CNT Update, October 2007
CNT Update, October 2007
Sustainability News
1. Taking Mass Transit Seriously in the Region
2. Planning Accessible Streets for All
3. Chicago’s ‘Greenest City’ Position Tested
CNT News
1. Bridging a Gap Between Chicago and Nairobi
2. CNT’s Work Seen from Oak Park to Walthamstow
3. Salute to Jacky Grimshaw Sails Off Without a Hitch
Toolbox
1. CNT in the News
2. Spotlight: Green Maps
3. Staff Changes
4. Job Openings
Support “Your Neighborhood Green Think Tank”
1. Sign Up for A Fresh Squeeze Newsletter
2. Go See Human Rhythm Project’s: Global Rhythms
3. Donate through Earth Shares of Illinois
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SUSTAINABILITY TIP: Quick, go get your rain barrel: The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District has a new program to sell rain barrels to Cook County residents for the bargain price of $40. Roll ‘em out from these locations, disconnect your downspout and revel in using Nature’s free water. More info at http://www.mwrd.org/mo/barrel/barrel.aspx.
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Sustainability News
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1. Taking Mass Transit Seriously in the Region
Service cuts, raised fares, and increased congestion. All these persist as very real prospects for the Chicago region. The two leading options on the table are increasing the regional sales tax or increasing gambling. And the solution the Governor and Senate Leaders are (ironically) betting on are casinos, while a sales tax bill is held up in the Senate.
Meanwhile plans to slash 39 bus routes and raise fares to $3 on November 4 still looms. After that, in January, a new wave of service cuts and fare hikes promise to be even more devastating to the region.
The legislators seem content at setting up hurdle-like scenarios- repeating ‘doomsday’ deadlines and extensions instead of taking the issue seriously enough to enact a real, long-term funding solution-while the region loses money. The nation’s second oldest and second largest transportation system deteriorates with service becoming even more unreliable, congestion increases as people must get into their cars to get around, air pollution increases while other cities are making hard-hitting greenhouse gas reduction plans. The region reverts.
While lawmakers and CTA officials talk about budget shortfalls, throwing around increasingly daunting numbers, a new discussion is emerging about the costs of NOT appropriately funding the transit system. A recent urban mobility report by the Texas Traffic Institute estimates that, in a year, drivers in the Chicago region waste 141 million gallons of fuel while sitting in traffic (2.9 billion gallons nationally), which, together with the lost time and traffic delays cost the region roughly $4 billion ($78.2 billion nationally).
Instead of regarding the region’s transit system as a financial burden, the reality is that investing in transit pays off. A recent study by Chicago Metropolis 2020 points out that investment results in more businesses, additional jobs and less traffic for everybody. The study concludes that if lawmakers invested $1.68 billion a year to maintain the system, residents would see a 21 percent return in the form of additional business activity. If transit officials got about another $1 billion a year, the region would realize a 34 percent return on investment.
While the legislature plays financial ping-pong with funding scenarios, guaranteeing doomsday after doomsday scenario hurdles, and we all gulp at budget windfalls, service cuts and fare increases, the region gets further pushed into economic and environmental relapse.
We shouldn’t cringe when saying that the region’s bus and rail system will cost $1.7 billion a year (according to CTA officials). And another billion dollars to expand the system as the population grows. And long-term funding to bridge a shortfall of more than $200 million. Adding three new casinos would still short mass transit’s necessary funding-and that’s simply not what is needed to keep the region running, in more ways than just the buses.
See the Transit Future website on how to contact legislators and the Governor and let them know how important transit is to you, at http://transitfuture.cnt.org/take-action/.
2. Planning Accessible Streets for All
Another piece of the pie in achieving sustainable development is promoting various types of transportation modes. It seems fairly intuitive that if there are sidewalks present and accessible, the instinct to use them rather than a car or even the bus, would persist. This simple observation just needs to be more routinely infused into policy and funding priorities, which often do not include better sidewalks in transportation projects.
