CNT’s mantra that housing affordability needs to include transportation costs, and position that housing and transportation need to be considered together in planning for sustainable communities, have been heard and acted upon in unprecedented ways in key places in the federal government.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Secretary, Shaun Donovan, and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary, Ray LaHood, both testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development and announced the creation of an interagency partnership to promote sustainable communities through coordinating housing and transportation policy and investments.

CNT’s work—both our advocacy positions and the data from our research—was cited several times in their testimonies to demonstrate the key relationship between housing affordability and transportation costs.

In their joint press releases, Secretaries Donovan and LaHood stated that this partnership is “to help American families gain better access to affordable housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation costs. The average working American family spends nearly 60 percent of its budget on housing and transportation costs, making these two areas the largest expenses for American families.”

“CNT is delighted that HUD and USDOT officials formally recognize that affordability transcends housing and must include transportation costs in order to fit the pocketbooks of average Americans,” responded Scott Bernstein, CNT President. “With last summer’s escalating fuel costs, Americans learned they can no longer afford to ignore the second largest, and for many, the fastest growing expenditure in their budget.”

“In addition, while transportation costs may not be the primary cause of foreclosures, they certainly aggravate the problem, especially in outlying areas. As a country, we must direct the growth of our communities with housing, transportation and energy costs in mind so that we can achieve better economic, environmental and equitable outcomes for everyone.”

More Information:

• WEBCASTS: Livable Communities, Transit Oriented Development, and Incorporating Green Building Practices into Federal Housing and Transportation Policy.
• TESTIMONY: Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood (.pdf)
• TESTIMONY: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Shaun Donovan (.pdf)
• TESTIMONIES: Linked testimonies from the panel of experts at hearing
• BACKGROUND: September 2008 report to Congress from HUD/DOT that uses Center for Transit Oriented Development (of which CNT is a partner) research to help make the case for increased mixed-income and affordable housing near transit and helped facilitate agency coordination – “Better Coordination of Transportation and Housing Programs to Promote Affordable Housing Near Transit” (.pdf)

Green infrastructure has arrived on the national agenda, with funding to back it up. The federal stimulus act explicitly places a clear priority, and 20 percent of water infrastructure funding, onto green roofs, rain gardens, pocket wetlands, native vegetation, sustainable streets and parking lots, and other landscape-based water-conserving measures.

CNT recently advised President Obama’s Transition Team on the value of green infrastructure in federal water, housing, energy… Read More

RECAP: Transportation Freedom Day

On March 5, Chicago residents celebrated Transportation Freedom Day, the date a typical area household has earned enough to cover its transportation costs for the year. To mark the occasion, CNT joined Illinois Public Interest Research Group (ILPIRG), Active Transportation Alliance, and Midwest High Speed Rail Association in calling upon the Governor Quinn and Mayor Daley to prioritize investment in transit. At a press conference at Union Station, CNT Research Director Linda Young stated “that families living in transit-rich neighborhoods can save up to $2,500 a year versus those living in dispersed communities with no access to transit.”

New findings released by ILPIRG show that a typical Chicago family shells out the equivalent of two months of their annual salary to pay for transportation costs… Read More

RESOURCE: 2009 Briefing Book Outlines Illinois Environmental Policy

On March 3, CNT staff took part in a press conference in Springfield, IL to help outline the policy agenda for the new briefing book released by the Illinois Environmental Council. Priorities for a Healthful Illinois: 2009 Illinois Environmental Briefing Book offers specific policies and legislative action for these top environmental priorities: global warming and energy, open space and natural areas, transportation, environmental health and clean water.

Read More

Events

CNT celebrated 30 years of innovations in 2008. We could never have achieved this landmark without the generosity of friends like you. 2009 brings new opportunities to further our vision of developing compact, efficient urban communities, that use energy and water more efficiently, have more accessible transportation options, and are a solution to climate change.

But we need you to help support our efforts.

There are just a few days left in 2008 – please don’t wait to make your year-end, tax-deductible gift to CNT. If you make a gift of $100 or more, you will receive CNT’s new 100% cotton foldable tote bag!

Thank you for all your support.

Warmest wishes for a happy and sustainable 2009,

Kathryn Tholin
Chief Executive Officer

P.S. If you have already made your year-end gift to CNT, thank you again for your generous support.

Thanks to the support of the Taproot Foundation and with the help of a volunteer design team, CNT has redesigned cnt.org to incorporate CNT’s new logo and color scheme.

The new logo was designed by Plan A and was launched last year as part of a re-branding of CNT. The new logo reflects CNT’s dynamic and creative work as a think-and-do tank working on sustainable urban issues. Our new tagline, Sustainable Communities, Attainable Results, captures the 30 year history of CNT.

Read more and view the new design.

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CNT Update, July 2008
Place Matters: For 30 years, CNT has been developing sustainable and livable communities for everyone. With the rise in gas prices and the increased concern about global warming, CNT’s research and analysis about the location efficiency of urban neighborhoods has been generating greater interest in our work. From testifying before a congressional committee and providing the most fuel efficient neighborhoods to Forbes, to updating our Housing + Transportation Affordability Index with current Gas Costs and expanding I-GO car-sharing as a option to owning a car, this Update highlights our some of our exciting activities.

Sustainability News
1. Location Efficiency and the G.R.E.E.N. Act
2. Where Did Your Stimulus Check End Up?
3. Streetcar Revival Hitched to Reurbanization

CNT News
1. Location, Location, Location. New Online Gas Maps Paint Money Saving Picture
2. New Maps Added to Natural Connections
3. CNT Launches Illinois Smart Grid Initiative

CNT Toolbox
1. Tool Profile: Two Views of Affordability
2. CNT in the News
3. Jobs

Support Your Green Think-and-Do Tank
1. Attend a planning workshop
2. Listen to a Knowledgeplex Expert Chat
3. Donate to CNT’s 30th Anniversary

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Sustainability News
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1. Location Efficiency and the G.R.E.E.N. Act
On June 11, Scott Bernstein, CNT President, testified in front of the House Financial Services Committee in support of the proposed “Green Resources for Energy Efficient Neighborhoods (G.R.E.E.N.) Act” by U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO).

The Bill provides incentives to lenders and financial institutions to provide lower interest loans and other benefits to consumers, who build, buy or remodel their homes and businesses to improve their energy efficiency. This timely legislation reflects foresight and the considered input of a broad coalition of housing advocates, financial institutions, government leaders, developers, and the environmental community.

Bernstein testified in support of the bill, along with suggesting improvements, including expanding “efficiency” in this case to include “location efficiency” – the importance of valuing location to transportation infrastructure as a function of energy efficiency. Read his full testimony, including improvements, here.

CNT helped develop the Location Efficient Mortgage (LEM)—mortgages that help people become homeowners in communities where they can walk from their homes to stores, schools, recreation, and public transportation, saving them money by reducing their need to drive from place to place. LEM’s were available in Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco from 2001-2004. A recent survey of all the awarded LEM’s showed that one had defaulted. In Chicago, for example, of the 41 loans there were no defaults and 30 percent of the borrowers sold a car.

The G.R.E.E.N. Act is a great start in providing incentives to homeowners in becoming more efficient, but should not overlook the importance of the ‘location’ of a home when determining its ‘efficiency’. Just like the Location Efficient Mortgage, the G.R.E.E.N. Act can be used as a tool for combating foreclosures by revealing hidden costs of inefficiently located housing.

CNT was recently asked by Forbes to compile the most fuel-efficient neighborhoods in the U.S. Read the recent article here. In addition, CNT’s newest tool to reveal these costs is the “Housing + Transportation Affordability Index”, which is now available as an online interactive map at www.htaindex.org.

2. Where Did Your Stimulus Check End Up?
Without sufficient alternatives to driving, American families spent their entire economic stimulus check on high-priced gas. According to new analysis from the Illinois PIRG (Public Interest Research Group), since President Bush signed the tax rebates into law on February 13th, the average household spent over $1500 filling their tanks. Gas costs were higher than average in areas without robust public transportation.

The report highlighted the need to invest in the region’s transit infrastructure to give people an alternative to high gas prices.
“With adequate capital funding from lawmakers, we can invest in our transit network, expand service to communities that need it and make it easier for people to drive less,” said Emily Miller, Advocate with Illinois PIRG.

According to the analysis released by Illinois PIRG, since February when President Bush signed the tax rebates into law, the average cost per household for gasoline has gone from just over $60 weekly to almost $100 per week. Americans have responded to higher gas costs by taking public transportation at record rates in areas where it is available. American drivers traveled fewer miles last year for the first time in almost thirty years.

The Illinois PIRG-released analysis, generated by CNT, also shows that neighborhoods around the country with the best access to transit spent an average of $728 monthly on all transportation costs, including gas, insurance, upkeep, and transit fares. Households in neighborhoods with the least access to transit, by contrast, spent an average of $925 per month.

“Here in metropolitan Chicago, residents of transit rich communities like Evanston are able to keep their annual gas costs below $1,490 per year, while residents in communities with less access to transit, for example Hoffman Estates, are spending more than $4,500 per year, almost three times as much, ” said Scott Bernstein, CNT President.

Transit agencies have meanwhile struggled to keep up with the increased ridership volume. Despite the success of new rail routes and bus lines around the country, new transit projects, like the red line expansion, have remained stuck on the drawing board due to lack of funding.

“If Congress wants to do something long-term about high gas prices, it will give people more alternatives to driving,” said Miller. “Unless we make it easier to drive less, American families will be stuck in neutral as they spend more and more at the pump.”

