To advance the Metropolitan Planning Council’s (MPC) goal of creating a more sustainable, equitable, and competitive Chicago region, MPC takes official positions on a broad range of federal, state and local policies and issues.
Recent positions
Letter to Rep. Randall Hultgren and Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster supporting strong performance measures in a surface transportation reauthorization bill.
Letter to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Great Chicago Board of Commissioners supporting the District's proposed Watershed Management Ordinance and the open process by which it was developed.
Letter to U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-IL) thanking him for his support of HR 2288 Commuter Parity Act of 2013. Metropolitan Planning Council, June 2013.
Letter to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning objecting to the manner by which the Circle Interchange project is being considered for inclusion in the regional transportation improvement plan. Metropolitan Planning Council, February 2013.
Letter to U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, suggesting performance criteria as U.S. DOT works on guidance and rules to implement MAP-21. Metropolitan Planning Council, October 2012.
Statement on the federal transportation reauthorization. Metropolitan Planning Council. June 2012.
Statement supporting the immediate, long-term reauthorization of federal surface transportation legislation. Metropolitan Planning Council and Silicon Valley Leadership Group, members of the National Metropolitan Business Alliance. June 2012.
Statement on the Chicago Infrastructure Trust, Metropolitan Planning Council. May 2012.
Letter to Sen. Sandoval and Rep. Burke supporting SB 2861, Railroad Escrow Account. Metropolitan Planning Council. May 2012.
Letter to Gov. Quinn, Speaker Madigan, President Cullerton, Leader Cross, and Leader Radogno on reforming the Illinois' State Pension Systems, Metropolitan Planning Council. May 2012.
Metropolitan Planning Council position on the proposal to build Illinois Route 53/120. May 2012.
Letter to Senators Boxer, Inhofe, Mica and Rahall, surface transportation bill conferees, urging them to eliminate the current prohibition on the tolling of the Interstate Highway System in the final conference agreement. May 2012, Metropolitan Planning Council, BiPartisan Policy Center, Building America's Future Reason Foundation.
Letter to Senator Durbin and Congressman Costello, surface transportation bill conferees, urging them to embed MAP-21’s important provisions – ones that will strengthen our nation’s economic foothold – in the final conference agreement. Metropolitan Planning Council. May, 2012.
Letter thanking U.S. Reps Hultgren, Quigley, Biggert, Dold, Lipinski and Rush for sponsoring an amendment that would restore and make permanent parity between the pre-tax commuter benefits for transit and parking. Metropolitan Planning Council. February 2012.
Letter thanking U.S. Reps Lipinski, Dold, and Biggert for taking a stand to guarantee dedicated funding for transit in the Chicago region as part of H.R. 7, the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act of 2012. Metropolitan Planning Council. February 2012.
Harry Reid and Sen Mitch McConnell to amend MAP-21 (S.1813) and eliminate the current prohibition on the tolling of the Interstate Highway System. Metropolitan Planning Council and BiPartisan Policy Center. February 2012.
Letter to U.S. Rep Dave Camp and Sander Levin to reject H.R.3864 a bill that would eliminate guaranteed funding for the Federal Mass Transit Account. Metropolitan Planning Council and Transportation for America. February 2012.
Letter to U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, supporting the application for a TIGER IV Discretionary Grant by the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation and Efficiency (CREATE) Program. Metropolitan Planning Council. February 2012.
Letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to consider the certified 2011 air monitoring data in the Northeastern Illinois attainment decision. Metropolitan Planning Council. January 2012.
Letter to U.S. Rep Randy Hultgren, outlining proposed measures to enhance the performance and accountability of a proposed six year surface transportation bill. Metropolitan Planning Council. November 2011.
Letter to U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, supporting the application for a TIGER III Discretionary Grant by the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation and Efficiency (CREATE) Program. Metropolitan Planning Council. October 2011.
Letter to U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, fully supporting and urging funding for University of Illinois' proposal to the U.S. Dept. of Transportation to fund a University Transportation Rail Center. Metropolitan Planning Council. October 2011.
Letter to U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren urging him to support strategic transportation planning in the next federal surface transportation re-authorization. Metropolitan Planning Council. April 2011.
Letter to U.S. Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, outlining principles that should drive the next federal surface transportation bill. Metropolitan Planning Council. February 2011.
Letter urging Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) to vote yes on the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform plan and include new revenues to replenish the Highway Trust Fund. Metropolitan Planning Council. December 2010.
Letter urging the Illinois Congressional delegation to co-sponsor a bill to permanently increase the maximum monthly commuter expense allowance for mass transit. Metropolitan Planning Council. December 2010.
Letter thanking President Barack Obama for his investment in transportation infrastructure. Metropolitan Planning Council. September 2010.
Letter to U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) citing Employer Assisted Housing as an example of a wise public investment that embodies the Livability Principles, and leverages economic returns. Metropolitan Planning Council. July 2010.
Letter urging U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) to co-sponsor the federal Livable Communities Act of 2009 and to include language that would encourage Employer Assisted Housing (EAH). Metropolitan Planning Council. July 2010.
Letter in response to the Federal Transit Administration’s advance notice of proposed rulemaking for the New Starts and Small Starts project justification criteria. MPC presents a methodology, guided by the six Livability Principles, to evaluate transit investments. Metropolitan Planning Council. July 2010.
Letter to Joseph C. Szabo, Administrator at the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Division of the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, in support of FRA’s goal of using the National Rail Plan to support more livable, sustainable communities. Metropolitan Planning Council & National Housing Conference. June 2010.
Letter urging U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) to amend the Livable Communities Act so that it incorporates Employer-Assisted Housing (EAH). Metropolitan Planning Council & National Housing Conference. April 2010.
Letter to Ron Sims, Deputy Secretary, and Shelly Poticha, Director for the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, at the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, commenting on the Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program Advance Notice. Metropolitan Planning Council & Chicago regional partners. March 2010.
Letter to U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood encouraging him to approve Illinois’ requested funding for the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) TIGER grant program. Chicago Region Congressional Delegation. September 2009.