Archive for the 'Press Releases' Category
Monday, August 16th, 2010
CHICAGO (August 16, 2010)—The Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) announced today that it is providing its ground-breaking transportation cost information to the popular website WalkScore.com.
Walk Score, which allows users to obtain a “walkability” rating for a specific location based on the number of nearby amenities, is using data from CNT’s Housing + Transportation Affordability Index (H+TSM Index) to give its users a sense of transportation costs and environmental impact for a neighborhood . CNT’s H+T Index is the nation’s most comprehensive assessment of household transportation costs by location.
“The time and money spent commuting is lost forever,” said Josh Herst, CEO of Walk Score. “By incorporating CNT’s Housing + Transportation Index into our commute reports, we are increasing the transparency of transportation costs and empowering people to make more informed decisions about where they live and work.”
The H+T Index presents housing and transportation cost data for neighborhoods in 337 metro areas, enabling users to compare the relative costs of communities within a region. The H+T Index is a robust transportation model that quantifies household transportation costs using census data, residential density, transit access, employment proximity, and block size. Importantly, the H+T Index illustrates how choosing to live in walkable, transit-connected neighborhood can lower household expenses and one’s impact on the environment.
“When choosing where to live, the housing costs of a neighborhood are readily available, but the costs of getting around are hidden,” said Scott Bernstein, president of CNT. “Our data reveals a neighborhood’s hidden transportation costs and gives people a much better sense of a community’s affordability.”
CNT is making its transportation cost data available through an application programming interface (API), which allows partner sites, such as Walk Score, to integrate average transportation costs and carbon impact with their own content.
“We’re pleased to have Walk Score as our first API partner,” said Linda Young, CNT’s research director. “People need a complete picture of affordability when making important decisions about where to live, and CNT is excited to work with other groups to disseminate this information as far and wide as possible.”
The API provides a link to CNT’s new consumer-oriented website Abogo (Abogo.cnt.org). A combination of the words “abode” and “go,” Abogo allows users to type in an address and find the average transportation costs for a typical household living at that location. Transportation costs include car ownership, gas and transit expenses.
CNT’s H+T research on housing affordability has implications for the nation. Based on a traditional definition of housing affordability — households spend 30 percent or less of their income on housing — seven out of 10 U.S. communities are considered “affordable” for the typical household. But when the definition is expanded to include housing and transportation costs — households spend 45 percent or less of their income on the two expenses — only four in 10 communities are affordable to households earning the area median income. CNT’s data allows users to locate communities that fit their housing and transportation budget.
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About CNT: Founded in 1978, CNT is a Chicago-based think-and do tank that works nationally to advance urban sustainability by researching, inventing and testing strategies that use resources more efficiently and equitably. Its programs focus on climate, energy, natural resources, transportation, and community development. CNT is one of eight nonprofits selected from around the world to be recognized by a 2009 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Visit www.cnt.org for more information
About Walk Score: Walk Score is the flagship product of Front Seat, a civic software company based in Seattle, WA. Walk Score rates any address based on its proximity to nearby amenities (grocery stores, restaurants, schools, public transit, etc.) and promotes walkable neighborhoods for their economic, environmental and health benefits. Walk Score delivers 3 million scores per day across a network of over 4,000 Websites. According to independent research conducted by CEOs for Cities, one point of Walk Score is worth as much as $3,000 in home value. Visit www.walkscore.com for more information.
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Thursday, July 8th, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8th, 2010
Contacts: Steve Wise, CNT, 773-269-4042
Nicole Gotthelf, CNT, 773-269-4029
Katherine Baer, American Rivers, 202-347-7550
CNT Applauds Senators Udall and Whitehouse for Their Leadership on Clean Water Issues
[Chicago, IL] — The Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) is pleased to announce that Senator Udall (D. NM) and Senator Whitehouse (D. RI) have introduced the Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act of 2010 (S. 3561) to the Senate.
Green infrastructure offers a 21st century approach to managing our nation’s stormwater. By replicating, restoring, and protecting the natural hydrology of the landscape, water is infiltrated where it falls, filtering out contaminants and reducing the volume of stormwater that overwhelms our water infrastructure systems. From the neighborhood scale rain barrel to a watershed scale system of green roofs, permeable pavements, and wetland restoration, green infrastructure has the flexibility and economic viability to protect and restore clean water supplies for communities.