Analysis by PIRG shows that public transportation created net oil savings totaling 3.4 billion gallons in 2006. This is enough to fuel 5.8 million cars for an entire year and to save about $13.6 billion in gasoline at today’s prices. Here in Northeastern Illinois, public transit saved 276 million gallons, the equivalent of saving $1.1 billion at the pump today.

Read the new report, “Squandering the Stimulus”.

For more information about transportation costs in 52 US Metropolitan areas, see http://htaindex.cnt.org.

3. Streetcar Revival Hitched to Reurbanization
With gas prices approaching $5/gallon, people are increasingly considering how not to rely on their vehicles to get to their work or do their errands. As a recent Wall Street Journal article reported, “Subprime-mortgage crisis and $4-a-gallon gasoline are causing many to think twice about remote subdivisions, rendering long commutes untenable.” The “collision” of all these factors is leading all sorts of people to re-think their commutes, where they live and how to get around cheaper and more efficiently.

Reurbanization has been happening for many years now. According to research by CNT and Reconnecting America, the number of households near transit stations will soar to 15 million by 2030, from 6 million now. This research shows it is less of a trend and more of a desire for entire lifestyle change. The interrelated nature of housing and transportation means that locating oneself closer to amenities, with better access to different forms of mobility will make deeper impact monetarily than switching to a more fuel-efficient vehicle, for example.

In tandem with the move toward more efficiently located living, the revival of the streetcar has been bubbling around the nation, and now is ever-more significant with the increase interest in urban living, and cities look for more options at providing more transit in often cheaper and quicker ways. Symbol of nostalgia for many, streetcars played an important role in urban cities all over in the early 1900’s of moving people around. Now, they are viewed as a great benefit for places that need transit, in a more readily, cost-effective way.

A recent Chicago Tribune article discusses the role that streetcars played in Chicago and the efforts to bring them back.

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CNT News
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1.Location, Location, Location. New Online Gas Maps Paint Money Saving Picture
Record-high gasoline prices are inspiring more Americans to celebrate Independence Day close to home. But those who live where they can walk, bike or take public transit to their local fireworks displays and other amenities are benefiting from another sort of independence – from gasoline.

New research from CNT shows that people who live close to transit, jobs, schools and retail – typically in cities and inner ring suburbs – spend up to $2,100 less annually on gasoline than residents of outer ring suburbs, where homes and amenities are generally more spread out and require more driving.

The research, which compares average household gasoline expenses based on the average number of vehicle miles traveled per household, examines 52 U.S. metropolitan areas across the country – encompassing 60 million households. It also looks at percentage of household income spent on transportation, number of vehicles per household, transit ridership and other variables on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis.

The gas-cost findings are a newly released addition to the Housing + Transportation Affordability Index, an interactive mapping web tool at http://htaindex.cnt.org.

Read the entire press release.

2. New Maps Added to Natural Connections
Natural Connections, the Chicago region’s first comprehensive database of green infrastructure featuring data for a 19-county region, has just expanded with new maps on pre-European settlement conditions in Northeastern Illinois and Chicago Wilderness Natural Communities Classification System.

In 2000, CNT and Openlands worked to collect data from more than 60 local, state, and federal agencies, as well as private land trusts and conservation groups. Collectively, the green infrastructure detailed on the map represents more than 175 layers of data.

Now, with funding from Chicago Wilderness, CNT and it’s partners have expanded the site. CNT has partnered with the Morton Arboretum, on the pre-European settlement conditions. One of these maps displays the pre-European settlement vegetation throughout the seven-county region of Northeastern Illinois-Cook, DuPage, Kane, McHenry, Kendall, Lake and Will Counties. Researchers at Morton Arboretum were able to compile notes and maps from the Government Land Office Public Land Survey (PLS) to develop maps illustrating the vegetation of the region. As importantly, technical reports which were completed for each county that include a quantitative analysis of the landscape pattern and timber composition are available online.

Collecting and displaying this data in a useful way can prove invaluable for land managers, students and educators by providing them context and references to the landscapes changes for restoration and conservation efforts. Over time, the landscape has changed so much-through fire suppression, agriculture, fragmentation by roads and development, logging, draining of wetlands, invasion of exotic plants and the effects of livestock, according to the researchers-that this information on pre-settlement conditions provides a pattern of the distribution and management needs of savanna, woodland forest vegetation.

CNT also worked with the Forest Preserve Districts of DuPage & Lake Counties, Fermilab and the Park District of Highland Park to create interactive maps showing and analyzing the distribution of natural communities within their land holdings. Using the Natural Communities Classification System developed by the Chicago Wilderness Consortium, these maps can facilitate an understanding of biodiversity while creating a tool for the assessment of the status of communities and aiding land managers in their work of restoring and maintaining diverse native ecosystems.

You can find the new maps at http://www.greenmapping.org/map by selecting the Featured Views of “Pre European Settlement Vegetation”, “Fermilab/DuPage Natural Communities”, “Highland Park Natural Communities”, and “Lake and McHenry Natural Communities”. At these maps, you can also read the corresponding reports.

3. CNT Launches Illinois Smart Grid Initiative
The Illinois Smart Grid Initiative is a voluntary group of state and local government, consumer, business, environmental, and utility stakeholders that will work together to examine how consumers can benefit from comprehensive grid modernization in Illinois. The Initiative is a project of CNT and is funded by the Galvin Project and assisted by the Galvin Electricity Initiative and USDOE.

A series of stakeholder meetings will be held in the coming months to engage policymakers and other influential leaders in the state in a discussion of the critical grid issues, opportunities, and costs, and to develop policies to improve performance of the electric power system. The Initiative plans to conclude its year-long project by issuing a report identifying key steps for improving electricity services throughout the State.

“As part of our goal to make Chicago the most environmentally-friendly city in the nation, we should not overlook improvements to our electric power grid,” said Mayor Daley. “The work of this initiative is a major step in the right direction and underscores the need for making electricity grids smarter, more efficient and most importantly, better for the environment.”

“Grid modernization should be approached in a way that provides concrete net benefits to consumers,” said Kathryn Tholin, CNT’s CEO. “This project’s unique contribution to the national discussion on smart grids is its focus on the opportunities for consumers, including residents, businesses, and institutions.”

Read more in an article by the Herald News.
Learn more at http://www.ilsmartgrid.org/.

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CNT Toolbox
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1. Tool Profile: Two Views of Affordability Select City Fact Sheets
The Housing + Transportation (H + T) Affordability Index is 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 location have on a household’s economic bottom line.

Fact sheets are available on the Housing + Transportation data for ten select metropolitan areas: Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Denver, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

View all at http://www.cnt.org/publications.

2. CNT in the News
A change-of-heart by a Newsweek author, who once claimed that a 20mpg SUV and a 35 mile commute were good choices. He mentions lots of handy websites for calculating housing costs, amount of income spent on gas, and walkability, including CNT’s HTA Index.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/144114/page/2

The move to car sharing continues. The CBS Evening News did a piece on car sharing with a mention that I-GO’s membership has soared 43% since last June.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/01/eveningnews/main4226335.shtml

What San Antonio is doing in response to higher energy prices, high waste, and CNT’s recent report.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/environment/stories/MYSA061208.1B.city_sustainability.EN.37bc4a0.html

This Tribune article briefly describes the different views of the Oak Park free trolley, with a quote from CNT Vice President, Steve Perkins.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-opshuttle_both_18jun18,0,5819236.story

3. Jobs

I-GO Marketing and Communications Coordinator
http://www.cnt.org/jobs#cmc

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Support your Green Think-and-Do Tank
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1. Attend a planning workshop
From the Margins to the Mainstream Workshop
Thursday and Friday, July 24-25
Denver, CO

The next installment of “From the Margins to the Mainstream” is a workshop to help participants understand what the principles referred to as “context sensitive solutions” (CSS) are, and how these principles can be used to balance and integrate the needs of travelers and communities in the planning and design of urban transportation systems. The workshop is directed at advocates, local officials and planning/design professionals in state DOTs, transit agencies, MPOs, and consultants.

The workshop will feature leading transportation experts, land use planners, and state and local officials as speakers and panelists. A field trip is included to give participants an opportunity to assess the potential of transforming a major urban corridor or transit station area by applying CSS principles.

The workshop will be held July 24-25th in Denver. REGISTER NOW!

2. Listen to a Knowledgeplex Expert Chat
KnowledgePlex Expert Chat on Housing + Transportation Affordability Index
Thursday, July 31, 2 p.m ET/1 p.m. CT

The Housing + Transportation Affordability Index, is an innovative tool that measures the true affordability of housing by including the cost of transportation associated with location. Planners, lenders, and most consumers traditionally measure housing affordability as 30 percent or less of income. The Housing + Transportation Affordability Index, in contrast, takes into account not just the cost of housing, but also the intrinsic value of place, as quantified through transportation expenses.

The latest release of the H + T Index, a project of the Brookings Institution’s Urban Markets Initiative, includes an interactive mapping site which provides housing and transportation costs at the neighborhood level for 52 metropolitan areas. Additionally, other key characteristics of neighborhoods are presented, including average VMT (vehicle miles traveled), auto ownership rates, employment density, and transit ridership. Recognizing the relationship between urban form, housing site selection, and transportation costs and integrating this way of thinking into the choices and decisions made by home buyers, renters, urban and transportation planners and developers are key factors in creating and establishing true affordability in housing choices.

