RTA Local Planning 2019 Implementation Report

RTA & Local Planning

As outlined in Invest in Transit, the strategic plan for northeastern Illinois, the Regional Transportation Authority aims to deliver value on the region’s investment in transit, build on the strengths of our network, and keep transit competitive. The RTA Local Planning division does that by offering two programs that provide funding and technical assistance to local governments to create and implement plans that guide development of station areas and improve pedestrian and bicycle connectivity. These efforts meet community needs, expand job and housing accessibility, and improve the overall competitiveness of transit. The Community Planning program and the Access to Transit program seek to offer equitable solutions for communities who are financially unable to complete community visioning and implementation.

Since 1998, technical and financial assistance from the  Community Planning program  has helped local governments plan for and create walkable and sustainable communities near transit stations and along transit corridors. These planning studies better prepare communities to attract public-private partnerships, housing and job development, leverage infrastructure investments, and improve efficiency in delivering government services. Through this program, the RTA has invested over $21 million in local planning initiatives and collaborated on over 200 projects, helping to ensure that local land use decisions focus on maximizing the benefits of transit.

The  Access to Transit program  was created in 2014 to provide funding for local governments to complete small-scale pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure projects — such as sidewalks, bike racks, and pedestrian crossing signals — that improve access to transit services. The program has leveraged $2.2 million in RTA funding to secure $10.8 million in federal funding for 28 projects in communities across the region.

Community Planning Program

The RTA established the Community Planning program to encourage transit-oriented development (TOD) and improve transit access in communities. Its mission is to leverage our region’s commuter train lines, bus routes, and other extensive transit assets to enhance local economies and quality of life. Communities use the program as an important tool in planning for and implementing TOD that addresses the needs of their residents and businesses. Examples of eligible projects include TOD plans, corridor studies and neighborhood mobility improvement plans. These plans guide community development, providing more efficient access to affordable transportation while improving quality of life and public health.

Putting a completed plan in action is frequently a challenge for local governments. To help overcome this challenge the Community Planning Program also supports “next-step” implementation initiatives, including organizing and hosting developer panels or updating zoning codes to support TOD.

Each year the Community Planning program solicits proposals for projects that are reviewed and selected based on their ability to support transit and community economic development. In 2019, nine applications were selected, as shown in the adjacent map. To learn more about these and other Community Planning projects, visit  rtachicago.org/cp .

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Access to Transit Program

The Access to Transit Program leverages RTA, local, and federal funds to complete small capital projects that improve transit access for commuters, especially those walking and biking. Funding assists communities in implementing recommendations from our Community Planning program or from the CMAP Local Technical Assistance program. In six years, the program has supported 32 projects totaling more than $2.3 million in RTA funds.

Through its biennial solicitation of proposals, Access to Transit prioritizes projects that fill gaps between transit users and facilities, creating safer and more efficient connections while also improving the commuter experience. To make the program more accessible to high-need communities, the RTA expanded it to include Phase I engineering. Phase I engineering is frequently a barrier preventing high-need communities from being able to access larger state and federal funding. Multiple projects were completed in 2019, several highlighted in this report. To learn more about these and other Access to Transit projects, visit the  Planning Projects  section of  rtams.org 

Community Implementation Highlights

Continuing Our Work

It is important that the Community Planning and Access to Transit programs evolve to address current and relevant planning topics, particularly as long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic remain uncertain.

In the future, these programs should continue to help ensure that municipal planning and implementation efforts will maximize local benefits of the transit system. With this assistance from the RTA Community Planning and Access to Transit programs as well as continued partnerships with CTA, Metra, and Pace, communities have leveraged their local transit services by locating housing, jobs and retail in close proximity to train stations and bus routes. Doing so has improved transit’s impact in the region through access improvements; reduced sprawl and increased walking and biking by promoting compact development; reduced auto emissions; and provided potential household cost savings for residents who walk, bike, or use transit as opposed to driving a car.

Through the Community Planning program, staff will continue to pursue TOD and corridor studies with municipalities, in addition to focusing on economic recovery of COVID-19 and implementation efforts in communities that have completed initial planning studies. This assistance will help ensure that zoning code updates, developer discussion panels, and innovative financing studies will continue, along with new efforts to address emerging planning topics, such as equity, post-COVID recovery, and new mobility options. To address important issues of equity in TOD, RTA staff will use an equity “lens” when evaluating each TOD project scope’s approach to housing and transportation affordability and to anti-displacement strategies. Additional efforts will include continued participation in regional planning efforts to address equity, affordability, and inclusionary zoning to help inform current and future planning efforts so that all residents in the region can benefit from TOD. Transit access and mobility improvements will continue as existing Access to Transit program projects complete construction of new sidewalks, crosswalks, covered bike racks, and other small-scale access improvements throughout the region. Staff will continue to identify ways to encourage greater utilization of both programs, especially those in high-need communities.

The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA)

The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) is the unit of local government charged with financial oversight, funding, and regional transit planning for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra, and Pace bus and Pace’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Paratransit Service. The RTA system serves two million riders each weekday with 145 CTA rail stations, 240 Metra commuter rail stations, 350 bus routes, with a combined 7,200 transit route miles throughout Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties of northeastern Illinois.

Resources

Visit  www.rtachicago.org  for more information on the Community Planning and Access to Transit programs, in addition to many other resources, which include:

 Chicago Regional Green Transit Plan : Describes the environmental benefits of transit in the region and provides a roadmap to making the transit system greener

 Pace : Transit Supportive Guidelines : The goal of the Transit Supportive Guidelines is to foster reliable, efficient, convenient, and accessible transit in communities throughout the Chicago region that are served by Pace Suburban Bus.

 Municipal Funding Opportunities for Transit-Oriented Development : This guide includes local, regional, state, federal and private foundation sources available to help implement TOD.