Transit advocates gathered in South Holland to hear about best practices and learn about securing federal New Start transit funds.
MPC’s
spring transportation roundtable brought best practices and expert advice for south suburban transit advocates.
All Aboard: Bringing Transit to a Community Near You was held in
South Holland, a community that sits at the heart of Metra’s
proposed Southeast Service line. Co-sponsored by the Chicago Southland Chamber
of Commerce, South Suburban Mayors & Managers Association and the Will
County Governmental League, the roundtable attracted local officials, state representatives and transit advocates, all of
whom have a stake in future Metra service in the
southern part of the region. Representatives from transportation agencies and planning offices heard firsthand what
economic redevelopment opportunities and freight congestion improvements communities
would like to see in addition to better transit
service.
South
Holland President Don DeGraff kicked-off the panel by discussing the importance of
new and expanded transit service
to local communities. “This process started in 1996,” DeGraff said, “and
has been a cooperative effort with all the communities that would benefit
from the a
southeastern
service line.” The South Holland president stressed that a “strong quality of
life …centers around transportation,” and that the true benefits to
communities come in both accessibility for their residents and redevelopment
opportunities for downtown areas.
Mark Fowler, executive director of
the Northwest Municipal Conference, coordinated the transportation work during the
planning
and implementation of Metra’s North
Central Service Line. Fowler discussed best practices and lessons learned in
moving from
corridor planning to actual
commuter rail service. “Our goals from the start were to get the project up and running
and use this process to
create
a model for others to follow.” Fowler noted that there were more than
40 government entities involved by the end of the process, but the key component had
been communication: “we formed a speakers guild and would go and talk to anyone who
wanted
to hear about the
project.” Although it took fifteen years from start to finish, the project has
been realized, and lessons learned will benefit others who would like to see improved transit
service
in their communities.
Fowler said that the three key aspects of the
planning process were a yearly commitment —
both financial and political — clear policies for what is expected and the expectation
that staff, local leaders and elected officials will devote time to the project. "All of
this is important," Fowler concluded, "but you must commit the time.”
Rhonda Reed of
the
Federal Transit
Administration offered insight into federal funding trends. “Transit dependency, congestion and the increase
in travel demand” Reed explained, “are why transit
funding has become so competitive.”
With TEA-21 being the driving force behind more planning by agencies
requesting funds, the FTA has strengthened its review process to ensure that
high quality and demand driven projects with supporting land use
get the
funding they deserve. “Coordination, cooperation, collaboration and communication” are the essential
components of any and all transit projects
that receive new start funding. Reed
pointed out that Metra must know the process quite well, having won an
unprecedented three full funding grant agreements.
Rhonda Reed explains that transit projects that are connected with
community development goals are more competitive for federal funds.
Sen.
Debbie Halvorson (D-Crete) closed the session by saying that the “region was off to
a good start” and she would continue to serve as a leader in strengthening
coordination among key players in the south suburbs. She shared her perspectives on
recent activities of the Southland Legislative Caucus and indicated that
transportation issues were of prime importance to those members, along with education
funding, tax policy and other quality of life challenges for south suburban
communities. “It’s not just what’s good for my district, it’s doing what’s right for
the region," Sen. Halvorson said. She acknowledged that the state is faced
with finding a successor to its Illinois FIRST program, which provided Illinois’ match to
federal funds for transportation projects, which would be a priority for General
Assembly members in 2004.