard downstate.

You can take the survey at this link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=83363676092

Important Upcoming Meetings

Pace Public Meeting for Chicago ADA Paratransit

Acknowledging there’s room for improvement, Pace is embarking on a round of meetings starting April 17 to get out and talk to Chicago ADA Paratransit riders. The purpose of the meetings is to get as much public input as possible on plans to revamp the service and hear what people have to say about their service needs and issues. Each meeting will cover the same material and provide time for public comment. Anyone who requires special accommodations in order to attend can contact Pace Customer Relations at 847-364-7223.

Chicago (West): April 23, 12 – 2pm
Bethesda Church, 4538 West. Fullerton Avenue Chicago 60639

Chicago (West): April 24, 3 – 5pm
Garfield Park Conservatory, Jensen Room, 300 North.Central Park Avenue Chicago 60624

Chicago (South): April 28, 2 – 4pm
Olive Harvey College, Cafeteria, 10001 South Woodlawn Chicago 60628

Chicago (Southeast): April 30, 12:30 - 2:30pm
Chicago Department on Aging, Southeast (Atlas) Senior Center, Dining Room, 1767 East 79th Street Chicago 60649

Chicago (Southwest): May 3, 5 – 7pm
Westside Technical Institute, Conference Center, 2800 South Western Chicago 60608

Connecting Communities Through Coordination: Workshops on Paratransit

The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) will be conducting a total of eight workshops on the coordination of public transit and human transportation services throughout the region. As part of the Connecting Communities Through Coordination planning effort, the RTA is seeking input from the general public on how to best coordinate existing community transportation services that focus on the elderly, disabled and low-income populations.

Wheaton: April 26, 10:30am - 12pm
Wheaton Park District Community Center (Lower Level), 1777 South Blanchard Road., Wheaton

Recent Articles on Transit

Read some of the extensive press coverage about the regional transit crisis by going to the “Transit in the News” page of our website, or http://transitfuture.cnt.org/news/.

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For more information or comments, please contact David LeBreton at dlebreton@cnt.org or 773.269.4043.

To unsubscribe to this listserv, send a blank email to transitfuture-unsubscribe@cnt.org

Chicago Steps it Up - Will You?

Kicking off a busy week of Earth Month related activities, hundreds of
people gathered at Daley Plaza last Saturday to tell Congress to “step up” their climate change agendas and reduce 80% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. For this National Day of Climate Action, people gathered in all 50 states in more than 1400 places around the country.

Hog Butcher for the World;
Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat;
Player with Railroads and the Nation’s Freight Handler;
Stormy, husky, brawling
City of the Big Shoulders.

In 1916 Carl Sandburg described Chicago’s reputation as gritty and industrial. The city has come a long way from its industrial-powered roots and today is one of the leaders in developing tools to mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions it has become so known for producing.

CNT’s Peter Haas spoke at the rally of plans underway for measuring Chicago’s impact on climate change—an area where there is an opportunity to raise awareness to the fact that economic prosperity shouldn’t come at the cost of the long-term health of future generations and the planet.

Drive less. Demand green energy. Plant native vegetation. These are just some of the ways we can “step it up” and lower our own carbon footprint. I-GO sponsored the event and was on hand signing up new members who wanted to start right away.

Peter ended with a vision for a new Chicago: “We may no longer butcher hogs, or stack wheat, but we still are the freight handlers of this nation, and we still have big shoulders and can build the tools to address the biggest issue of our time – climate change.”

You can read Peter’s full speech here.

Transit Future Update

Several events in the past week have raised awareness of the transit crisis in Northeastern Illinois. The beginning of the three-year construction project on the Brown Line triggered protests and cries of frustration from leaders and residents alike in several North Side communities. The reductions in service and deterioration of our transportation system in Chicago have garnered national and international media attention: our region is being pointed out as a warning to government officials around the country as an example of the consequences that result from insufficient funding of mass transit (see our list of links to articles in The New York Times and The Economist). Finally, Mayor Richard Daley urged the Illinois General Assembly yesterday to address the transit funding problem and RTA reforms.

With the past week’s events drawing greater attention to the challenges facing transit, we believe the time is now to contact your state representatives to begin a dialogue about its future.

Also, please do not forget to sign up for these regular updates through the Transit Future listserv by sending an e-mail message to transitfuture-subscribe@cnt.org (if you are not already on it). Signing up for the listerv makes it more likely that message will get through to your inbox!

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Contents
I. Act Now: Take Action This Week!
II. CNT Calls for Greater Cooperation on CTA Brown Line Construction
III. Upcoming Meetings
IV. Recent News

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I. Act Now: Take Action This Week!

