More than 102 million Americans – almost 77% –drive to work alone.

Housing and Transit: Working together to solve our region’s problems

Situated in the Rogers Park neighborhood along the north shore of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is home to more than 10,000 students and a workforce of almost 1,100 people. Since March 2008, Loyola has partnered with the Rogers Park Community Development Corporation and REACH Illinois to offer an employer-assisted housing (EAH) program.  This program helps Loyola’s faculty and staff purchase homes in the university’s neighboring communities or within a half mile of transit – especially in areas along the CTA’s Red Line – from the Loop to Roger’s Park. Every year, as many as 25 staff members are eligible for up to $10,000 in forgivable loans.  In less than two years, Loyola employees have accessed more than 60 percent of the program’s total.

For American families today, transportation is the second highest expense after housing – averaging 19 percent of a household’s total budget and going as high as 25 percent in auto-dependent communities. Alternatively, households near transit spend less than 10 percent of their budgets on transportation costs.  In the Chicago area, according to a recent transit study, it’s easy to see why; growing demand for transit-rich neighborhoods is expected to double in the next few decades. Chicago-area transit commuters save up to $11,357 every year, or $946 per month. That’s $2,000 more than the national average!

Programs like EAH not only encourage transit ridership, but also reduce sprawl, promote environmental sustainability, ease traffic congestion, and help employees cut commuting costs and travel time. For example, Loyola’s EAH program encourages community reinvestment and stimulates local home ownership – a benefit for the employees, university, and community at large.

U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secy. Ray LaHood recently announced that transit projects would be evaluated based on their ability to meet these cross-cutting livability goals. By evaluating transit projects based on their ability to reduce carbon emissions, spur economic activity, and relieve congestion (using live near work strategies for example), we’re advancing a cleaner, safer, and more efficient way of life.

Photo courtesy of Laurence Pearlman

For Additional Information:

• Loyola University Chicago joins REACH Illinois – Metropolitan Planning Council
• Housing and Transit Affordablity Index – Center for Neighborhood Technology

 

NEWS

Local News

 

 

Regulators taking closer look at Canadian National reports – Chicago Tribune “Federal regulators said Wednesday they're taking a closer look at concerns about noise, vibrations and train delays along the former Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway line.”

High-speed rail seen as economic engine in Illinois – Chicago Tribune “Downstate Normal and Chicago's West Side are among communities looking to ride the rails to modernization.”

Railroad czar praises high-speed rail plan for Midwest – Chicago Tribune “The Obama administration's railroad czar on Friday praised a comprehensive Midwest plan for high-speed passenger rail service during a conference in Chicago.”

Many Will County officials pushing to speed plans for Illiana Expressway Officials hope to see action on Illiana Expressway by mid-February – Chicago Tribune “In Will County, support for the proposed superhighway is so widespread that many local leaders say it should just keep on going west -- to Interstate Highway 55 past Joliet.”

What's the next major tollway project? – Daily Herald “Some experts say the tollway should look no further than constructing the eastern extension of the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway and a western bypass around the airport.”  

Metra now taking credit cards, but not everywhere – Chicago Sun-Times “Metra started accepting credit cards at some downtown stations today.”

CTA, Metra funds: Lawsuit claims racial bias in funding – Chicago Tribune “CTA riders have long grumbled about getting a raw deal with high fares and skimpy service, and a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday argues that the complaint is not just real but fueled by policies that favor white commuters over blacks and Hispanics.”

World News

New Transit-Funding Rules Make Streetcars More Desirable – Wall Street Journal “The Obama administration said it was revamping rules on federal transit funding to funnel more of the money to streetcars, bus routes and other projects that promote ‘livability.’”

Preliminary OK given to raise bridge tolls – San Francisco Chronicle “A package of toll increases that won initial approval Wednesday would, for the first time, charge carpools to cross state-owned bridges and levy higher tolls for drivers who use the Bay Bridge during its busiest hours.”

Beyond the Motor City – PBS “When President Barack Obama introduced his high-speed rail plan last year, he pointed to Spain — not only as an example to follow, but also as a country America has fallen behind.”

U.S. government ditches transportation funding limits – Reuters “The Obama administration is broadening the standards for how the U.S. government funds public transportation projects in order to disburse money quickly and improve the environment.”

Report Links Vehicle Exhaust to Health Problems – New York Times “Exhaust from cars and trucks exacerbates asthma in children and may cause new cases as well as other respiratory illnesses and heart problems resulting in deaths, an independent institute that focuses on vehicle-related air pollution has concluded.”

FasTracks funding gap widens – Denver Post “RTD now says it will cost $6.7 billion to build all of FasTracks, but without a doubling of the existing tax this year, the agency will be short about $2.5 billion in revenues needed to complete the massive transit expansion by 2017.”

Should drivers be taxed by the mile? – Houston Chronicle “The Texas Transportation Commission has directed a fresh study of the idea, and it is not alone. There are pilot projects in other states and nationally to gauge how such a tax would work.”

Fast Trains Lead Amtrak List of Needs – New York Times “Amtrak has been working hard to lure more business travelers to its trains, with advertisements highlighting its advantages over air travel — roomier seats, power outlets on its Acela trains and fewer annoyances.”  

Resources

• What we learned from the Stimulus: How to use what we learned to speed job creation in the 2010 jobs bill – Smart Growth America
• Traffic-Related Air Pollution: A Critical Review of the Literature on Emissions, Exposure, and Health Effects – Health Effects Institute
• The Costs of Reducing Greenhouse-Gas Emissions – CBO

Enjoy Talking Transit?  The content is a result of the research, outreach and advocacy efforts of MPC’s dedicated Transportation team.  You can make a difference on the issues you read about here by making a donation to MPC today, http://www.metroplanning.org/donation.asp.

Contact Information
For comments, suggestions or submissions, please contact Emily Tapia Lopez, Associate, at etapia@metroplanning.org or 312-863-6047.