Walkers, bikers and the disabled alike want access, and the more that is a reality, the better distributed all users are in daily travel. Cities want to learn how to keep traffic moving without adding new lanes, and places that are realizing this are looked at for their leadership and expertise on how to increase multiple means of usage while promoting transportation options that cater to many types of people.
‘Completing the streets’ means allowing all types of transportation users the ability to share the road safely. Adding bike lanes, making sidewalks wider, and even in tact, are important pieces often left out of the car-centric design of especially older cities like Chicago. Newly emerging metropolises are focusing on getting it right the first time while Chicago, for example, recently colored some of its bike lanes to call-out the right-of-way for bikers.
Many state policies are now requiring their transportation agencies to ensure that roads are routinely designed or redesigned for all modes of travel. Chicago has a “complete street” program and the Illinois legislature has passed a bill, and awaits Governor Blagojevich’s signature. What we will find as these become land-use planning fundamentals is a whole slew of other benefits: a healthier population, better air and water quality, less congestion on the roads and therefore less impacted infrastructure.
Read more about designing ’smart’ streets at http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/yourlife/street_smart.html. Also read more about the Safe Routes to School program in which CNT, the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation and League of Illinois Bicyclists are proving training, outreach and program development services, at http://www.dot.il.gov/saferoutes/saferouteshome.aspx.
And remember: October is International Walk to School Month!
3. Chicago’s ‘Greenest City’ Position Tested
Chicago has managed to make another ‘greenest city’ list, this most recent put out by Yahoo Real Estate. Whatever the particular motivation for each list, one thing is constant-cities are usually chosen by a combination of how they address transportation, open space, air and water quality policies and, increasingly, how these all factor into the context of a climate plan. And always with the intent on putting its residents first.
Yahoo’s newest list cites Chicago’s commitment to renewable energy, mass transit and open space as reasons the city is on par with other world-class sustainable cities. In addition, top-notch water quality is mentioned. Of course, this refers to Lake Michigan. A regional ‘gem’, the lakefront attracts tourists and residents all year round. In August, Chicago even took part in blocking BP from expanding and discharging additional ammonia into the lake.
While the Lake is showcased and protected, the quality of the Chicago River remains impaired as the county-wide outlet for treated wastewater, stormwater runoff and sewage overflows. Though in recent years, there has been recognition of the river as an asset to the city, the treated wastewater that is discharged is still not disinfected and continues to be a concern for water quality experts and residents alike.
Though the EPA had been on track to move forward with standards that for the first time would limit the amount of bacteria allowed in the river, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District commissioned a study to monitor the effects of the high bacteria levels in the River. According to a recent Chicago Tribune article, Chicago is the only large U.S. city that doesn’t disinfect its treated wastewater, and it remains to be seen if the MWRD will commit to the necessary funding to begin disinfection.
So long as Chicago continues to make any ‘greenest city’ list, advocates for better energy efficiency, mass transit and cleaner water will continue to seek solutions that remove impediments to that label. Cleaning up the Chicago River is not just good for the environment, but will give the city two water bodies that are civic amenities, a unique contention for any place that aspires to be “America’s Greenest City.”
MWRD will hold a public study session on the topic of disinfecting its effluent Wednesday October 10th at 10 am in its board room at 100 E. Erie. Members of the public can also comment at the study session.
Read the Chicago Tribune article at http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-river_14sep14,0,6145479.story?coll=chi_tab01_layout. Also read more of Yahoo’s newest “Top Ten” list at http://promo.realestate.yahoo.com/the_top_ten_greenest_cities.html.
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CNT News
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1. Bridging a Gap Between Chicago and Nairobi
On September 22, at an intimate gathering at the Al Raby School for Community and Environment, Dr. Wangari Maathai presided over the dedication of a native garden planted in her name. Students, teachers and community members listened as Dr. Maathai spoke of the essential role gardens like the Wangari Maathai Natural Garden play in promoting urban renewal, social and environmental activism and raising awareness-from the Al Raby School on Chicago’s West Side to the Green Belt Movement in Nairobi, Kenya.
