What you need to know
about Illinois transportation
legislation.
The Center for
Neighborhood
Technology
Spring Legislative
Issues Forum II
April 17, 2004
2004
Legislative
Priorities
Saturday, April 17th, 2004
9:00-9:30
Registration Opens
Visit table and organizational displays -- Learn more about
environmentally friendly and transportation-related organizations (see
back page for information).
9:30-9:45
Welcome
Introduction to forum events and activities
9:50-10:35
Workshop Session I
(see next page for workshop selections)
10:35-11:00
Break
Visit table and organizational displays
11:00-11:45
Workshop Session II
(see next page for workshop selections)
11:50-12:30
Closing Address
· Special Message from Renee Ferguson, NBC Unit 5 Investigative Reporter
· How does it all fit together? &
The Wall of Choice and Change with
Jacky Grimshaw, Vice-President for Policy, Transportation and
Community Development, CNT
Speaker Bio:
Renee Ferguson, Unit 5 Investigative Reporter
Ms. Ferguson is an award-winning reporter with more than
30 years of journalism experience. Over the years, her
stories have exposed inequities and injustices in the region
and have proven to be a catalyst for reform in many public
and private agencies. Recently her story about the poor
conditions of Metra's South Electric Line resulted in the
removal of turnstiles at Metra stations.
She has been with Chicago NBC5 since March 1987. She received her Bachelors De-
gree in Journalism from Indiana University in Bloomington.
Forum Agenda
Information: Transportation and Environmental Legislation:
"Location Matters" in Illinois: The Location Efficiency bill, currently in the Illinois General
Assembly, will create economic development incentives for businesses that locate in
areas that maximize current infrastructure and are near affordable housing or public
transportation. Learn more about this legislation and how it can potentially encourage
economic development in low-income neighborhoods by creating location efficiency in
Illinois. Presenter: Amanda Eichelkraut, Citizen Action/Illinois and the Campaign to
Build Illinois Transit, Room 9101.
Building Walkable Communities in Illinois: This workshop will cover the nuts and bolts
of context sensitive design (CSD) -- the policy that encourages roadbuilding with all
users in mind and with sensitivity to the surrounding communities. The workshop will
also feature a discussion of the importance of pedestrian improvements to transit service,
particularly in suburban communities. This is a particularly timely issue because Illinois
passed legislation in 2003 that requires Illinois Department of Transportation to follow
CSD guidelines for roadway construction.
Presenters: Mark Ashby, Pace Bus and John
LaPlante, TYLin-Bascor, Room 9102.
Application: Tools and Strategies for Organizing:
LEGInfo and Web-based Advocacy Tools: In the past year the advocacy and organizing
world saw the rapid introduction of a variety of web-based tools to advance both political
and advocacy agendas. Come learn more about available online tools to improve your
advocacy efforts. This workshop will demonstrate ways to use LEGInfo, the legislative
tool used to track Illinois legislation.
Presenters: Ben Helphand, LEGInfo Coordinator
and Paul Smith, CNT Webmaster/Systems,
Room 9105.
Organizing 101: Grassroots organizing is a powerful tool for policy change. In this
workshop, we will discuss basic organizing strategies and message development. Examples
from a local pedestrian group will highlight strategies for organizing around transportation
issues. This workshop will feature active discussion and hands-on activities that will
increase particpants' organizing capacity and improve efforts to implement and advocate
for transportation-friendly legislation. Presenters: Karen Hobbs, Director, Research and
Development Division, CNT and Christy Prahl, Logan Square Walks,
Room 9104.
CNT
2125 W. North Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 278-4800
info@cnt.org
Citizen Action/Illinois
28 E. Jackson, Suite 605
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 427-2114
info@citizenaction-il.org
Workshop Information
For more info about Location
Efficiency legislation, contact:
Amanda Eichelkraut
Citizen Action Illinois
(312) 427-2114 x8
amanda@citizenaction-il.org
Learn and Discuss:
"Location Matters" in Illinois
Room 9101
Session I: 9:50-10:35 AM
Session II: 11:00-11:45 AM
Presenter: Amanda Eichelkraut,
Citizen Action/Illinois and the
Campaign to Build Illinois Transit
"Location Matters" in Illinois: The
Location Efficiency bill, currently in
the Illinois General Assembly, will
create economic development
incentives for businesses that locate
in areas that maximize current
infrastructure and are near
affordable housing or public
transportation. Learn more about
this legislation and how it can
potentially encourage economic
development in low-income
neighborhoods by creating location
efficiency in Illinois.
HB4442: Investing Public Funds for the Greatest Public Benefit
HB 4442 uses easily accessible data to enable the
Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
(DCEO) to make the most efficient use of limited state
funds while assisting businesses with progressive and
low-cost methods to recruit and retain employees.
HB4442 would:
· apply limited state economic development funds
wisely;
· reduce commute time resulting in less traffic
congestion and air pollution;
· promote the availability of workforce housing
near jobs; and
· help businesses build a stable workforce.
