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.

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)

More Transportation & Community Development publications...

News

July 26th, 2010 Governor Quinn Signs the Housing + Transportation Affordability Index Act

Late last week Gov. Pat Quinn signed the Housing + Transportation Affordability Index Act, which will give state agencies the complete information they need to make wise investment decisions in housing.

July 15th, 2010 Transportation Cost & Carbon Impact Tool Goes Beta

CNT has developed a new tool for individuals to find what a typical household spends on transportation in their neighborhood.

June 30th, 2010 Transit-Oriented Development & Climate Change: the Symbiosis

CNT, through our partnership with the Center for Transit-Oriented Development (CTOD), has released, “Transit-Oriented Development and the Potential for VMT-related Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction.”


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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.