In this chat, you will have the opportunity to learn about the Housing + Transportation Affordability Index and how it can be used by planners, housing advocates and transportation agencies. To view the Index prior to the chat, visit CNT’s interactive website at: http://htaindex.cnt.org

More information at http://www.knowledgeplex.org/xchat.html.

3. Donate to CNT’s 30th Anniversary
CNT was founded in 1978 as a center of innovation for the redevelopment of Chicago’s low- and moderate income communities. We started out as a small storefront operation with tomatoes growing in the windows and a goal to invent strategies that can turn community problems into assets. We’ve since grown to a national “think-and-do” tank that is leading the movement toward urban sustainability, with programs focusing on resource efficiency, transportation, job creation, and environmental quality.

CNT brings a unique perspective and three decades of experience to growing concerns about the environment. Our work is demonstrating that cities can be the solution to the challenge of climate change and economic inequality because of their inherent, yet often hidden, assets of density and social networks. And these solutions, if well crafted, can also reduce the cost of living.

Join us in celebrating our first 30 years of urban sustainability innovations at our 30th Anniversary Celebration on September 17th at the Garfield Park Conservatory. More information at http://www.cnt.org/30years.

We’re Spring Cleaning!
To better understand what our subscribers want to know about CNT while keeping the most up-to-date and comprehensive information, please consider filling out this form to be on our physical mailing list. CNT does not sell any of our information to third parties. Some of the information CNT sends: annual reports, event announcements, and publications of interest.

Please send back to kathrine@cnt.org.

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CNT Update: May 2008

Sustainability News
Chicago Tackling Key Sustainability Issues
Smart Cars or Smart Cities?
The Shift to Commuting by Bike

CNT News
Chicago Matters May Topic: Transportation
CNT Celebrates 30 Years
HTA Index Launched

CNT Toolbox
Tool Spotlight: HTA Index
CNT in the News
Staff Updates
Jobs

Support Your Neighborhood Green Think Tank
Attend a Transportation Planning Workshop
Get your home supplies at Green Home Chicago Design Center
Host CNT’s 30th Celebration

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Sustainability News
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Chicago Tackling Key Sustainability Issues
The City of Chicago recently announced the official commencement of the Blue Bag recycling program, scheduled to be phased out this summer. By 2011, the more supported, source-separated Blue Cart recycling program will be available in all wards. In addition, the City will be adding about 15 additional recycling drop-off locations in order to provide a recycling option to those not served by the Blue Cart program during the transition. Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Michael Picardi has said that the blue cart rollout cannot go any faster because the city lacks the funding for all new carts, trucks, and employees needed. Since ending the blue bag program will free up funds to direct toward getting carts out quicker to all wards, it is hoped that a complete city-wide program will happen sooner than 2011. While this is a positive move toward becoming more credible as a “green city”, there continues to be huge amounts of waste that will not get recycled while the City transitions to a full roll-out. It’s important for Chicagoans to continue to lobby for a quicker commitment from the City. To see the schedule for 2008, view the map here.

In addressing another key issue in building a more sustainable region-mass transit and congestion-the more complex issue of “bus rapid transit” (BRT) has been a focus of discussion. The federal government is awarding more than $153 million to Chicago and the CTA to test bus rapid transit lanes as well as congestion pricing. By dedicating lanes to busses, the nation’s second most congested city is taking a step to benefit not only public transit users but people who continue to drive (as buses will no longer weave from lane to lane to make stops). The comprehensive vision means that other forms of transportation can be integrated into future plans: bike renting and car sharing would be available at rapid-transit stations, which would have turnstile fare-collection equipment to facilitate faster boarding. And the strategy goes hand-in-hand with recently passed Complete Streets legislation that calls for enabling all types of transportation users the ability to share the road safely.

Progressive congestion solutions will transport Chicago to the world-class city it wants to be, putting it in step with the newly emerging metropolises that been able to develop around more diverse forms of mobility. The bus rapid transit lanes would also contribute to lower emissions of carbon dioxide gases because the double-long, hybrid buses that the CTA will be purchasing would also be stopping less often.

To read more about the plans, see the CTA website here.

Smart Cars or Smart Cities?
Chicago is not the only city considering the value of multi-modal transport in an urban environment. New research is coming out that agrees with and builds on what CNT advocates: eliminating auto dependency is a key to cleaner, less congested and more livable cities. WorldChanging editor Alex Steffen recently wrote in BusinessWeek that cities are “a smart alternative to cars”, and that the key to reducing emissions lies not in new auto technology, but in cities that eliminate the need to be constantly driving.

The fundamental issue is an overdependence on vehicles to get from here to there, resulting in the nation’s increasing congestion problems and rising greenhouse gas emissions. This paradigm means that efforts at making vehicles more fuel efficient-while important because vehicles cannot be eliminated-does not properly focus on the solution of reducing vehicle dependency altogether. As Mr. Steffen puts it, “The best car-related innovation we have is not to improve the car but to eliminate the need to drive it everywhere we go.”

After all, as one sits in congestion, amongst a seemingly infinite amount of vehicles, on a finite amount of space, is the point to be wasting time in a car that gets better fuel efficiency? Or can we delve deeper into solutions-reducing the use of cars, whenever possible? The new issue of the Chicago Reporter, “Jammed” looks at the driving habits of Chicagoland residents. And it becomes clear that the region is “at capacity” for more people and more cars at farther and longer trips, which is the direction the region is headed. With some commuters spending 20 hours a week just driving to and from their jobs; others spending hundreds on gas each week, it seems the problem cannot be solved in the car.

In 2007, rides on the Regional Transportation Authority system-which includes the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace- made up just 5.6 percent of all trips taken in the six-county Chicago region, according to a study by Chicago Metropolis 2020. Some advocates say the figure needs to be more than twice that in order to sustain the region long-term. It seems the most important fixes are to build off of the increasing trend of using alternate ways to get around, while also focusing on making that shift easier by developing or redeveloping, using infill development and infrastructure investments to transform existing medium-low density neighborhoods into walkable compact communities.

The Shift to Commuting by Bike
A recent article by Washington Post syndicated columnist, Neal Peirce, explores the possibility of 2008 as the “Year of the Bicycle”, citing not only the gathering force of the Congressional Bike Caucus (which is now 160 bipartisan members), but also Mayor Daley’s inclination towards this more friendly (and fun) form of transportation, specifically his interest in Paris’ Velib rental bike program and the possible development of a program in Chicago.

Starting this spring, 40 cities all over North America will take part in a Bike to Work Week (or in the case of Seattle, a Bike to Work Month!). The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation’s annual Bike to Work Week, for example, will help to raise awareness about safe biking during one of the most frequent commutes people make: to and from work, while also promoting better employee health and organizational commitment to sustainability. “Bicycle commuting transforms the atmosphere at work — it boosts the health and energy of employees, encourages team spirit, lowers costs, and builds the organization’s reputation for being green,” said Rob Sadowsky, executive director of the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation.

For organizations and companies raring up to compete in the annual Challenge, designated Team Leaders get their office excited about commuting by bike. They recruit co-workers, track team-members’ biking trips, and offer tips on making bicycle commuting easy and fun. “Public esteem is a big incentive in this competition. It’s a sign of the vitality and vision of the organization when employees compete for health instead of parking spots,” Sadowsky said.

Bike to Work Week in Chicago is June 7-13. In addition, the Commuter Challenge is now open to all companies who want to compete to be the most environmentally friendly company in Chicagoland. In the meantime, learn how to ride safely and comfortably to work here.

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CNT News
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Chicago Matters May Topic: Transportation
Now in its 18th year, Chicago’s award-winning multimedia public affairs series Chicago Matters: Growing Forward is examining how the choices we make today impact our environment and the future of our region. Over the next 25 years Northeastern Illinois will experience major growth — 1.2 million new jobs will be created and as many as two million new residents will join the 8 million people already living here.

Anyone currently living in the Chicagoland region knows that our shared resources are already under strain: we spend some 253 million hours and 151 million gallons of fuel just sitting in traffic jams. Our public transit system is the nation’s second largest, but has faced funding shortfalls and an increasingly decrepit infrastructure for decades. If current projections are accurate, as many as 23 townships may suffer water deficits of varying severity by the year 2030. Meanwhile the region’s buildings are the source of the largest portion of greenhouse gas emissions to our atmosphere. These are some of the important issues that the series has been exploring.

Before the launch of the series in March, CNT partnered with the Metropolitan Planning Council to aid the media in addressing these complex issues by developing a resource guide. The guide covers all eight topics of the Chicago Matters series: Transportation, Water, Energy, Land, Waste, Food, Air and Community and is helping to provide journalists with the contacts and resources they need for their stories.

Chicago Matters is an annual public information series made possible by The Chicago Community Trust, with programming by WTTW 11, Chicago Public
Radio, the Chicago Public Library, and The Chicago Reporter, a publication of the Community Renewal Society. Visit www.chicagomatters.org for more information. You can also sign up for the Chicago Matters e-update, with sneak peaks of upcoming stories and links to all current stories.

CNT Celebrates 30 Years
In 30 years, CNT has grown from a small storefront operation with tomatoes growing in the window to a national “think-and-do” tank that is leading the movement toward urban sustainability-locally, national and recently even internationally. We would love to hear your stories of what you think CNT has done well over the years and where you would like to see our work in the years to come. Email thoughts to annette@cnt.org.