“It’s time for Congress to move green infrastructure to center stage in our national water strategy,” said Jacky Grimshaw, Vice President for Policy at the Center for Neighborhood Technology in Chicago. “Green infrastructure creates healthier, more vital communities, protects clean water, saves energy, and helps to build green jobs. The Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act will extend EPA’s partnership toward sustainable communities by expanding cost- and ecologically effective green infrastructure.”
“This legislation emphasizes the importance of green infrastructure as a cost-effective alternative to traditional hard infrastructure fixes. By establishing a precedent of green infrastructure solutions, this approach can become a new norm rather than just a demonstration,”said Katherine Baer, Senior Director, Clean Water Program at American Rivers.
This bill will increase research and development of innovative green infrastructure techniques, promote the use of green infrastructure in permitting and regulations within EPA, and provide incentive funding to communities to plan, develop, and install green infrastructure technologies.
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Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
National H+T Index Counts Housing and Transportation Costs for 337 Metro Areas, Highlights the High Costs of Transportation in Many Communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new analysis by the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) shows that only two in five American communities—or 39 percent—are affordable for typical households when their transportation costs are considered along with housing costs.
The Housing + Transportation (H+TSM) Affordability Index, unveiled today, examines 337 metro areas across the country—encompassing 161,000 neighborhoods and 80 percent of the U.S. population—and provides the only comprehensive snapshot of neighborhood affordability by accounting for combined housing and transportation costs associated with a community. The H+T Index and its accompanying report, Penny Wise, Pound Fuelish, illustrate the direct link between household transportation costs and the location and design of neighborhoods and transit options.
Under the traditional definition of housing affordability (30% or less of household income spent on housing), seven out of ten U.S. communities are considered “affordable” to the typical household. But in almost all metro regions of the country, when the definition of affordability includes both housing and transportation costs—at 45% of income—the number of communities affordable to households earning the area median income decreases significantly. Nationally, the number of affordable communities declines to 40 percent, resulting in a net loss of 48,000 neighborhoods with combined housing and transportation costs that stress the average family’s budget.
“Across the nation, families are dealing with the economic crisis and looking at their bottom lines to determine how they can save money and plan for the future,” said Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). “The H+T Index provides valuable information about the two biggest household expenses, housing and transportation. This index will help policymakers level the playing field to improve location efficiency, and it will help lenders educate consumers about the trade-offs and costs associated with their housing choices.”
For most families, transportation is the second largest household expense. The new analysis shows that for many families in “drive ‘til you qualify” zones, savings realized from lower cost housing are eliminated by unexpectedly high transportation costs. Yet, it is difficult for consumers and policymakers to estimate the full costs of a location, including the cost of both housing and of transportation. This lack of information can lead families to unknowingly make housing decisions that cause them to live beyond their means as gas prices rise and commutes grow longer. A community’s average transportation costs can range from 12% of household income in efficient neighborhoods with walkable streets, access to transit, and a wide variety of stores and services to 32% in locations where driving long distances is the only way to reach essential services.
“The Rockefeller Foundation is proud to have funded the H+T Index as part of our initiative to promote equitable and sustainable transportation,” said Nick Turner, Managing Director at The Rockefeller Foundation. “This unique tool will give consumers the opportunity to make more informed decisions about where they can afford to live, and help provide policy makers with data to develop new policies and targeted investments that can reduce transportation costs. Transportation costs are often the second highest expense for working Americans – and the Rockefeller Foundation’s initiative is committed to helping Americans re-think our transportation future as a critical way to expand economic opportunity.”
The failure to provide Americans with affordable transportation and compact neighborhoods that support pedestrians and cyclists as well as drivers, increases the financial pressure on families, resulting in unstable household budgets, lack of savings, and even foreclosure, and places communities across the country, particularly those with inadequate transportation options, at greater risk.
“In recent years we have seen foreclosures increasing faster in outer suburbs than in central cities. When gas prices peaked in 2008, families in many regions saw their transportation costs soar by $3000 per year or more. When communities have few transportation options and require driving long distances for basic necessities, already stressed household budgets are very vulnerable to spikes in gas prices and rising transportation costs.” said Scott Bernstein, president and founder of CNT. “The H+T Index gives a reliable estimate of each neighborhood’s average household transportation costs, a strong move toward a “no surprises, no sticker shock” home buying or renting experience.”
