WBEZ 91.5 Chicago

With highways and arterial roads plagued by congestion and the price of gas making airline travel more cost-prohibitive, trains—an efficient, economical means of travel—are once again a hot topic.

Planners often make assumptions about the health impacts of various planning approaches: “People will walk more if we provide public transit.” “Housing vacancies negatively impact the safety and well being of residents and the neighborhood.” Sound familiar?

With an uncertain economy, fluctuating gas prices, and the rising expenses of maintaining a productive workforce, there is no better time for employers to play a role in improving employee satisfaction, reducing the cost of congestion, and creating more livable communities… all the while, boosting t

When we crank up heaters, fire up ovens, and turn on taps, we don’t normally consider how the resources powering our lives are delivered to our homes, businesses, and institutions—until, of course, something stops working.

Fifty-five years after President Eisenhower signed the first federal transportation bill into law, our nation is investing two percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on infrastructure, far less than the five percent of GDP Europe spends or China’s nine percent.

 Since 1986 more than $7.5 billion has been collected in tax increment financing (TIF) funding in the City of Chicago and suburban Cook County.

According to the Metropolitan Planning Council, the time has come for bus rapid transit (BRT) in Chicago. Around the world, BRT systems are transforming cities, revitalizing neighborhoods, easing congestion, and increasing quality of life.