SAVE THE DATE: CNT will celebrate its accomplishments and innovations which have addressed critical urban environmental and economic issues. The 30th Anniversary Celebration will take place on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 from 6 PM to 9 PM at the Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N. Lake Street.

Interesting in hosting the event? Or maybe your firm has services you would like to donate for the event? Please contact Nicole Gotthelf, Director of Development and Communications at nicoleg@cnt.org.

HTA Index Launched
The launch of CNT’s new Housing + Transportation Affordability Index website has lead to news stories from Boston to Seattle and from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Austin. CNT talked to individuals across the country who live in compact transit-rich neighborhoods about why they choose to live there.

In Chicago, longtime Hyde Park resident Charlotte D. figures she saves $5,000 a year by not having a car. It’s been 30 years since she had one, so she estimates she has saved $150,000 so far by using public transportation.

“I haven’t missed it,” she says. “I take the bus, which picks me up right next door to where I live. It takes me 15 minutes to get to work downtown. The bus comes by every five minutes during rush hour, 10 minutes in off-hours. It takes less time than driving, not to mention what I save in parking.
People should think more about public transportation. I’m always surprised that people don’t use it. Besides the fact that you save a lot of money, you’re healthier. I walk much more than if I drove everywhere.”

Continue reading this story…

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CNT Toolbox
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Tool Spotlight: HTA Index
The Housing and Transportation Affordability Index website has generated lots of press and posting on blogs. Many have found it a helpful, brilliant, and even ground breaking tool that reveals transportation costs at the neighborhood level in 52 metro areas. The website provides invaluable and previously unknown information to consumers, housing advocates, and elected officials to understand the true cost of housing affordability based on location. Try it out at www.htaindex.org. According to the Washington Post, “it’s a data fest even by wonk standards.” At the same time, as Alex Steffan put it on Business Week, “it clearly illustrates a basic principle in contemporary urban planning through a simple portrayal of real numbers.”

Interested in finding out the average vehicle miles traveled in your metropolitan area? What’s the transit ridership percentage? Or, as the tool is named, the combined housing and transportation costs for both renters and owners? Find out all of these and many more at www.htaindex.org.

CNT in the News

What’s Going Down(Town) blog, How Much Gas Before We Change?
Describes auto dependency in Fort Wayne, Indiana and cites CNT’s work in Fort Wayne.

Green Trend in Building Economical
Green Infrastructure is taking the Chicago region by ’storm’! The term in being used more to explain why natural processes like rain gardens, native vegetation, and permeable pavement are often low-cost, environmentally sustainable and sometimes even crime-lowering ways of treating stormwater.

All Aboard? Supporters Say Expanding Passenger Rail Service in Maine Makes Perfect Sense, but Skeptics Counter Transportation Funding is Desperately Needed Elsewhere
A detailed from MaineBiz about transit-oriented development in Maine. CNT’s report on the Amtrak Downeaster is cited.

Staff Updates

We were sad to say good-bye to some great talent:
Deb Ackles
Claus Jensen
Kevin Garvey
April Whitworth
Aaron Schrieber-Stainthorp
Janet Hanley
Mary McGrath
Demelza Philips

CNT is growing and filling up with excellent new talent:
David Becker, CNT Energy, Operations Manager
Kathryn Eggers, CNT Energy, Communications Associate
Clare Wisner, I-GO, Member Service Associate
Anjuli Seth, I-GO, Member Service Associate
Evan Skow, I-GO, Fleet Assistant
Aaron Roquena, Network Administrator
Adam Goldstein, CFO
Matthew Scallet, CNT Energy, Communications Associate
Susan Casey, CNT Energy, Intern
Michelle Moore, I-GO, Billing Coordinator
Justin Hardesty, Member Services
Hal Sprague, Senior Policy Associate, Natural Resources

Jobs

Senior Research Analyst
Posted: April 10, 2008

Senior Transportation & Economic Development Planner
Posted: April 10, 2008

Economic Development and Research Associate, Transportation, Community, and Economic Development Division
Posted: May 7, 2008

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Support Your Neighborhood Green Think Tank
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Attend a Transportation Planning Workshop
Over the course of the past year, CNT and the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership have held a series of webinars and workshops aimed at educating transportation advocates, government officials, developers, and citizens on the transportation planning process. These have been part of a larger project whose goal is to improve the quality of public involvement during transportation planning.

The next installment of “From the Margins to the Mainstream” is a workshop to help participants understand what the principles referred to as “context sensitive solutions” (CSS) are, and how these principles can be used to balance and integrate the needs of travelers and communities in the planning and design of urban transportation systems. The workshop is directed at advocates, local officials and planning/design professionals in state DOTs, transit agencies, MPOs, and consultants.

Register now for the event here.
Read more here

Get your home supplies at Green Home Chicago Design Center
Green Home Chicago is a new company that sells unique and eco-friendly interior design products for commercial and residential sites while remaining dedicated to the health of the planet, its inhabitants and our economy. The design center is one of a growing number of “greenhouses” for the rapidly growing business sector of sustainable materials. The result is a magnificent variety of elegant and distinctive eco-friendly furnishings for clients created by an industry with a social conscience.

Best yet, Green Home Chicago donates 1% of all profits to green-minded organizations and customers have the option to decide exactly where the contribution resulting from their purchases will be made. This year, Green Home Chicago has selected CNT as a benefactor from this program.

Learn more about Green Home Chicago here.

Host CNT’s 30th Celebration
CNT is celebrating its 30th year with a party at the Garfield Park Conservatory on September 17, 2008. Consider become a sponsor of this event.

Sponsorship Levels: Platinum ($30,000); Gold ($10,000); Silver ($5,000), Bronze ($2,500), Green ($1,000), and Friend ($300). For more information, about sponsorship opportunities, contact Nicole Gotthelf at nicoleg.@cnt.org.

Your support helps CNT develop innovative programs that build more livable and sustainable communities.

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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.

• Promoted Energy Efficiency to Save People Money
• Performed Key Climate Change Research
• Expanded Car Sharing in Chicago and Nationally
• Fought for Reliable and Affordable Mass Transit
• Demonstrated the Value of Green Buildings
• Put Green Infrastructure on the Map
• Helped to Make Chicago a Leader in Sustainability

CNT News
1. Green Infrastructure Permeates Through Chicago
2. “Maps in the Public Square” Now Online
3. I-GO Partners with Carsharing Throughout North America

Sustainability News
1. Chicagoland Transit and the Lows of Negotiation
2. Greenbuild Leaves a Trail of Sustainability Initiatives
3. Calculating What it Means to be Green

CNT Toolkit
1. Tool Spotlight: Illinois Pedestrian Guide
2. CNT in the News
3. Staff News
4. Jobs

Support Your Local ‘Green’ Think Tank
1. Donate to CNT’s 2007 Annual Fund
2. Attend a Summit on Climate Change
3. Support CNT While you Holiday Shop

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CNT News
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1. Green Infrastructure Permeates Through Chicago
Just how permeable is the Chicago region? Green infrastructure demonstration projects like the Wangari Maathai Natural Garden, a native garden at the Al Raby School on the west side and now the St. Margaret Mary School native garden on the north side, are making Chicago a ‘green sponge’ for stormwater, creating natural open space in an urban environment that also raises awareness about the potential for community greening.

On October 18th, students and parishioners worked with Green Corps to plant nearly 500 native Illinois prairie plants in the main parking lot of the church and school. The “green infrastructure” was blessed and officially dedicated by St. Margaret Mary’s priest, Father Jim Barrett, on October 28th.

Creating more green space and using existing green space more wisely throughout the Chicago region will reduce runoff, protect water quality, and sustainably enhance communities while saving money on infrastructure investments. As Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Wangari Maathai declared while speaking at the recent dedication of the garden project at Al Raby High School, “it is this type of activity that should be replicated a billion times throughout the world.”

This latest green infrastructure research and demonstration project, funded by the U.S. EPA, is a partnership with the City of Chicago to gather engineering and soil data on the performance of stormwater best management practices (BMP’s) that use the power of plants to absorb and clean rainfall runoff. The gardens were built with Green Corps, a City-sponsored community landscaping and job training program. CNT will use these features to demonstrate how green infrastructure can fit into attractive neighborhoods and improve local drainage problems.

Look at pictures from the planting day at St. Margaret Mary School and Church http://www.flickr.com/photos/29965049@N00/sets/72157602725152275/

2. “Maps in the Public Square” Now Online
Maps are not only tools that get you from Point A to Point B. They can also expose visually an important story about resource patterns and trends of a defined area. They tackle social questions like, “Are Starbucks an indicator of gentrification?” or “Do lower-income communities have less access to fresh produce?” Depicting instances like these help community members and planners better deal with the needs of an area that may not always be clear.

Chicago’s Festival of Maps celebrates the array of beneficial uses maps provide. During the festival, the online exhibit, “Maps in the Public Square: An Atlas of the Next Chicago Region” highlights the creative combination of mapmaking and public policy in the Chicago region. The region’s groundbreaking advances in regional planning, sustainable urban development, and community decision-making have been supported and given shape by equally groundbreaking cartography. The exhibit draws on both the deep Chicago well of public discussion and the newest mapmaking technologies to create an annotated atlas of the best of the recent work in this area.

With contributions from CNT, Openlands, and Chicago Metropolis 2020, to name a few, these maps tell historical stories about the region and also reveal future implications through different topics like ‘work’ ‘moving’ ‘plans and visions’ and ‘play’.