The H+T Index is the nation’s most comprehensive assessment of household transportation costs by location. The H+T Index is an innovative tool that analyzes transportation costs at a neighborhood level and allows users to view housing and transportation data as maps, charts and statistics for 337 metro areas, revealing the relative costs of communities within a region.
To explore the H+T Index or obtain a copy of Penny Wise, Pound Fuelish visit: http://htaindex.cnt.org/.
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ABOUT CENTER FOR NEIGHBORHOOD TECHNOLOGY
Since 1978, the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) has been a leader in promoting urban sustainability – the more effective use of existing resources and community assets to improve the health of natural systems and the wealth of people, today and in the future. CNT is a creative think-and-do tank that combines rigorous research with effective solutions. We have tackled a wide range of issues, always with an eye toward simultaneously improving the environment, strengthening the economy, and advancing equity. We work across disciplines and issues, including transportation and community development, energy, natural resources, and climate change. CNT is one of eight nonprofits selected from around the world to be recognized by a 2009 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. More information is available at www.cnt.org.
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Friday, March 19th, 2010
HIDDEN COSTS OF TRANSPORTATION PUT HOUSEHOLDS & COMMUNTIES AT RISK
U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Center for Neighborhood Technology, Rockefeller Foundation to discuss federal action to redefine affordability, call for disclosure and smarter investment in transportation choice
Download this media advisory (PDF)
WHAT: On Tuesday, March 23, Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) will join experts from the Center for Neighborhood Technology and the Rockefeller Foundation to discuss the findings of the new Housing + Transportation Affordability Index and its accompanying report, Penny Wise, Pound Fuelish. The Index for the first time examines 337 metro areas across the country—encompassing 161,000 neighborhoods and 80 percent of the U.S. population—to provide the only comprehensive snapshot of neighborhood affordability by taking into account the transportation costs associated with neighborhood location and design.
The H+T Index is an innovative tool that allows users to view maps and statistics for 337 metro areas, revealing where transportation costs have the greatest impact on affordability within each area. The H+T Index shows that once transportation costs are factored into the definition of “affordable housing,” the number of affordable communities drops in almost every metro area in the country, putting a total of 48,000 American communities out of reach for the typical family.
WHO: U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
Secretary Shaun Donovan, Housing & Urban Development (tentative)
Secretary Ray LaHood, Department of Transportation (tentative)
Scott Bernstein, President of the Center for Neighborhood Technology
Randy Blankenhorn, Executive Director of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
Nick Turner (moderator), Managing Director of the Rockefeller Foundation
WHEN: Tuesday, March 23, 2010
11:00 AM EST
RSVP: Contact Paula Chrin Dibley, pchrin@mrss.com, 202-478-6138, for call-in information.
WHY: For most families, transportation is the second largest household expense. The new analysis shows that for many families in “drive ‘til you qualify” zones, savings realized from lower cost housing are eliminated by unexpectedly high transportation costs. This lack of information can lead families to unknowingly make housing decisions that cause them to live beyond their means as gas prices rise and commutes grow longer. A typical household’s transportation costs can range from 12% of household income in efficient neighborhoods with walkable streets, access to transit, and a wide variety of stores and services, to 32% in locations where driving long distances is the only way to reach essential services. Despite this expense, it is difficult for consumers and policymakers to estimate the full costs of a location, including the cost of both housing and of transportation. The H+T Index fills the void, giving an accurate assessment of affordability in 337 metro areas for the first time.
CONTACT:
PAULA CHRIN DIBLEY, 202-478-6138
PCHRIN@MRSS.COM
KATLYN CARTER, 202-478-6176
KCARTER@MRSS.COM
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Since 1978, the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) has been a leader in promoting urban sustainability – the more effective use of existing resources and community assets to improve the health of natural systems and the wealth of people, today and in the future. CNT is a creative think-and-do tank that combines rigorous research with effective solutions. We have tackled a wide range of issues, always with an eye toward simultaneously improving the environment, strengthening the economy, and advancing equity. We work across disciplines and issues, including transportation and community development, energy, natural resources, and climate change. CNT is one of eight nonprofits selected from around the world to be recognized by a 2009 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. More information is available at www.cnt.org.