The current two week recess of the Illinois General Assembly presents the ideal opportunity to start a conversation with your state representative and state senator about the importance of transit funding and transit reform. The Illinois General Assembly is facing many serious issues this year, but we need to tell our representatives that transit funding and transit reform should be at the top. We ask that you go in person to convey the seriousness of the issue and also to get to know your legislators. Of course, if you are unable to meet them in person, please write them a letter and send us a copy. If you have a meeting, please let us know how it went so we can keep track. The goal in talking with our legislators is to convey to them the value we place as citizens on the importance of mass transit to the long term viability of Northeast Illinois. Whether driver, pedestrian or transit user, transit affects us all!

How to approach your representation in the Illinois General Assembly:

1. First determine who represents you in Springfield and where their offices are located. For help, please refer to CNT’s Civic Footprint at http://www.civicfootprint.org or the Illinois Board of Election website at http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator
2. Call and request an appointment with both your state representative and your state senator. Tell them that you are a constituent and that you would like to discuss mass transit and how it affects you. Remember to be polite. If you are unable to schedule a meeting with the legislator, ask to meet with the district director or chief of staff.
3. On the day of your meeting, come prepared to discuss how mass transit affects you on a daily basis:

• How long does it take you to get to work and home and what form of transit do you use?
• How many times a week are you on the CTA, Metra, Pace, or Paratransit?
• Which trains and buses do you ride regularly and when?
• What form of transit did you take to get to your legislator’s office?
• Where do you live and why did you choose to live there? Did you choose your home or apartment due to its proximity to transit?
• Start a stopwatch when you leave for the office and stop it when you arrive. Tell them exactly how long the trip took and the route you chose.

Below you will also find some additional talking points to help you focus your case. The most compelling argument is your own, so please speak to what brought you to the office.

Need for operations funding:

• Transit service in my area has not kept up with increasing demand. Trains and buses do not come as frequently and reliably as they should.
• Buses and trains are not clean and they reflect poorly on the system and the region.
• With the CTA currently on a six-month budget that expires on June 30, I want to know how I am going to get to work/school/home on July 1, 2007.

Need for capital funding:

• Mass transit in my area has not grown to accommodate the needs of my community. We need to expand the system to include more bus and train lines.
• Many of the train cars and buses used by the CTA are old and in need of replacement.
• Transit in Northeast Illinois has defined this region and made it as economically competitive as it is today. We must reinvest in the system in order to maintain our competitiveness and attract future investment in our region.

Transit is a vital part of my community and I am willing to invest in its future!

II. CNT Calls for Greater Cooperation on CTA Brown Line Construction

CNT President Scott Bernstein offered remarks last Friday at a special CTA board meeting at which CTA President Frank Kruesi recommended that one of four tracks serving the Red, Brown and Purple/Evanston Express Lines be shut down at the Fullerton and Belmont stations starting April 2. The 25 percent reduction in Brown Line service is expected to continue for almost three years to allow for construction on platforms. However, the construction’s great inconvenience to commuters drew a number of protests from community leaders, many of whom called for a delay in construction until the CTA has solicited more feedback from the public on ways to improve service while construction is underway.

In the public hearing, Scott Bernstein shared some findings from CNT’s research into the effects of transportation on the cost of living in Chicago. The average household transportation costs vary from as little as $580 per month in the most transit-friendly neighborhoods to as much as $1,200 per month in the farthest suburbs. Bernstein explained that the reason for the discrepancy in cost is rooted in access to mass transit and good amenities; residents in communities that enjoy both characteristics own fewer cars per household and use them less frequently.

In response to this crisis, Bernstein recommended that the CTA form partnerships with the City of Chicago, suburban municipalities, the Illinois Department of Transportation, and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency on Planning in order to identify best practices for easing the negative impacts of rail construction. Strategies could include finding increased funding for enhanced levels of bus service and making a variety of traffic flow improvements. Despite calls for a delay, the CTA board voted unanimously to begin construction on schedule.

III. Upcoming Meetings

Northwestern University Transportation Center Seminar Series: The Politics of Chicago Transit Finance - Rep. Julie Hamos

http://www.transportation.northwestern.edu/

Rep. Hamos was elected to the State House of Representatives in 1998, having served on the staff of the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, as counsel to then-State’s Attorney Richard M. Daley, and as an advocate for low income families and labor interests. As chair of the Transit Committee, Rep. Hamos is on the front lines of the battle to ensure financing for transit in the Chicago region and across Illinois.

Evanston: April 5, 7-8 p.m.
Northwestern University Transportation Center (Chambers Hall, Lower Level), 600 Foster, Evanston

Joint Hearing of the Legislative Audit Commission and the House Mass Transit Committee

http://www.juliehamos.com

The Illinois House Mass Transit Committee and Legislative Audit Commission will be holding a joint hearing to discuss the recent audits by the Illinois Auditor General of the RTA, CTA, Metra and Pace.