At the dedication, Al Raby students spoke about their experiences planting the native garden at the entrance of their school. Back in May, with the help of CNT and other community members, the concrete was removed and students helped to install a garden that will serve as an interactive learning site not only for students but for the East Garfield Park community.
The students also reflected on the important lessons they learned from leveling and turning soil, planting seeds and laying mulch, to now maintaining and monitoring the garden-one of the most valuable being the teamwork it required. One student reflected on her initial surprise to find she would not just be observing the garden, but helping to create it from scratch. Later, Dr. Maathai responded by pointing out that to invoke progress you often must “get down on the ground” and plant a garden yourself.
Wangari Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for founding the Green Belt Movement, an environmental organization that planted over 30 million trees across Kenya to prevent soil erosion. On Saturday, Dr. Maathai spoke of the importance of trees and plants-not just for the carbon dioxide they trap-but for the awareness they raise.
The 1500 square foot Wangari Maathai Natural Garden, that students dedicated six hours a week to planting and that will demonstrate the importance and value of green infrastructure, is a microcosm of what can be repeated globally-from Chicago to Kenya. “It is this type of activity that should be replicated a billion times throughout the world”, concluded Dr. Maathai, before taking a stroll through a small drop in that bucket.
The Wangari Maathai Natural Garden was funded by a generous grant from the Prince Charitable Trusts. The dedication ceremony was co-sponsored by CNT, the Chicago Humanities Festival, Al Raby School, and the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance.
Read more about Dr. Maathai’s visit in an article by the Chicago Defender at http://www.chicagodefender.com/page/local.cfm?ArticleID=9849.
2. CNT’s Work Seen from Oak Park to Walthamstow
Plans are being made to redevelop a parking lot that was profiled in CNT’s recent “Paved Over” study, as a mixed use, moderate income, LEED-certified, Transit-Oriented Development. The village of Oak Park and developer Morningside Equities Group, have plans to redevelop a 143-space parking lot to a $30 million, eight-story building that will include condominiums and 12,500 square feet of retail space at South Boulevard and Harlem Avenue. The land is a village-owned parking lot and will now include 245 public parking spaces in a new public garage attached to the project.
“Paved Over: Surface Parking Lots or Opportunities for Tax-Generating, Sustainable Development?”, published in 2006, found that acres of surface parking lots in suburban Cook County located near Metra train stations could be redeveloped to capture millions of dollars in new tax revenue, while also accommodating the growing demand for housing near transit. The report compares typical costs to support the parking lots as they are today with revenue that could be generated from the redevelopment of some portion of the lots for a mix of uses.
The redevelopment of the parking lot in Oak Park will help the Village generate greater public revenue, help meet this growing demand for housing near transit, and achieve a more sustainable region.
Read the entire “Paved Over” report at “>http://www.cnt.org/repository/PavedOver-Final.pdf.
Read about the plan in Oak Park at http://www.pioneerlocal.com/oakpark/news/562955,op-southblvd-091907-s1.article
And across the globe in another suburban development located in East London, the city council just approved a master plan that focuses on making it a more sustainable, modern town centre. Walthamstow’s plan includes long-term strategies for housing, transportation, shopping and community facilities.
As part of the Waltham Forest Council in partnership with the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment, CNT helped draft a master plan that focuses on the key principles of sustainability and community cohesion, by increasing the amount of housing around the town centre, and devoting 40% of that to affordable housing, as one example.
The 42-page provisional plan was endorsed at the most recent cabinet meeting, and will now go out to consultation in November.