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Thursday, March 11th, 2010
Local Leaders Must do more to Save on Transportation Costs
Chicago, IL – On Thursday, Chicago residents celebrate Transportation Freedom Day, the date a typical area household has earned enough to cover its annual transportation costs. To mark the occasion, community and transit advocacy groups joined together at Union Station to push for better transportation. It is based on Census data includes gas, repairs, parking, vehicle depreciation and transit fares.
“Transportation Freedom Day is an eye opener,” stated Kate Lehman of Illinois PIRG. “It shows the need for greater investments in more efficient ways to get around, such as public transit. When government makes the right kind of transportation investments, citizens save a lot of money.”
Americans on average spend an astounding 19 percent of their annual income on transportation, far more than they pay for food, clothing, entertainment, income taxes or even health care. New findings released by the Illinois Public Interest Research Group (Illinois PIRG) show that a typical Chicago household shells out the equivalent of 19 percent, or 70 days of a typical annual salary to pay for transportation costs. In more walkable communities and better transit systems households spend less. In New York City, for instance, residents could expect to spend the equivalent of about 3 and a half fewer weeks of income to get around.
“Here in the Chicago region, average annual transportation costs can range from $7,034 for a household in Chicago’s Roscoe Village Neighborhood, to $11,783 in suburban West Dundee, a savings of more than $4,500 per year,” noted Scott Bernstein, President of the Center for Neighborhood Technology.
People may not recognize how much they pay for transportation. The average American household spent more than $8,000 per year on its vehicles in 2008 according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Americans who live in areas with good access to public transit generally spend less on transportation than those who are fully dependent on cars. Residents in transit-friendly areas tend to attain “Transportation Freedom” earlier in the year, but Chicago still lags behind other major cities. By highlighting these dates, Illinois PIRG, CNT, and Midwest HSR Association seek to raise awareness about how access to public transportation is a crucial for saving Americans money.
For example, while 70 days must pass before the income from a median-income household living in Chicago would cover their annual transportation bill. However, a typical household that would live in car-dependent Sugar Grove could expect to wait 93 days, equivalent to twelve weeks of income before their transportation costs are covered.
“Little Village is among the ten lowest-income community areas in Chicago. Transportation costs hit much harder for struggling families in these neighborhoods. Without our fair share of funding, the transit system cannot meet the transportation needs of our communities,” said Michael Pitula of Little Village Environmental Justice Organization.
Advocacy groups are calling on Mayor Daley to push for better transit. Chicago is famous for its elevated and historic transportation system, but its past due for our city’s transportation to be known for efficiency and cost effectiveness for all Chicagoland residents.
Transportation Freedom Day data comes from the Center for Neighborhood Technology in Chicago, which is a leader in statistically based analysis of transportation and housing. Transportation costs are controlled for differences of income, family size, and number of working individuals in a household. Transportation demand is modeled using the most recent census data, and costs are calculated to include car ownership, maintenance, gas, and transit fares. A detailed description of their transportation cost methodology can be found at: http://htaindex.cnt.org/model_summary.
Transportation Freedom Day logo found at http://www.uspirg.org/transportation/freedom-day
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Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
State Jobs Data Show Growing Advantage from Stimulus Investments in Public Transportation
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Through the end of 2009, investments by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in public transportation have created almost twice as many jobs per dollar as investments in highways – and the advantage is growing. The most recent data from states shows that every billion dollars spent on public transportation produced 19,299 job-months, compared to 10,493 job-months for every billion spent on highway infrastructure. Public transportation projects create more jobs than road projects because they spend less money on land and more on labor, and because projects are often more complex, whether laying track or manufacturing vehicles.
The data were released by the US House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on February 9, 2010 and analyzed by the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Smart Growth America, and U.S. PIRG. The new data from the states add two months and several billion dollars to previously released data. The new data show public transportation’s job-production performance advantage widening.