Illinois needs this bill because:
· Illinois ranks 5
th
in the nation in the longest
commute times; and
· on average, Americans spend 62 hours per year
in rush hour traffic and waste nine billion gallons
of gas in congestion.
HB 4442 would provide employers with an opportunity
to receive priority status for state economic
development assistance from DCEO. Applicants would
provide DCEO with information about the business
location including data on affordable housing,
accessible and convenient public transit, and existing
infrastructure in the area. If DCEO determines the
employer is in a "location efficient" site, the employer
receives priority status.
If DCEO determines the employer is not in a location
efficient site, the employer could give DCEO a plan
to increase the housing and/or transportation options
of its employees. Such plans might include an
employer-assisted housing plan, shuttle services, pre-
tax transit cards, or carpooling assistance. Many
Illinois employers have already implemented these
low cost plans to improve their recruitment and
retention efforts.
Employers opting not to follow either method can still
compete for DCEO funding.
"Location Matters" in Illinois
"The `jobs-housing imbalance' has
become a regional crisis, with low-
income households unable to find
affordable housing near newer job
centers and often unable to find
jobs near existing moderately
priced housing. Employers report
difficulty finding and retaining
workers willing to make arduous
commutes."
Changing Direction, 15
.
Context Sensitive
Design (CSD), also
known as Context
Sensitive Solutions
(CSS), requires state
road construction
policies and
practices to respect
the existing built and
natural environment and to foster travel choice in an
individual corridor. CSD requires the state to engage
in a collaborative planning process that includes local
officials, local and regional economic and cultural
organizations, and the general public.
Context Sensitive Design in Illinois
House Bill 3061, Context Sensitive Design, passed in
the spring of 2003 and was signed by the governor.
The bill was modeled on guidelines from Scenic
America. The Illinois Department of Transportation
completed its report on design guidelines to be in
conformance with CSS/CSD. The report is currently
being reviewed by the Governor and the General
Assembly and will be available to the public shortly.
In the meantime, visit their website to learn more
about CSS in Illinois at www.dot.state.il.us/css/
home.html.
Safe Routes to School and Walkable Communities
There has been an ongoing effort to pass Safe Routes
to School legislation to re-direct some federal safety
money to improving the bike and pedestrian
environments around schools. There are multiple
Safe Routes to School bills sponsored this session from
both sides of the aisle. Once Congress passes a federal
reauthorization bill, the likely source of Safe Routes
to School funds will become more clear.
Learn and Discuss:
Building Walkable Communities in
Illinois
Rm 9102
Session I: 9:50-10:35 AM
Session II: 11:00-11:45 AM
Presenters: Mark Ashby, Pace Bus
and John LaPlante, TYLin-Bascor
This workshop will cover the nuts
and bolts of context sensitive design
(CSD) -- the policy that encourages
roadbuilding with all users in mind
and with sensitivity to the
surrounding communities. The
workshop will also feature a
discussion of the importance of
pedestrian improvements to transit
service, particularly in suburban
communities. This is a particularly
timely issue because Illinois passed
legislation in 2003 that requires
Illinois Department of
Transportation to follow CSD
guidelines for roadway construction.
For more information about
pedestrian and bicyclist issues,
visit:
Pedestrian and Biking Info Center
www.bikepedinfo.org
Transportation Alternatives, NYC
www.transalt.org
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
www.rwjf.org/index.jsp
Context Sensitive Design and Walkable Communities
"The transportation projects that
should facilitate trips to schools,
daycare, the cleaners, health
facilities, the friend who lives a
half mile away or a recreation site
are often very different from the
projects designed for the work
commute."
Changing Direction, p. 9
n
During 2000 and 2001,
13.5%
of all traffic deaths in Illinois were
pedestrians. During that time
377
Illinois pedestrians died.
307
of those pedestrians were from
northeastern Illinois.
$4,461,693,893.00
is the amount of total federal surface
transportation funds spent in Illinois
(1998-2001). Only
1.0%
of total surface transportation funds
were spent on pedestrian/bicycle
facilities and safety. This averages to
$0.86
per person in Illinois on pedestrian/
bicycle facilities and safety.
In northeastern Illinois that amount is
even lower at
$0.64.*
Context Sensitive Design and Walkable Communities
Let's spend more than $0.86
per person!
We must increase
funding and attention to pedestrian
and bicycle facilities and safety.
Context Sensitive Design and Safe
Routes to School are tw o policies that
are critical to m aking our com m unities
m ore w alkable and accessible to
pedestrians young and old.
Talk to your elected official, urge her
or him to use the principles of context
sensitive design locally and support the
passage of Illinois Safe Routes to School
legislation.
An example of CSD: The
same street before....
*Information and data on pedestrians from Mean Streets 2002, Surface Transportation Policy Project, 2002.
...and after a bike lane was
added.
What You Can Do: Action and Application
"Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can
fail; without it nothing can succeed. Consequently, he who moulds
public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or
pronounces decisions. He makes statutes and decisions possible or
impossible to be executed." -
Abraham Lincoln
There are many ways for local, state, and national decision-makers to hear your voice.