Read more about the town’s development plans in the article in the U.K. Guardian at http://www.guardianseries.co.uk/mostpopular.var.1700770.mostviewed.walthamstow_thumbs_up_for_town_centre_masterplan.php
3. Salute to Jacky Grimshaw Sails Off Without a Hitch
On September 20, friends and supporters of CNT’s Vice President for Policy, Transportation, and Community Development, Jacky Grimshaw, gathered at the Columbia Yacht Club to honor 15 years of transportation and land use advocacy in Chicago.
In her 15 years at CNT, Jacky Grimshaw has established CNT as an innovative leader in transportation policy and advocacy, both locally and nationally. She has brought together non-traditional transit organizations-including housing, welfare, and job development groups-into the policy discussion and debate for affordable mass transit that actually serves those most in need.
The event took place at the Columbia Yacht Club, which was chosen because its ship, Abegweit, played an important transportation role for 50 years, carrying a combination of passengers and cars or one complete passenger train of 16 railway cars across the Abegweit Passage Northumberland Strait.
Saluting Jacky’s work meant reflecting on past accomplishments while also looking toward the future issues in land use and transportation that the region faces. Progress has been made, thanks in part to Jacky’s impressive work, now which has paved a way for even more challenges to be addressed. To support CNT’s work in Transportation, consider making a donation to the Transit Future Campaign at http://www.cnt.org/donate.
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Toolbox
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1. CNT in the News
Using the H+T Affordability Index, the South Suburbs of Hazel Crest, Midlothian, Oak Forest and Riverdale look very attractive as affordable and sustainable places to live, though the communities have been undervalued by consumers and developers. The analysis done by CNT shows that development in these public transit- and pedestrian-friendly areas is affordable and makes economic sense. Read more in a recent article by the Hazel Crest Star at htstar092707.pdf
I-GO is has continued its mobility upward and onward, with almost 6000 members and 160 cars. It’s no surprise, then, that I-GO remains on the cutting-edge of urban living as more people ditch their cars and use a low-emission vehicle as a supplement to walking, biking and public transit. This year, I-GO has been nominated for a Chicago Sun-Times Innovation Award. More information at .
A nostalgia for more simple times? Or a low-cost, viable transportation supplement? Maybe both, but streetcars are all the rage for transportation planners around the country. Read on as Fort Wayne, Indiana looks to streetcars to help build their transit network for residents to move around at ftwayne-daily080307.pdf
2. Spotlight: Green Maps
Maps are indispensable tools for describing and analyzing the state of today’s region; and they are ideally suited to the task of displaying what is likely to � or what should � come next for the area.
Starting in November, Chicago’s Festival of Maps will showcase “Maps in the Public Square: An Atlas of the Next Chicago Region” in an online exhibit that highlights the creative combination of mapmaking and public policy in the Chicago region.
Greenmapping.org, created by CNT and Openlands, will be part of the exhibit, running through the end of the year. The interactive map allows users to see the current relationship between development and open space or project a future vision of interlinked green spaces. With over 20 layers of data, the map is highly customizable, so you can choose an area by zip code, municipality, county, state or even watershed. Then you are able to choose what layers of data you want to see about that particular area, including floodplains, soils types, conservation easements, streets, wetlands, trails, and greenways.
The region’s groundbreaking advances in regional planning, sustainable urban development, and community decision-making has expanded our ability to think holistically about regional land use.
And the newest supplement CNT and Openlands have developed is an illustrated guide as a desk reference introduction to greenmapping.org. “Natural Connections: An Illustrated Guide to Green Infrastructure Mapping” includes 12 sample maps that highlight specific data layers and mapping features which can be used to create maps to illustrate particular policy objectives. Each printed map illustrates a different policy topic and is accompanied by a narrative description.
You can request a copy of Natural Connections by emailing kathrine@cnt.org. To find out more information about the Festival of Maps, go to CNT’s calendar at http://www.cnt.org/calendar#maps.