Where are the emerging art-focused neighborhoods? Where are the ‘food deserts’ in Chicago? What is the average household transportation expense in a particular district? These are just some of the fascinating questions that can be explored at this online exhibit that runs into 2008 and will then become an online atlas. The exhibit contains over sixty map images as well as links to online mapping website and is curated is Mark Bouman, Professor of Geography at Chicago State University.

Peruse the exhibit at http://www.mapsinthepublicsquare.org/.

3. I-GO Partners with Carsharing throughout North America
In a move that boosts the viability of car sharing as an alternative to owning a car, I-GO recently partnered with other not-for-profit carsharing groups in Philadelphia, San Francisco and five Canadian cities to develop and adopt a code of ethics. The decision was made following discussions held in October in Montreal by the carsharing organizations in Philadelphia (PhillyCarShare), Montreal and Quebec City (Communauto), Ottawa (Vrtucar), Toronto (AutoShare), Kitchener (Grand River CarShare), Chicago (I-GO), San Francisco (City CarShare), and Vancouver (Co-operative Auto Network).

For the organizations participating, a code of ethics will help guide and strengthen carsharing as an emerging industry. The code’s main objectives are to establish professional business standards that will protect and enhance the concept, the image and the credibility of carsharing, to ensure social and environmental commitment, customer protection and transparency.

The idea of carsharing is to reduce private ownership of cars, decrease overall driving, improve the environment, reduce congestion and improve the quality of life in our cities. A code of ethics will provide a standard that helps to ensure these principles are sustained as the industry grows.

I-GO CEO, Sharon Feigon, said in a recent press release, “Carsharing programs have already had remarkable results in reducing car ownership. As concerns about climate change become more pressing, we expect the industry to continue to grow and we want to ensure that the industry continues to focus on reducing carbon emissions. It is critical that we have standards so that providers accurately calculate and share the environmental results from their programs and continue to contribute to achieving the substantial environmental benefits possible from carsharing,”

Together, the participating organizations have a combined total of over 75,000 members and 2,000 vehicles. This is great news for members of I-GO, who will soon have access to cars in these other cities. And at the conference in Montreal, all North American carsharing organizations were invited to join this effort and most expressed interest, so now having an I-GO membership can mean great things for the traveling kind.

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Sustainability News
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1. Chicagoland Transit and the Lows of Negotiation
In proper dramatic fashion, a last minute infusion of federal funds to the tune of $27 million helped to avert the most recent mass transit crisis. Transit in the Chicago region will continue as usual through the end of 2007, though, as transit-riders at a CTA board public hearing Monday evening made clear, “as usual” is not as good as it should be.

Moreover, the extra funds will run out on January 20th. The CTA board met and voted to eliminate 81 of their 154 routes, lay off more than 2,000 workers, and raise fares if further funds do not appear before then.

Currently, legislators are working to find a funding source for transit that will raise capital for other infrastructure projects, along with Governor Blagojevich and Mayor Daley. Legislators have so far been unwilling to support SB 572, a comprehensive funding and reform bill proposed by Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston) that would secure the future of Northeastern Illinois’ transit network.

Now, Governor Blagojevich has mandated a special session in Springfield on November 28 to agree on a plan so service cuts and fare increases as proposed will not go into effect on January 20.

To get a better sense of what has led to the current modus operandi-coming to a crux as politicians storm out of meetings, one-up another with insults, and refuse to attend meetings altogether-CNT’s Vice President for Policy, Transportation and Community Development, Jacky Grimshaw was recently on CAN-TV discussing the history of the RTA-transit issue in the Chicagoland region, beginning in 1983, when the incumbent Republican administration restructured the agency. Watch the video at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3600123879951637368&hl=en(Note: Audio may cut out and the issue is being resolved).

Now, as the RTA is working on their 2008 operating and capital program budget for the region’s transit system, they are asking public input. Twelve public budget meetings are scheduled across the region, and they are strongly encouraging the public to attend. To see a meeting schedule, go to http://movingbeyondcongestion.org/downloads/meetings_schedule__08.pdf

2. Greenbuild Leaves a Trail of Sustainability Initiatives
The U.S. Green Building Council’s annual conference, “Greenbuild” recently came to Chicago, with record attendance estimated at 22,835. The presence in Chicago became a significant focus as new programs were announced that will help make lasting impressions to Chicago’s green reputation.

President Bill Clinton gave the keynote on the first day, unveiling two programs that the Clinton Climate Initiative and City of Chicago are partnering on, aimed at helping Chicago homeowners and owners of commercial buildings modernize their buildings to reduce energy use. The Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program is designed to enable cities to implement cost-effective, green retrofits of existing buildings, and will begin on the Sears Tower and the Merchandise Mart. The buildings will first undergo audits to evaluate green elements that make sense and then will be overhauled to increase energy efficiency and reduce their carbon footprints.

The initiative builds off existing City programs, which, as part of The Preservation Compact initiated by the Chicago-based MacArthur Foundation, is retrofitting affordable housing developments of between four and 25 units. CNT Energy and Chicago Investment Corporation are among the partner organizations and will work in the area of reducing operating costs in multifamily rental properties. The organizations have created Cook County Energy Savers, a one-stop energy efficiency program that will provide technical assistance and loans for energy-efficiency improvements.

Last year, Chicago became one of forty cities around the world to begin the relationship with the Clinton Foundation’s Climate Change Initiative that led the announcement at Greenbuild. Mayor Daley also announced in a press conference that the Chicago Climate Change Task Force final report will be released in early 2008, and the City will evaluate its long-range recommendations, which CNT also contributed to by researching and producing 33 mitigation strategies the City should implement.

One thing was clear about Greenbuild this year: ‘green’ has hit the mainstream, as the huge presence from corporations like GE and DOW Chemicals revealed. As sustainability has advanced beyond a fringe way of living; now a strong movement, it is important that the ethics and ideals that conceived it are still upheld and advanced. Now that we are fundamentally altering the way our buildings are designed and how our travel connects points A to B, will the private corporate investment help maintain this ethic?

Tell us your thoughts here.

3. Calculating What it Means to be Green
Since being ‘green’ is no longer just about the feel-good benefits, bragging about your waste reduction habits or cutting-edge solar panels on your roof doesn’t quite impress the more savvy consumer looking to be environmentally responsible while saving money. As a result, more and more emerging tools help people know exactly why going green can also be about saving themselves the other kind of green.

The Eating Green Calculator, created by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, helps display how your food choices translate into pounds of fertilizer, manure, and pesticides and acres of grain and grass for animal feed. The calculator also lets you see how the numbers would change if you reduced your consumption of a specific meat or dairy product. Try it out at http://www.cspinet.org/EatingGreen/calculator.html.

CNT’s calculators like the Green Values Stormwater Calculator and Travel Matters Emission Calculator help you to figure out the costs-benefits of your actions as well as providing information on how to change the habits that may be costing you more and impacting the planet more harshly.

Travelmatters Individual Calculator measures how much greenhouse gas you generate as a result of your daily transportation activity. By entering the monthly distances you traveled by mode of transportation – on foot, by bicycle, car, bus, train, plane, or boat – the calculator will do your “greenhouse gas accounting” for you. As a resource tool, the profile allows you to set goals for personal emissions reduction, and then to follow your progress. By illuminating the links between transportation and global warming, the TravelMatters calculator will help you make better-informed decisions about how you travel. Calculate your travel footprint at http://www.travelmatters.org/calculator/individual/?sid=84aff14792151e9a8e8cfcdafdc36bdd

The Green Values Calculator is the first step in achieving a full understanding of the role that green infrastructure can play in alternative infrastructure provisions. The tool allows developers, regulators or property owners to assess the economic and hydrological impact of green versus conventional stormwater management. Try it out at http://greenvalues.cnt.org/calculator.

‘Green calculators’ are an easy and interactive way to determine if and how your efforts are making an environmental impact and if and how they are impacting your wallet.

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CNT Toolkit
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1. Tool Spotlight: Illinois Pedestrian Guide
Often overlooked, walking is the most common, healthy and affordable way to get around. Did you know that for about 30% of Americans are either too young, do not have access to a car, choose not to drive or have a condition that precludes them from driving?

This guide explains what both pedestrians and drivers need to do to keep Illinois walking safely. Download this convenient pocket/wallet guide at http://www.cnt.org/repository/PedestrianRules.pdf and learn some rules of the road and tips you may have not known.

2. CNT in the News

November 3 was a National Day of Climate Action, though given the news coverage on an almost daily basis, it has become clear that the issue justifies more than one day of action. The national coalition “Step it Up” brought in speakers from all sectors, in different venues around the country for this day of action. The Step it Up website has compiled reports about Chicago’s event, where CNT Energy’s Anthony Star spoke about Chicago’s baseline emissions and targets.
Read at http://events.stepitup2007.org/november/reports/2078.

Power Smart Pricing, the CNT Energy administered program, has rolled out full-scale to Ameren customers in downstate Illinois. Residential customers now have the option to pay for their electricity on a ‘real-time’ market rate basis, versus the traditional averaged-out price per day. Read more about the program in Illinois, which is the first state to offer real-time residential pricing.
Read at http://www.cntenergy.org/news/?cat=5.