During these uncertain times, when Congress is reformulating our federal transportation
legislation and local, regional, and state officials are determining how money is spent in
Illinois, it is critical to communicate your priorities to elected officials.
Contact your elected officials:
The more personal the better!
·
Elected officials respond well to personal messages from their constituents. While
postcard, letter-writing campaigns, and emails are essential means of
communication, a personal visit with your elected official is the most effective
means of expressing your concerns.
Make an appointment to meet with your elected official today!
·
You are an expert and a constituent. You know what your community needs. Use
the information in this booklet or in
Changing Direction: Transportation Choices
for 2030 to form talking points that you can use when speaking with your elected
officials about your priorities.
·
Invite a friend or neighbor to visit your elected official with you.
·
Research. Find out what your particular elected official's position has been on the
issue you are going to discuss.
·
Tell your elected official that you are a constituent. Elected officials are especially
responsive during meetings if they know they are talking to a constituent.
·
Tell him or her why change needs to occur. Be sure to make it personal. Make the
connection between the issues and community the elected official represents.
·
Finally--ask for a commitment from the elected official. You want change and
action -- you must ask for it!*
Good luck in your advocacy endeavors! If you need more information or would like more
copies of Changing Direction: Transportation Choices for 2030, call (773) 278-4800 x2030
or email ctaqc@cnt.org. Copies are also available on the web at www.cnt.org.
*Adapted from Wellstone Action! Materials
What You Can Do: Tools and Web Information
LEGInfo.org provides up-
to-date information on
Illinois legislation. This is
just one example of the
many available web
resources that can
improve your access to
legislative information.
Workshops: Tools and Strategies for Organizing
LEGInfo and Web-based Advocacy Tools
Room 9105
Session I: 9:50-10:35 AM
Session II: 11:00-11:45 AM
Presenters: Ben Helphand, LEGInfo Coordinator
and Paul Smith, CNT Webmaster/Systems
In the past year the advocacy and organizing
world saw the rapid introduction of a variety of
web-based tools that advance both political and
advocacy agendas. Come learn more about online
tools available for your advocacy efforts and how
you can use LEGInfo, the legislative tool used for
tracking Illinois legislation.
Organizing 101
Room 9104
Session I: 9:50-10:35 AM
Session II: 11:00-11:45 AM
Presenters: Karen Hobbs, CNT and Christy Prahl,
Logan Square Walks.
Grassroots organizing is an effective tool for
policy change. This workshop will discuss basic
organizing strategies and message development.
Examples from a local pedestrian group will
highlight strategies for organizing around
transportation issues. This workshop will feature
active discussion and hands-on activities for
participants to increase organizing capacity and
improve the effort to implement and advocate
for transportation-friendly legislation.
Federal transportation
legislation info:
www.transact.org
www.enhancements.org
http://thomas.loc.gov
Illinois elected officials: www.legis.state.il.us/
Cook County elected officials: www.cookctyclerk.com/directory.html
DuPage County: www.co.dupage.il.us/
Kane County: www.co.kane.il.us/
Lake County: www.co.lake.il.us/
McHenry County: www.co.mchenry.il.us/
Will County: www.willcountyillinois.com/
I-GO Car-Sharing
www.i-go-cars.com
Richard Kosmacher
2125 W. North Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
P: (773) 278-4446 x 227
F: (773) 278-3840
info@i-go-cars.org
GrayLine
http://community-2.webtv.net/GLRTS/
GRAYLINECONVERSION/
Mike Payne
grlts@webtv.net
Illinois Department of Transportation -
Context Sensitive Solutions
http://www.dot.state.il.us/css/
home.html
Michael Moss, Policy Advisor to the
Secretary, IDOT
310 S. Michigan Avenue,
Suite 1600
Chicago, IL 60604
P: (312) 793-2250
Congress for New Urbanism
CNU XII, Chicago, IL June 24-26
www.cnu.org
The Marquette Building
140 S. Dearborn Avenue, Suite 310
Chicago, IL 60603
P: (312) 551-7300
F: (312) 346-3323
cnuinfo@cnu.org
Organizational Displays
Freight and Economic Development
David Chandler
Center for Neighborhood Technology
2125 W. North Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
P: (773) 278-4800 x 123
F: (773) 278-3840
david@cnt.org
Community Technology Centers'
Network
www.ctcnet.org
Chicago Office
c/o Charles A. Hayes FIC
4849 S. Wabash Avenue
Chicago, IL 60615
Clean Air Counts
www.cleanaircounts.org
Eleanor Mayer
Center for Neighborhood Technology
2125 W. North Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
P: (773) 278-4800 x170
F: (773) 278-3840
emayer@cnt.org
Logan Square Walks
Christy Prahl
christyprahl@hotmail.com
P: (773) 278-1416
To join Logal Square listserve, go to:
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/
LoganSquareWalks/