“States have put more than $22.6 billion of transportation stimulus funds under contract,” said Geoff Anderson, President of Smart Growth America. “We’ve gotten a lot of vital projects for that money—and we’ve also learned a lot. Treasury Secretary Geithner just told Congress: “Our basic test should be: what’s going to add jobs?” At the stimulus’s one-year mark, we’ve learned that the answer is ‘more public transportation.’”
New data show public transportation’s job-production performance advantage widening
The number of jobs created or saved per billion stimulus dollars spent on transportation is rising over time for both public transportation and highways. The data shows public transportation creating, on average, 2,880 more job months per billion dollars than it had two months ago. Highway spending created 1,712 more job months per billion than two months ago. Thus, a billion dollars invested in public transportation produces 8,806 more job months than a billion dollars spent on highways. The difference is an increase from two months ago when the extra employment impact from investing in public transit was 7,638 more job months. The states are reporting updated job-creation numbers as they bring more projects under contract, and as the states correct earlier reports.
“Not only do public transportation investments create more jobs, more quickly than highways. We now see the advantage growing over time as the stimulus advances,” said Phineas Baxandall, Senior Analyst at the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. “If job creation was an Olympic event, public transportation would be laps ahead and gaining. At the one-year mark, it isn’t even close.”
Other recent data also confirm that ARRA investments in public transportation are superior job creators. Last month’s President’s Council of Economic Advisers Second Quarterly ARRA Economic Impact Report showed that public transportation was the top job generator among ARRA clean energy programs (http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/100113-economic-impact-arra-second-quarterly-report.pdf, page 47, Table 13).
“The new data shows that the job productivity of transit is no fluke – transit not only maintained its job productivity advantage over highway investing over a longer period of time, in the fourth quarter it was the top job supporter of all clean energy investments in ARRA, according to the White House’s Council of Economic Advisors,” said Scott Bernstein, President of the Center for Neighborhood Technology. “Shifting as much of our transportation spending to the most job-creating investments as we can is essential. The Senate should pass companion legislation to the House’s Jobs for Main Street bill, and make it effective by giving transit spending parity with highways.”
The numbers
CNT, SGA, and US PIRG analyzed the data reported by states and posted by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee here: http://transportation.house.gov/singlepages/singlepages.aspx?NewsID=852
The results of the analysis (click on for larger version):
(The report by CNT, SGA, and US PIRG on the earlier data, “What We learned from the Stimulus, and how to use what we learned to speed job creation in the 2010 jobs bill”, is available at: http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/stimulus2009.html.)
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Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
Lessons Learned from Recovery Act Show Superior Job Creation from Spending on Public Transportation
WASHINGTON, D.C.— A new analysis by the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Smart Growth America, and U.S. PIRG shows that in the first ten months of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), investments in public transportation have created twice as many jobs per dollar as investments in highways. The new report shows that by mimicking funding levels for transportation set out in ARRA, the Jobs for Main Street Act (H.R. 2847), passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in December, missed an opportunity to create additional jobs where they are needed most.
The report, “What we learned from the Stimulus, and how to use what we learned to speed job creation in the 2010 jobs bill”, is available here: www.smartgrowthamerica.org/stimulus2009.html
The Jobs for Main Street Act provides $27.1 billion for the Surface Transportation Program (STP) versus just $8.4 billion for Public Transportation even though public transportation investments under ARRA created twice as many jobs per dollar of investment. The Senate plans to take up its version of the jobs bill early in 2010, and the report shows that if the Senate version ensures funds are invested equally in public transportation and highways, the same level of overall investment would produce 71,415 additional job-months, equivalent to year-round employment for 5,951 more workers than from the House bill.
“This is a no-brainer. The Senate can ensure that more jobs are created across the country building the transportation system we need for the 21st century,” said Geoff Anderson, President of Smart Growth America. “If we are serious about creating jobs and bringing about the economic recovery our nation desperately needs, members of the Senate will insist on investing a greater percentage of the transportation funds in public transportation. Who is against more jobs?”
The data compiled by the states shows that every billion dollars spent on public transportation produced 16,419 job-months, compared to 8,781 job-months for every billion spent on highway infrastructure. Public transportation projects create more jobs than road projects because they spend less money on land and more on labor, and because projects are often more complex, whether laying rack or manufacturing vehicles.