Chicago: April 16, 9-11 a.m.
Thompson Center Auditorium (Lower Level), 100 W. Randolph, Chicago

Connecting Communities Through Coordination: Workshops on Paratransit

http://hstp.rtachicago.com/participation/workshops.html

The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) will be conducting a total of eight workshops on the coordination of public transit and human transportation services throughout the region. As part of the Connecting Communities Through Coordination planning effort, the RTA is seeking input from the general public on how to best coordinate existing community transportation services that focus on the elderly, disabled and low-income populations. The following is a list of the workshops, dates, and locations:

Chicago: April 16, 6–7 p.m.
United Way of Greater Chicago (1st Floor Conference Room), 560 West Lake Street, Chicago

North Cook County: April 16, 6–7 p.m.
Oakton Community College (Room 1604), 1600 East Golf Road, Des Plaines

South Cook County: April 17, 6–7 p.m.
Tinley Park Village Hall (Rooms C and D), 16250 South Oak Park Ave., Tinley Park

Lake County: April 18, 5:30 – 7 p.m.
Libertyville Township Center (Meeting Room), 359 Merrill Court, Libertyville

Will County: April 18, 6–7 p.m.
Joliet Historical Museum (Caterpillar Inc. Auditorium), 204 North Ottawa St., Joliet

Kane/Kendall County: April 19, 5-7 p.m.
Kane County Government Center (1st Floor Auditorium), 719 South Batavia Ave., Geneva

McHenry County: April 19, 5–7 p.m.
McHenry County College (Rooms B166 and B167), 8900 US Highway 14, Crystal Lake

DuPage County: April 26, 10:30 a.m. -12 p.m.
Wheaton Park District Community Center (Lower Level), 1777 South Blanchard Road., Wheaton

Red Line Extension – Alternatives Analysis Public Meetings
http://www.transitchicago.com/news/ctaandpress.wu?action=displayarticledetail&articleid=102659

The Chicago Transit Authority will hold public meetings to receive input on the proposed extension of the Dan Ryan branch of the Red Line. The meetings are part of a federally required Alternatives Analysis study.

April 10, 6-8 p.m.
Chicago State University New Academic Library (4th Floor Auditorium), 9501 S. King Drive, Chicago

April 11, 6-8 p.m.
West Pullman Chicago Public Library, 830 W. 119th St., Chicago

IV. Recent News

“A Rail System (and Patience) Stretched Thin in Chicago” - New York Times, March 26
http://info.cnt.org/~annette/CNT Update/NYTarticle.pdf

“Gridlock on the Lake” - The Economist, March 31
http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8934810

“Nightmare starts for commuters” - Chicago Tribune, April 2
http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/columnists/chi-0704020103apr02,1,3604544.column

“Stay on Track” - New York Times Op-Ed, April 4
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/04/opinion/04weds4.html

“Daley: CTA’s plight not on state’s ‘radar screen’” – Chicago Sun-Times, April 5, 2007
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/328447,CST-NWS-daley05.article

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For more information or comments, please contact David LeBreton at dlebreton@cnt.org or 773.269.4043.

“Street Smart” Wins Award for Urbanist Principles

And you thought Kenosha, Portland, Little Rock and San Francisco had nothing in common.

“Street Smart: Streetcars and Cities in the 21st Century”, published by Reconnecting America, chronicles the rise of the streetcar in such seemingly distinct urban cities like Kenosha and San Francisco, referencing the history of streetcars all the way up to their newfound role in the 21st century. CNT President Scott Bernstein writes the chapter that explains the important role streetcars have played throughout history.

Every year, the Congress for the New Urbanism recognizes projects that best exhibit and advance the Charter of the New Urbanism. The Charter Awards set a high standard for urban design and development and serve as powerful examples for future development. Along with specific projects, city plans, and single structures, awards are given to publications that portray the principles of New Urbanism, and this year “Street Smart” was one of the publications that received a 2007 Charter Award.

The ‘retro’ appeal of streetcars is not the only reason cities are reviving them. Streetcars are a viable and attractive mass transit option offering 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 more appealing. 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.

In line with the principles of New Urbanism, “Street Smart” demonstrates the power of streetcars—more than other forms of transportation—to promote compact, high-density New Urbanist development and high-quality pedestrian-friendly streetscapes. Other honorees this year include several strong examples of Gulf-Coast recovery projects, as well as projects that repair urban contexts, provide affordable housing, and promote sustainable growth and development.

To order a copy of “Street Smart: Streetcars and Cities in the 21st Century”, please fill out an order form here and email or fax back.