Last fall, the City of Evanston joined 699 other cities and signed onto a Climate Protection Agreement that follows the Kyoto Protocol. Under goals set by that act, by 2012 Evanston should lower emissions to 7 percent below what they were in 1990. Evanston has been holding public meetings in an effort to begin their plan to attain this goal. The Daily Northwestern covered the most recent public meeting, where CNT’s Linda Young talked about Chicago’s mitigation strategies.
Read at http://weblog.cnt.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/evanstonclimateplan_dailynorthwestern111407.pdf

3. Staff News
CNT is growing and filling up with excellent new talent:

Kang Chang is CNT’s new Research and Operations Associate
Garrett Phillips is working on CNT’s Smart Growth in Older Neighborhoods projects in Blue Island, Harvey and Milwaukee
Dylan Walsh is helping to develop curriculum for the Equity Express program in Oakland, CA

4. Jobs

Safe Routes to School Coordinator for Logan Square Neighborhood Association
http://www.lsna.net/display.aspx?pointer=4921

Communications and Marketing Director, Illinois Environmental Council
http://www.ilenviro.org/news/?item=88

Also, check out the Chicagoland Green Collar Jobs Initiative’s Jobs Summit on December 7.
http://www.greencollarchicago.org/

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Support Your Local ‘Green’ Think Tank
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1. It’s that time of year! Donate to CNT’s 2007 Annual Fund
Your support helps CNT develop the innovative programs that build more livable and sustainable urban communities. Unrestricted funding in particular-not tied to any specific project-gives us the freedom to test different strategies and fund the research and development activities that larger institutional donors are less able to support.

Thanks to individuals like you, over the past year, CNT has:

Please help sustain our efforts at http://www.cnt.org/support. Thanks for your generosity!

2. Get involved in creating a climate change agenda! Attend the CMAP Summit
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and its regional partners will host the second in a series of Innovation + Integration summits. In developing the 2040 Regional Comprehensive Plan – due for completion in 2010 – CMAP is beginning a dialogue on the development of a regional agenda for addressing impacts of climate change. This is one of the nation’s first such efforts to take a regional approach. CMAP and its partners will collect pertinent research and analyze it to determine potential implications for communities across the region.

The summit agenda will feature distinguished speakers assessing the risks and opportunities in terms of our energy future, human and natural resource health, infrastructure, commerce, and land-use and transportation planning. This event is designed for policy makers and advocates across the following areas: municipal, county and regional representation, land-use and transportation, economic development, health and human services, natural resources, developers, business and civic organizations, faith-based organizations, CMAP board committees.

Read more and see the agenda at http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/summit/default.aspx#agenda. CNT’s Peter Haas will be beginning the Summit with an overview of what the region can expect as the regional agenda moves forward.

3. Support CNT While you Holiday Shop
Giveline.com is an online store created for the community-minded shopper, offering more than a million bestselling products including books, movies, music, electronics, housewares, gifts and more. Every purchase generates a substantial donation to CNT – an amazing average of 16% of store sales, sometimes as high as 33%. Giveline has great products, great service, and great prices – the only difference between Giveline and other major online retailers is that every purchase earns money for our organization. Check it out today, and if you decide to buy, remember that CNT will earn significant funds in support of our mission!

Read more at http://www.giveline.com/default.asp?V=&p=&mc=MC000&s1=&s2=

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You can 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.

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.

Sustainability News
‘Healthy Streets’ are Safe and Walkable
Factoring Urban Sprawl into Climate Change Initiatives
Indiana Permits Regressive Water Quality Protections to Lake Michigan

CNT News
Transit Future Goes to Springfield
Ft. Wayne Looks at Leading the Sustainable Cities Movement
In Chicago, Bike to Work Week Can be Every Week
Staff Hellos and Goodbyes

CNT Tools
CNT in the News
Web Site Spotlight: Natural Resources
Job Openings

Save the Dates
A Salute to Jacky Grimshaw
Wangari Mathaai Garden Dedication

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Sustainability News
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‘Healthy Streets’ are Safe and Walkable
Warm, summer months mean more children playing outside, often in the street where drivers may not be alert or prepared to avoid an accident. Increased traffic crashes in Chicago neighborhoods have been an indicator of the increased risk in the summertime. Speeding and reckless driving make neighborhoods unsafe and unpleasant places to live and raise a family.

The Healthy Streets Campaign, with Aldermen Ariel E. Reboyras and Thomas Allen, has recently launched the Northwest Chicago Drive with Care program, with funding from the Illinois Department of Transportation. The goal is to reduce crashes by fifty percent in two years in a zone bordered by Austin, Montrose, Kedzie, and Fullerton. Approximately 25 crashes occur in this area per day. This costs the community $167 million annually in injuries, fatalities, and property damage.

To reduce the number of crashes, the Healthy Streets Campaign is working with law enforcement and neighborhood groups on street design, enforcement, and social marketing.

Promoting healthy streets also means creating walkable neighborhoods for children to use during the school year. The Northeastern Illinois Safe Routes to School Task Force created the Safe Routes to School program to focus on making walking and bicycling to school a safe and valued activity. CNT along with the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation and the League of Illinois Bicyclists, are under contract through 2009 to provide training, outreach and program development services for IDOT. The team will also assist in developing the state’s School Travel Plan template and application.

To learn more about the program or to volunteer, visit on the web at www.healthystreets.org. You can also help reduce car crashes by taking the Driver’s Pledge online at www.driverspledge.com.

Read more about the Safe Routes to School program at http://weblog.cnt.org/2007/03/22/safe-routes-to-school-for-all/

Factoring Urban Sprawl into Climate Change Initiatives
Some recent big-picture ideas at mitigating global warming are challenging archaic notions of planning and development, specifically the notion of managing growth by developing outward. Promoting CFL lighbulbs and green roofs are supplementary to the need for cities to look at the major sources of greenhouse gas and put into place methods that encourage large-scale solutions.

The transportation industry is one of these major sources. Cities like New York and Seattle are already at work creating initiatives such as congestion taxes and lower insurance rates for drivers who take public transit during peak congestion times.

Most recently, California is filing suit to hold cities and counties accountable for greenhouse gas emissions caused by poorly planned suburban sprawl. What is progressive about this is that it directly challenges the planning decisions cities make. Instilling regard for climate change impact in plans means that the building and development industries are accountable for GHG emissions that same way that the transportation sector is being made accountable.

California Attorney General Jerry Brown has sued San Bernardino County, the USA’s largest in land area and one of the fastest growing, for failing to account for greenhouse gases when updating its 25-year blueprint for growth. If the suit is successful, California cities and counties could be forced to take steps to limit sprawl, promote compact development, require builders to design energy-efficient houses that offer solar power, and encourage less driving, more mass transit and use of alternative fuels.

Read more about it in a recent USA Today article at http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2007-06-05-warming_N.htm?POE=click-refer

Indiana Permits Regressive Water Quality Protections to Lake Michigan
Recently when Indiana allowed its BP oil refinery located in Whiting to bypass state environmental laws in its plant expansion, Great Lakes clean water advocates got together to fight this regressive plan. Signatures were collected on “Save Our Lake” petitions that ask Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels to reconsider the decision.

The refinery-already one of the largest polluters along the Great Lakes-will be permitted to release 54 percent more ammonia and 35 percent more sludge into Lake Michigan each day. An exemption in the permit also allows the plant to continue pouring small amounts of mercury, a toxic metal, into Lake Michigan for at least another five years.

Thought the wastewater permit for BP’s Whiting refinery fully complies with the federal Clean Water Act and assures the full protection of Lake Michigan, BP’s new permit marks the first time in years that a company has been allowed to increase the amount of pollution pumped into the lake. And a growing chorus of critics, including Mayor Richard Daley, Gov. Rod Blagojevich and members of Congress, argue that BP’s new state permit sets a bad precedent that threatens to reverse more than three decades of slow but steady progress cleaning up the lake.

It’s not solely about water quality. The issue underscores the larger issue that is American dependence on oil. Multi-billion dollar oil refinery expansions mean that investment in clean fuel technologies lose out. Couple that with increased water pollution discharges and the environment loses doubly.

Fill out a petition to voice your disappointment with these plans at https://www.environmentillinois.org/action/protect-lake-michigan/bp-epapetition

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CNT NEWS
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Transit Future Goes to Springfield
CNT and other transit advocates have pointed out the importance of a sound public transit system in mitigating climate change. CNT has shown that the cuts in service resulting from the so-called “doomsday scenarios” will lead to increased household transportation costs throughout Northeastern Illinois. But the fact still remains-the Chicago region is at a crossroads for the future. If the region is going to remain a world-class city, it needs high-quality mass transit.

Unfortunately, with a record-breaking stalemate currently in Springfield, solutions and leadership are not what we can look forward to. Unfortunately, real mass transit solutions are not even close to the focus of Illinois’ lawmakers right now.

Read more about the Transit Future Campaign’s trip to Springfield last Wednesday to lobby lawmakers for mass transit funding, at http://transitfuture.cnt.org/

Ft. Wayne Looks at Leading the Sustainable Cities Movement
Recently Grist magazine released its “Top 15 Greenest City” poll, choosing cities, “for making impressive strides toward eco-friendliness, helping their many millions of residents live better, greener lives.”

Although the up-and-coming city, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, did not make the list, current development is all about doing it right the first time. Developing sustainably means capitalizing on the existing resources inherent in a built environment, while making conscious decisions about the future infrastructure and how it taps into energy efficiency, mass transit accessibility and less consumption, for example.

CNT recently partnered with Ft. Wayne to develop a series of recommendations for comprehensive urban sustainability that the City should incorporate into its plans.