The report also uses the data from ARRA to refute the idea that public transportation projects are not as “shovel-ready” or able to be launched as quickly as highway projects. Nationally, public transportation and highway infrastructure projects are spending money at about the same rate. But because public transportation projects spend more of those dollars on more labor, equivalent spend rates produce more and faster jobs from public transportation.
“As the Senate prepares to take up a jobs bill, lawmakers should learn the lessons of the Recovery Act,” said Phineas Baxandall, Senior Analyst for U.S. PIRG. “We cannot afford to keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect different results. The fact is investments in public transportation will produce more jobs quicker and will address billions of dollars of unmet needs.”
“Public transportation is a lifeline for communities big and small across the country” said Scott Bernstein of the Center for Neighborhood Technology. “Too many people could not get to their jobs without public transit. But even as demand for service is up, systems everywhere face budget shortfalls forcing layoffs, reduced service and fare hikes. Increased local reinvestment is essential to preventing these cuts that will cripple our workforce and increase expenses for working Americans. In passing the Jobs for Main Street bill to tackle the continuing crisis, Congress can learn from the ARRA experience, putting the money where it will do the most good, and leaving no job, no family and no community-in-need behind.”
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Thursday, November 12th, 2009
Advocates, elected officials and residents gathered today to demand safer streets and legislation that protects pedestrians in Chicagoland.
Representatives from the Active Transportation Alliance, the Center for Neighborhood Technology, the 25th Ward, the 10th Police District and Rep. Luis Arroyo came together at 18th and Halsted streets in Chicago—the site of one of three recent pedestrian fatalities—to call on our leaders to act now.
“This is a time for our leaders to commit to prioritizing people and ensuring their safety when they choose to walk and bike,” said Rob Sadowsky, executive director at the Active Transportation Alliance. “It is not acceptable that we fear for our lives when we walk or bike in our neighborhoods.”
The event comes a day after Transportation for America, a national campaign for balanced transportation options, released Dangerous by Design, which outlines pedestrian crash rates in major metropolitan areas, the causes of those crashes and how they can be prevented.
Chicagoland, according the report, ranks 41st on a list of the 50 most dangerous metropolitan areas. Within Illinois, it ranks eighth among Illinois’ major metropolitan areas, with a pedestrian danger index of 39.3 and 235 pedestrian fatalities from 2007-2008.
The report found that last year alone, 312 pedestrians were killed in Illinois. That translates into other striking realities: On average, about 11.8 percent of all fatal crashes involved pedestrians in the United States. Illinois’ percentage is 13.6 percent. The report also details pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 people. The U.S. average is 1.53 and the Illinois’ is 1.21.
The Illinois Department of Transportation reports that 6,000 pedestrians are hit every year in Illinois. In Chicago, that translates to one death per week.
At 18th and Halsted streets in Chicago, advocates called on leaders to improve road design, increase funding and support legislation like the Complete Streets bill and House Bill 43 that ensure safer roads and clarify drivers’ responsibilities.
“Passing the Complete Streets bill was a victory for everyone in Illinois. But it was only one landmark on a long path. The challenge now is getting the Illinois Department of Transportation to follow that law and make every street in the state safe for walkers, bikers and drivers alike. In doing so, IDOT can provide the leadership for county and municipalities to implement Complete Streets as well,” said Jacky Grimshaw, vice president for policy and the Center for Neighborhood Technology.
House Bill 43, which would clarify state law and require drivers to stop—instead of yield—would remarkably improve pedestrian safety.
“We have the data and we have the tools,” Sadowsky said. “Now is the time to make pedestrian safety a priority on our streets.”
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Friday, November 6th, 2009
WHAT: The Active Transportation Alliance, alongside the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Representative Luis Arroyo, the 10th Police District, and members of the 25th Ward will gather at the site of one of three recent deadly pedestrian crashes to demand better protection for the most vulnerable road users. Three pedestrians – Martha Gonzalez, Rachel Gilliam and Kim Brown – have been killed by drivers in Chicago in a span of less than a month. Advocates will call on our leaders to design safer streets and support legislation that protects pedestrians. They will also discuss a report issued by Transportation for America, which ranks the safety of metropolitan areas, including Chicagoland. Representatives from the Chicago Department of Transportation have also been invited.