3. Staff Changes
CNT is growing and filling up with excellent new talent:
Kathrine Nichols is the new Development & Communications Assistant
Deborah Ackles I-GO’s new Marketing and Communications Manager
Peter Ludwig is the new Outreach & Research Associate for CNT Energy
Pete Rangle and Jim McDermottis are I-GO’s newest Fleet Assistants
David Delgado is CNT’s part time IT Support Specialist
And we were sad to say good-bye to some great talent:
Ben Helphand was CNT’s ‘multi-talent’ for nearly 6 years, managing the pedestrian program, directing Civic Footprint and past successes like LEGinfo. Ben has moved onward as Executive Director of Chicago’s NeighborSpace.
David LeBreton worked on CNT’s Transit Future Campaign, making excellent progress in the continued fight for better transit, using his experience as a veteran of several electoral campaigns.
Golden Butler was CNT’s IT Specialist and has moved on to new adventures in Dallas, TX.
Andres Borrero was I-GO’s Fleet Manager and has moved on back to his home country of Colombia.
Lucy Prieto was at CNT Energy for 6.5 years, helping to launch the Community Energy Cooperative and serving as a Customer Support Specialist.
We wish all the best!
4. Jobs
IT Support Specialist, CNT
http://www.cnt.org/jobs?job=it-support-specialist
Chief Financial Officer, CNT
http://www.cnt.org/jobs?job=chief-financial-officer&nofoot=1
Sr. Communications Specialist, Biodiversity Project
http://www.biodiversityproject.org/About%20Us/jobpostingSCS.htm
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Support “Your Neighborhood Green Think Tank”
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1. Sign Up for A Fresh Squeeze Newsletter
For a limited time, A Fresh Squeeze will donate a dollar to CNT for everyone who signs up for their free, twice-weekly e-newsletter that offers simple tips on green living.
If you’ve never read A Fresh Squeeze, sign up today to learn more about making it easier to live a greener life. The website launched in the spring of 2006 in response to the often impractical or incomprehensible or even just lack of useful information on green living.
Emails are sent twice a week, offering simple advice on things you can do to make your life a little greener. Read “The Truth of Bioplastics”, “The Recycling Afterlife”, get some simple tips, and join in on the discussion of these topics-all relative to life in Chicago. And best of all, subscribing is free.
Support CNT while you learn a little more about going green. Sign up at http://afreshsqueeze.com/index.php?site=2IFAI2OZ.
2. Go See Human Rhythm Project’s: Global Rhythms
This year, CNT is part of the Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s Thanks-4-Giving 2007 campaign. From November 23-25, the Chicago Human Rhythm Project will present Global Rhythms 3, featuring the North American premiere of TAO in a spectacle of rhythm, movement and music. TAO’s athletic cast of Wadaiko drummers and dancers propels an ancient art form into a new universe of moving sound and will transport you and your entire family to the lush hills of Kyushu. Don’t miss Japan’s resounding response to Riverdance!
When ordering tickets, just say “CHRP-CNT” to donate 50% of your ticket price to the CNT. When you do, you’ll also receive 10% off the ticket price. If ordering online (www.harristheaterchicago.org), simply enter this code into the appropriate promotional code box. More information on Global Rhythms 3 is at www.chicagotap.org.
3. Donate through Earth Share of Illinois
Did you know that CNT is part of a network of organizations committed to environmental sustainability that you can support through your workplace giving? Earth Share of Illinois promotes charitable giving in government and corporate employee payroll deduction workplace giving campaigns.
To find out if your workplace is a part of the Earthshare of Illinois network, check the list at http://www.earthshare-illinois.org/campaigns.html. CNT’s Combined Federal Campaign number is 28111. If you’re place of work is not part of the workplace giving, you can also make an online donation via Network for Good.
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You can also support our efforts in building more sustainable urban communities by making a donation online by clicking the button below.
Questions about anything you’ve read or interested in learning more? Contact Annette at annette@cnt.org.