CNT uses it cross-sectoral expertise to address issues of transportation and land use, economic development, and energy efficiency to recommend specific actions for sustainable prosperity for Fort Wayne. The recommendations combine CNT’s knowledge of leading national and international trends in urban sustainability with quantitative and qualitative research specific to Fort Wayne. Highlights include a streetcar system to increase transportation choice, and how to capitalize on Fort Wayne’s fiber optic broadband network for economic development and energy efficiency.

In Chicago, Bike to Work Week Can be Every Week
Biking as a viable means of transportation in the Chicago area is more and more real. From the Mayor’s ambitious plan to create 500 miles of bike lanes to the talk of opening the boulevards for Sunday bikers, Chicago is becoming a top biker-friendly city.

There are so many reasons to bike in Chicago-and any city really. Concerns about global warming, unreliable public transportation options, and increased costs of owning and operating a car are universal issues for urban dwellers. The city of Chicago has been a great answer to those matters thus far by providing more bike lanes, racks and possible open boulevards for riders.

Another important element to promoting bike riding is the encouragement and education of riding one’s bike in a sometimes intimidating environment. During the Chicago Bicycle Federation’s annual Bike to Work Week, efforts are made at making commuters comfortable riding in an urban environment. And the Commuter Challenge during the week taps the competitiveness of organizations willing to encourage their employees to commute to work.

More organizations are realizing their role-by promoting bike commuting and providing infrastructure like bike racks and showers-to make the decision more reasonable for commuters.

CNT participated in the yearly CBF Commuter Challenge and for the fourth year in a row took first place in the category of ‘Business/Non-profit, 25-99 employees”. Integral to the buildings LEED-Platinum certification, there is access to bike racks for almost half of the staff as well as a shower facility. Having integrated bike commuting into the work environment means that staff regularly get to work by bike all year round.

Providing the means to bike in an urban environment is not just the responsibility of the City and other advocate agencies but also for workplaces to provide the ability to park one’s bike at the destined location or to have access to a place to ‘freshen-up’ post-ride.

Staff Hellos and Goodbyes

Amanda Escobar-Gramigna is the new Research and Outreach Associate for CNT Energy, assisting in the marketing, communication, operations, and research functions, including community outreach on energy issues. She’s providing valuable support for CNT Energy’s real-time electricity pricing program, Power Smart Pricing.

Metcalf Scholar Emily Carroll is an Environmental Studies major from U of Chicago, and will be working with CNT on a number of research and outreach projects.

Sofia Becker is has been working on CNT’s Transit Future Campaign, working on media and outreach.

David Schaengold is at CNT on a one-year fellowship through the Project 55 program, through the University of Chicago. David will be working on a variety of CNT’s transportation projects.

As part of Mayor Daley’s Kidstart summer work program, CNT hosted two of Lakeview High School students, Kierra Burrows and Alfredo Harris. During the 8-week program, the interns helped out in CNT Energy and the Development department.

Ruth Klotz-Chamberlain was a Fellow at the Community Energy Cooperative for the past two years, where she worked on many energy endeavors, including the Energy Smart Pricing Plan.

Emily Metz has been at CNT for a year, under the Project 55 fellowship program through the University of Chicago. Emily worked on various projects at CNT, including CTAQC, Transit Future and CNT’s Climate program.

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Tools
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CNT in the News

Introducing CNT Energy! As the energy landscape changes, the Cooperative and CNT are developing new ways to serve communities and to promote energy efficiency. This summer, the energy programs at CNT have been consolidated under a new name, CNT Energy. CNT Energy will help communities achieve sustainable, affordable energy solutions. Read more about the exciting new developments at http://www.cntenergy.org/news/?p=51

Its summer and high gas prices, concerns about global warming and all the other hassles of owning a car have resulted in more people giving up their cars and turning to I-GO for their car-centric errands. I-GO has made conscious strides to be accessible in as many neighborhoods in the Chicago area as possible. Cars are located currently in 32 neighborhoods (including Oak Park and Evanston). Read about how I-GO is helping the neighborhood of Austin go green at http://austinweeklynews.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=1330&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=&S=1

CNT has been working with the Presidential Climate Action Project, as part of a national initiative to develop a bold and decisive climate action plan for the next President of the United States. The report will give recommendations for an aggressive climate change agenda that the next President should take up in the first 100 days of office. Read more about the project at http://www.omniartsalon.com/oas-80-gary-hart-the-presidential-climate-action-project/

Web Site Spotlight: Natural Resources
The new Natural Resources page is a one-stop shop to learn about CNT’s work in promoting and demonstrating the value of Green Infrastructure (GI). Read about the recent meeting with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), including recommendations for implementing green infrastructure into stormwater best management practices, use an interactive tool like the Green Values calculator, download a fact sheet that shows how other cities like Portland and Washington, D.C. are utilizing GI, read about the demonstration project, the Wangari Maathai natural garden at the Al Raby School for the Environment, or download a copy of “Water: From Trouble to Treasure” and start your own GI project. The new site is at: http://www.cnt.org/natural-resources/

Job Openings

Energy Performance Analyst
http://www.cnt.org/jobs?job=energy-performance-analyst

Chief Financial Officer
http://www.cnt.org/jobs?job=chief-financial-officer&nofoot=1

PIRG Public Transit Advocate
transportation-advocate-job-description-7-07.doc

STPP Executive Director
http://www.cnt.org/jobs?job=stpp-executive-director

Save the Dates

A Salute to Jacky Grimshaw
Over the last 15 years CNT, under the leadership of Jacky Grimshaw, has helped drive transportation participation and policy. Jacky’s wit and intelligence, as well as her outspoken advocacy for affordable and reliable mass transit has recently given birth to the Transit Future Campaign to promote a system that benefits all residents of Northeastern Illinois.

Come join CNT and Jacky’s friends to celebrate past accomplishments as well as support for future transportation endeavors, including the Transit Future Campaign.

The event is September 20 at the Columbia Yacht Club. Tickets are $250 and can be purchased by contacting annette@cnt.org. More details to follow.

Wangari Maathai Garden Dedication
Back in May, CNT along with the Al Raby school community, from teachers and students to local neighbors, helped create a garden that will improve the school’s appearance while simultaneously increasing its capacity to accomplish its educational mission.

The front yard of the Al Raby School consisted of cracked and degraded cement paving. CNT helped the school transform its front landscape with the installation of a native woodland garden, named after the 2004 Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai. The garden will help to beautify the main entrance of the school, and help connect the students to a living ecology by providing a hands-on experience in landscape design, creation, and maintenance.

On September 22, a dedication will be held at the Al Raby School for the Environment while Wangari Maathai visits Chicago. The dedication will be followed by a book signing and reception.

To read more about the Wangari Maathai garden, download a fact sheet at http://www.cnt.org/repository/factsheet-AlRaby.pdf

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You can support our efforts in building more sustainable urban communities by making a donation online by clicking the button below.

You can also support CNT as part of Earth Share of Illinois workplace campaigns. For more information about workplace giving, contact Nicole at nicoleg@cnt.org. Thank you for your generosity!

Questions about anything you’ve read or interested in learning more? Contact Annette at annette@cnt.org

Sustainability News
Gas Prices Don’t Have to Bring You Down
More than Ever, RTA’s Viability Crucial
Rain Barrels Roll into Chicago

CNT News
CNT and Clinton Foundation Partner on Greenhouse Gas Measurements for Cities
Al Raby Goes Green
Leaders Unite to Preserve the Chicago Region’s Affordable Rental Housing
Staff Hellos and Goodbyes

CNT Tools
CNT In the News
Event Spotlight: “Invest as Mother Nature Intended” Workshop
Job Openings

Local Events
Chicago Green Drinks
CTA Board Hearings

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Sustainability News
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Gas Prices Don’t Have to Bring You Down
The summer tradition of record-breaking, inflated gas prices is again consuming the media and public. What about that summer road trip? Will individuals trade their SUV’s for smaller, more efficient compact cars? But an increasing amount of people have figured out how to avoid the seemingly inevitable problem altogether. It’s simple. Ride your bike to work. Use an I-GO car for that trip to the grocery store. Walk your dog to the park. Take the train to your friends out in the suburbs.

All these options reduce your dependency on oil, and can help you stay fit and healthy. Avid bicyclists and transit users have figured out these benefits long ago, but as gas prices are squeezing out more and more individuals who cannot afford the escalating prices, they are turning to options they may have not considered otherwise.

Which is great news for the environment and the individual health. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune recently ran an article about this phenomenon. As car dealers and users fret over high gas prices, transit agencies and bike shops revel in the increased dependence to their industry.

Moving toward sustainable methods of mobility like biking and walking help ensure one doesn’t have to decide between paying for food and paying for gas.

More than Ever, RTA’s Viability Crucial
If the previous post is any indication, the sustainability of public transportation is now more important than ever. But instead of service expansion and maintenance increasing to accommodate a larger demand of users as a result of the high prices of owning and operating a car, the lack of funding ensures that potential new customers will not become loyal users on account of unreliable service and poor infrastructure.

As the Illinois General Assembly regular session just came to a close, with it came progress but no relief for the RTA or any the three service boards. SB 572 (incorporating HB 1841) was passed by the House Mass Transit Committee, but has not yet been called for a vote before the full House.

Senate Bill 572 seeks to address the funding shortfall for operations at all three Service Boards – CTA, Metra and Pace – and to provide additional support for transportation needs in the collar counties. For more information, see Julie Hamos’ website, Chairwoman of the House Mass Transit Committee.