WHEN: 11 a.m. Tuesday Nov. 10, 2009
WHERE: Halsted and 18th streets in Chicago
ABOUT THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION ALLIANCE
The Active Transportation Alliance is a non-profit, member-based advocacy organization that works to make bicycling, walking and public transit so safe, convenient and fun that we will achieve a significant shift from environmentally harmful, sedentary travel to clean, active travel. The organization builds a movement around active transportation, encourages physical activity, increases safety and builds a world-class transportation network. Formerly the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, the Active Transportation Alliance is North America’s largest transportation advocacy organization, supported by more than 6,000 members, 1,000 volunteers and 35 full-time staff. For more information on the Active Transportation Alliance, visit www.activetrans.org or call 312.427.3325.
ABOUT CENTER FOR NEIGHBORHOOD TECHNOLOGY
Since 1978, the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) has been a leader in promoting urban sustainability – the more effective use of existing resources and community assets to improve the health of natural systems and the wealth of people, today and in the future. CNT is a creative think-and-do tank that combines rigorous research with effective solutions. We have tackled a wide range of issues, always with an eye toward simultaneously improving the environment, strengthening the economy, and advancing equity. We work across disciplines and issues, including transportation and community development, energy, natural resources, and climate change. CNT is one of eight nonprofits selected from around the world to be recognized by a 2009 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. More information is available at www.cnt.org.
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Monday, October 26th, 2009
New Study Shows Not All Green Buildings Are Alike
Not all green building projects are alike when it comes to energy efficiency, according to research conducted by the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT). CNT examined 25 Illinois commercial projects that received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and found that some are more energy efficient than others.
Anne Evens, director of CNT Energy, says that increasing energy efficiency in buildings is an important goal for the Chicago region. “Buildings account for 61 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the Chicago region,” says Evens. “In order to reduce those emissions, we need to build for greater efficiency, and we need to save energy in existing buildings. The first step in making a building more efficient is to understand how it uses energy today. That baseline gives owners and operators the information to set and meet goals and to identify areas for improvement.”
CNT’s research and findings are part of the recently released Year 1 Final Report of the Regional Green Building Case Study Project: a Post-Occupancy Study of LEED Projects in Illinois, published by the USGBC – Chicago Chapter in collaboration with CNT and other regional partners. The U.S. Green Building Council rates green building projects for the voluntary LEED certification based on actions taken to address several areas including energy efficiency, indoor air quality, water use, location, and building materials.
CNT analyzed how projects performed over multiple years in areas including energy and water use, greenhouse gas emissions, operating costs, commute transportation and occupant comfort. CNT’s research concluded that the Illinois projects that prioritize energy efficiency as a key LEED strategy are more likely to have better energy performance than projects that prioritized other LEED categories.
The research also shows the importance of looking beyond the planning and construction phases of green building projects to implement regular tracking of the use and cost of energy, water and other resources, and to establish operation and maintenance practices that improve performance.
“CNT is a leader in analyzing energy use in buildings and in providing useful feedback to building owners and operators,” said Doug Widener, executive director of the USGBC – Chicago Chapter. “Their research supports the USGBC’s efforts to ensure that LEED certified projects achieve energy savings throughout the life cycle of the building.” The study also concludes that is important to continue to collect and analyze energy use data on an ongoing basis in order to understand the impact of changes over time. Performance evaluations must take into account changes in building occupancy, use, operations, and maintenance, as well as systems improvements.
The USGBC took a step in this direction in August when it launched its Building Performance Initiative. The initiative aims to create a system for collecting and analyzing energy and other resource use data from LEED certified buildings and providing feedback to owners.
This research is funded by Grand Victoria Foundation. The second phase of this research will kick off later this fall and will include up to 50 new and returning projects.
Report Links:
Full Report
Summary Report
About Center for Neighborhood Technology Founded in 1978, CNT (www.cnt.org) is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that works nationally in advancing urban sustainability by researching, inventing and testing strategies that use resources more efficiently and equitably. Its programs focus on climate, energy, natural resources, transportation, and community development. CNT Energy is the energy services and planning division of CNT that focuses on energy efficiency in buildings, including performance measurement. CNT is one of eight nonprofits selected from around the world to be recognized by a 2009 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
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