That old adage about things looking too good to be true applies to the Transportation Lockbox Constitutional Amendment. At first glance, the opportunity to assure more transportation funds to repair Illinois’ crumbling infrastructure was just that! Closer examination reveals a number of deficiencies. Ordinarily constitutional amendments emerge out of a broad civic discussion where their impacts can be evaluated from many perspectives and the wording revised to achieve the intended objective... Read the rest of this entry »

Frustrated motorists and transit commuters are among the many who should take a look at the transportation plan unveiled in July by Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle. The Connecting Cook County 2040 Long-Range Transportation Plan offers a five-point framework to build on what we have and serve growing demand in the future. Shaped by 42 experts, the plan is bold and forward looking. It prioritizes transit, bikes, and pedestrians, recognizing that younger people and our growing senior... Read the rest of this entry »

By Anthoni Cefali, CNT Young Innovators Chicago’s climate resilience has been widely discussed following a number of extreme weather events on the East Coast and devastating drought in California, but its economic resilience may deserve just as much attention. Home to Fortune 500 companies and a vibrant tech scene along with the manufacturing muscle that fueled a population boom in the early 1900s, Chicago’s diverse economy employs 4 million people and produces a gross regional product north... Read the rest of this entry »

One out of every three spaces. CNT visited the back lots and garages of apartment buildings around Chicago at 4:00 a.m., when tenants are asleep and their cars parked, and found one third of parking spaces empty. This excess parking capacity is a neighborhood affordability issue. Each indoor, underground parking space costs $37,300 to build. Multiply that by all of the spaces in the lot, and the price tag is huge. What if developers applied that money to build more affordable housing instead... Read the rest of this entry »

Gasoline is at the lowest price it’s been in five years, currently hovering around $2.00/gallon. It captures everyone’s attention. And it lowers household costs, but not as much as one might think.  The cost of gas represents only about 25% of the cost of owning a car. The other costs, like insurance and maintenance – not to mention the cost of the car itself – don’t fluctuate when gas prices do. Even a 50% decrease in pump prices only reduces the cost of owning a car by about 12.5%. We... Read the rest of this entry »

Chicago’s landscape is quickly changing. As was reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Plan Commission has approved a 99-year lease for the development of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. With this immense project beginning to materialize, it is crucial that the city’s public infrastructure grows in tandem. The construction of the Lucas Museum in the Near South Side area represents an important contribution to one of Chicago’s most historically important neighborhoods. A beacon of... Read the rest of this entry »

Last week, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle released the county budget for fiscal year 2016. While this may not sound terribly exciting, this particular budget holds the keys to building a strong and resilient Cook County. Although there has been much concern about proposed tax increases, this budget actually presents an opportunity to relieve the cost-of-living burden on Cook County families. As she has stated in the past, President Preckwinkle’s bold plan to prioritize the... Read the rest of this entry »

The Chicago area is now home to a new peer-to-peer carsharing service. CNT is spearheading an innovative two-year study in Chicago, in partnership with the Shared Use Mobility Center, and carsharing operator Getaround. Often called “Airbnb for cars,” peer-to-peer carsharing allows car owners to rent their vehicles to others when not in use via an online reservation platform. Since the average car sits unused more than 90% of the time, according to a 2011 Transportation Research Board (... Read the rest of this entry »

Growth around our transit system, commonly known as transit-oriented development (TOD), generates its biggest benefits when it includes all households and all neighborhoods. It gives residents choices for how to get around, particularly to jobs, and connects them to economic opportunity. It lowers the cost of living by making it easier for households of all incomes to live with fewer cars. It’s good for the climate with fewer cars on the road. And when it includes all types of households, it... Read the rest of this entry »

A recent Texas A&M study on traffic congestion misses the point. According to the report's findings, Chicago-area commuters lose 61 hours every year due to delays costing $1,445 annually for wasted fuel and time.  Yet we should be able to live in convenient places closer to our jobs and amenities, rather than always expect a road will take us there without delay.  Sixty-one hours a year boils down to 7.3 minutes of delay per trip. Two-thirds of area commuters get to work in... Read the rest of this entry »