Time-Strapped Transit Riders Warily Eye Sept., Advocates Continue Funding
Fight
Elliott Hitchcock understands the
value of the adage “time is money.” As landlord, property manager, Catholic
school teacher, sole proprietor of his own small business, and caregiver for his
diabetic father, Hitchcock is what some may classify as a “multi-tasker.” To
remain so proficient and productive, he relies heavily on the convenience and
efficiency of the Stony Island Express bus. However, Hitchcock—like thousands of
riders around the
Chicago
region—will be forced to find
alternative means of transportation as a result of impending Pace and Chicago
Transit Authority route suspensions, fare hikes and an estimated 700 job cuts
scheduled to occur on Sept. 29 and Sept. 16, respectively.
“The Stony Island Express is
exactly what I need to make my schedule work,” says Hitchcock, a 25-year-old
South Side native, of the express service. “A lot of times I have to be in two
places at once, and the ability to get back and forth between the
Daley
Center
and my house on 83
rd
is
essential.” Hitchcock teaches at a private Catholic school on
Stony
Island
while also caring for his diabetic
father, and like thousands of other Chicagoans, must commute regularly between
outlying parts of the city and downtown. With the impending threat of service
cuts and fare hikes, Hitchcock anticipates that “something is going to break.”
This Wednesday, Aug. 22, at 10 a.m., Chicago-area
transit advocates will hold a news conference in Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s
neighborhood, at the Francisco Brown Line station (west of the Chicago River,
east of Sacramento) to urge the governor and legislators to approve a long-term
solution to funding regional transit. MPC supports SB 572, a bi-partisan bill
that would increase the regional sales tax by one-quarter of one percent and
allow the City of Chicago to increase its real estate transfer tax to fund
transit. For further information concerning the news conference please contact
Mandy Burrell at 312.863.6018 or mburrell@metroplanning.org.
MPC Roundtable to Highlight Public-Private Solutions to Affordable Housing
Chicago-area families often must
endure their own “needle in a haystack”-like pursuit when searching for
communities that offer affordable homes as well as good jobs and quality
schools. To ease their search, the State of
Illinois
has developed a housing policy that
rewards communities and employers that work together to create more housing
opportunities near jobs. Mayors in 10 north and northwest suburbs are partnering
with local employers to provide homes at all price points, and MPC will host a
discussion about this work on Friday, Aug. 24 at “Bridging Boundaries: Mayors
Partnering to Close the Jobs-Housing Gap,” a luncheon roundtable at Charter One
Bank, 71 S. Wacker Dr., 29
th
Floor, Chicago.
The event will be moderated by Stephen M. Porras, vice
president of acquisitions and affordable housing for Related Midwest; and
include panelists, DeShana Forney, executive director of the Illinois Housing
Development Authority; Mayor Rita Mullins of Palatine; Mayor Michael Belsky of
Highland Park ; and Arthur J. Sullivan, program manager of
the East King County, Wash.-based ARCH
(A Regional Coalition for Housing). At the event, attendees will learn
what is happening in Chicago’s north and northwest suburbs, as
well as hear about workforce housing models from other parts
of the country.
General registration for this
event is closed, but media may attend at no charge. Get complete details on
MPC’s Web calendar, or contact MPC Communications Associate
Mandy Burrell
at 312.863.6018 or
mburrell@metroplanning.org
for more information.
Meet the MPC Staff
Peter Skosey Is in the Know on Politics and Policy in
Chicago and Springfield
Now in his
11th
year
with the Metropolitan Planning Council,
Peter
Skosey
, vice president of external relations, has witnessed and
participated in the transforming of MPC, the Chicagoland region, and the state
of Illinois as a whole into a more transit-rich, policy-friendly, and
community-conscious place.
Skosey started at MPC in the
capacity of urban development director in 1996. He was initially charged with
restructuring the Council from its foundation of exceptional research into an
advocacy group for sound public policy. The
Hyde
Park
native has watched MPC go from what he describes as “a more
research-oriented group to one that not only writes policy recommendations but
also is committed to making recommendations actually happen.”
After serving three years in his
initial role, Skosey accepted a promotion to his current role, and has worked
closely with everyone from community leaders and policy makers to aldermen,
mayors and even, on occasion, the governor to accomplish a wide array of policy
initiatives. In addition to his official titles, Skosey also spent several
months as the interim director of transportation, and while doing so,
accumulated a wealth of knowledge concerning transportation financing and
planning.
As a graduate of the University of Chicago, where he
obtained his bachelor’s degree in behavioral science, and the University of
Illinois at Chicago , where he earned his master’s degree in urban planning,
Skosey has spent many years living in the city that he now strives to improve.
In his opinion, his job isn’t necessarily work. “I truly enjoy improving
policies to add to the bigger picture of making the city and region a better
place for everyone,” he said. For further information, tips and insight into
Chicagoland and state issues, contact Peter Skosey , MPC vice president of
external relations, at 312.863.6004 or pskosey@metroplanning.org
.