We must continue to communicate with our state legislators and the Governor to tell them that they can not adjourn this legislative session without reforming and funding the RTA. Please continue to contact your legislator to let them know that transit must be a priority this year! For talking points, a map of your area, and the average transportation cost in your legislative district, please refer to the Transit Future website: www.transitfuture.org.

Also, read a great article by the Chicago Tribune’s John McCarron about the most recent, and un-groundbreaking, Illinois General Assembly session.

Rain Barrels Roll into Chicago
As part of Chicago’s increasing commitment to manage its stormwater responsibly, it has rolled out its summer rain barrel program again this summer. The region may be home to one of the largest freshwater sources in the world, but that is even more reason to conserve it and manage it wisely. Chicago alone uses over 580 million gallons of freshwater a day, and things like watering plants and other outdoor uses take up large amounts of water.

Rain barrels redirect water from rooftops through disconnected downspouts–whereas connected downspouts channel stormwater directly to the sewer system, picking up sediment and pollutants along the way, essentially ending up in the Chicago River. Rain barrels help conserve water and keep polluted water out our waterways.

The city’s rain barrel program is an important tool of the recently adopted stormwater management ordinance, which seeks to use Green Infrastructure as best practices for managing stormwater in a productive and sustainable way. CNT and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District recently held a meeting to discuss implementing more green solutions. For more information on CNT’s Green Infrastructure projects, see http://greenvalues.cnt.org/

For more information on how to get your own rain barrel, see here.

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CNT News
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CNT and Clinton Foundation Partner on Greenhouse Gas Measurements for Cities
U.S. cities are becoming serious about mitigating global warming and now have a major foundation, a top global technology corporation, an international association of governments, and CNT working to help them measure their impacts. The Clinton Foundation and Microsoft recently announced its partnership with CNT and ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability to develop a set of products designed to help cities track and reduce their carbon emissions.

The groups will develop a single Web solution to allow cities to clearly understand their environmental footprint. With this information, cities can make better choices as they aim to improve their energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. The new online, Web-based software tools will be provided pro bono to cities, and will enable cities to work together to monitor their progress and share best practices.

From May 14 – May 17, leaders of municipal governments and international businesses from over thirty of the world largest cities convened in New York City for the second C40 Large Cities Climate Summit. Former President Bill Clinton officially announced the plans and CNT’s Climate Change Program Manager, Jen McGraw, was in attendance.

For more information, you can read the press release here.

Al Raby Goes Green
May has been a transformative month for the Al Raby High School for Community and Environment. A project to replace the unsightly concrete at the main entrance of the school with a beautiful native Illinois woodland garden blossomed into fruition with the garden installation.

Beginning in November 2006, CNT’s Natural Resources staff worked with the members of the school community, including AP Environmental Studies students, to develop a comprehensive design plan for the garden. The final design was chosen from a group of three designs at a community meeting.

Through generous donations from R&R Mulch and Soil and Christy Webber Landscapes, the school was able to use the garden project to create new open space and replace gray with green using fresh soil, as opposed to planting beds on top of the existing concrete. The large amount of work required to plant two 750 square foot garden areas in two days and would have overwhelmed the capacity of the school community. So with the combined efforts of the school, CNT, and the City of Chicago’s Department of Environment Greencorps job-training program, the garden installation was accomplished on May 23rd and 24th.

Together, the group planted five trees and 250 native Illinois plants. The installation also included recycling some of the broken pieces of concrete to create a stepping stone pathway that now winds through both sides of the garden. The final product is a beautiful native shade, or woodland, garden that has dramatically enhanced the aesthetic of the school.

The garden will be maintained by Al Raby students over the summer as part of the Clean and Green program. The school staff is continuing to work with advisors to devise an educational strategy for using the garden as a tool in their curriculum next year, and in the years following.

This project is funded with a grant from the Prince Charitable Trusts. For a fact sheet on the project, see here.

Leaders Unite to Preserve the Chicago Region’s Affordable Rental Housing
Affordable housing, especially in the Chicago region, is increasingly difficult to acquire and is a threat to the economic future of the region. Recently, area leaders in government, non-profit and the business sectors unveiled the Preservation Compact to reverse these dramatic losses in the affordable rental housing stock. Created in 2005, The Preservation Compact is a project of the Urban Land Institute and is supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

The project is the nation’s most comprehensive approach to a problem that challenges communities everywhere-turning around the significant loss of rental housing that is affordable to moderate and low wage workers. A series of initiatives to save at least 75,000 existing homes in Cook County by the year 2020 is planned.

At the center of the program is a new Preservation Fund, an umbrella for a suite of financial products. The fund will provide acquisition and bridge financing to nonprofit and for-profit developers, making it possible for them to obtain as much as a half a million dollars to support the long-term preservation of rental housing in Cook County.

Equally important are a series of partnerships between local organizations, each charged with responsibility for solving a different aspect of the affordable rental housing problem. CNT is partnering with other organizations to work in the area of reducing operating costs in multifamily rental properties. The organizations have created Cook County Energy Savers, a one-stop energy efficiency program that will provide technical assistance and loans for energy-efficiency improvements.

More information on the Cook County Energy Savers program and CNT’s participation here. You can also read more about the strategy to preserve affordable housing in Cook County at the Urban Land Institute’s site here.

Staff Hellos and Goodbyes
Joe Grant, who started with CNT as an intern, is now on staff, splitting his time on new ventures and I-GO.

Lauren Hugel is I-GO’s newest staff member, assisting in the day-to-day operations.

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Jill Siegel did a great job organizing and managing CNT’s Grants and Publications and has moved to continue her consulting business. Annette Stahelin, CNT’s Development and Communications Assistant has been promoted to Development and Communications Associate.

Suzanne Carlson was at CNT and I-GO working on various projects, most recently on I-GO’s Emissions report and helping manage CNT’s various Climate projects. She has moved on to become the Environmental Program Manager at Chicago Public Schools, a new position for CPS.

Melissa Haeffner also had her hands in many different pots while at CNT, from Transportation and CTAQC projects to most recently as I-GO’s Sales and Marketing Associate, where she created I-GO’s first concert, the very successful Audio Emissions event.

Good luck in all that you do!

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Tools
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CNT in the News

CNT held it’s first-ever Tools Fair in May. And due to the great turnout and positive feedback, it will become an annual event. The Fair was a chance to come see CNT’s LEED-certified Platinum building, and learn more about the various tools that CNT developed over the years to make communities more livable and sustainable. Two tools in particular, the Housing + Transportation Affordability Index and Green Values Calculator, were showcased in workshops conducted throughout the event. Read the article the Chicago Journal ran prior to the event, and look for more Open Houses in the future.

Another successful event CNT held over the month of May was the I-GO Audio Emissions CD release party. The CD profiles local Chicago acts and will be available to listen to in every I-GO car. The concert featured some of the talented groups on the CD, along with delicious food by local restaurants and best of all, was carbon-neutral! With fun concerts at the Metro (and high gas prices), it’s no wonder car-sharing is exploding. Read a recent article from the Wicker Park Booster here.

The Housing + Transportation Affordability Index was featured at the recent Tools Fair, where participants were able to attend a workshop that explained the tool and its applicability in making the choice between location and transportation expenses more apparent. Soon the tool will be available on the CNT website for users to calculate their own costs. Read a recent profile by the Wicker Park Booster here.

CNT’s Scott Bernstein recently wrote an Op-Ed piece urging Illinois’ legislators to act on the immediate need to fund RTA. While is session, neither the Governor nor the legislative leadership has made funding a priority and without action, all Northeastern Illinois commuters (as well as non-commuters) will suffer. The piece was published in the Chicago Suntimes, the Daily Southtown and Crain’s Chicago Business. Read the Suntimes version here.

Event Spotlight: “Invest as Mother Nature Intended” workshop
Balance your need to invest in today’s world with your vision of a more sustainable tomorrow. Come to learn about the virtues & pitfalls of eco-friendly & social investments in this one hour workshop.

Financial Advisor, Paul Shuman, CPA, of Preferred Planning Concepts, will lead this free workshop, co-sponsored by CNT and I-GO. Come see CNT’s LEED-certified Platinum building while learning how to make your own socially-responsible investments.

The workshop is on Tuesday, June 12 at 6:30 at CNT’s office, 2125 W. North Ave., Chicago. For more information, contact annette@cnt.org

Job Openings

I-GO Marketing and Communications Manager

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Local Events
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Chicago Green Drinks: Putting our Best Watt Forward: The Great Renewables Debate

Come at 5:30-9:00pm for networking and a moderated discussion from 7:00-8:00pm. Location: Jefferson Tap & Grille, 325 N. Jefferson. The cost is $5 ($2 student/low income, or support Green Drinks with a “Friend of Foresight” donation of $20+).

Contact for more information: greendrinks@foresightdesign.org, (773) 271-1990. Panelists: TBA

CTA Board Hearings
During the month of June, there are a series of CTA Board hearings scheduled around Chicago, as well as an RTA Board hearing at the end of the month on proposals to reduce service and/or raise fares to bus routes and rail lines. CTA riders and the general public will have the opportunity to provide comments on the proposed plan at upcoming public hearings. Now is the time to be heard.

See the Transit Future calendar for dates and locations. http://transitfuture.cnt.org/calendar/

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You can support our efforts in building more sustainable urban communities by making a donation online by clicking the button below.

You can also support CNT as part of Earth Share of Illinois workplace campaigns. For more information about workplace giving, contact Nicole at nicoleg@cnt.org. Thank you for your generosity!

Questions about anything you’ve read or interested in learning more? Contact Annette at annette@cnt.org