HONORABLE TONI PRECKWINKLE, PRESIDENT

CO O K CO U N T Y B OA R D O F CO M M I S S I O N E R S

JUNE 2016

CONNECTING
Cook County
2 0 4 0 L O N G R A N G E T R A N S P O R TAT I O N P L A N

Acknowledgments

Advisory Committee
Michael Tang, National Material L.P. (Chairman)
Rita Athas, World Business Chicago
MarySue Barrett, Metropolitan Planning Council
Frank Beal, Civic Consulting Alliance
Gerald Bennett, Southwest Conference of Mayors
Michael Borgstrom, Wendella Boats
Paul Braun, South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association
Roberto Escalante, Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Sandy Frum, Northwest Municipal Conference
Jacky Grimshaw, Center for Neighborhood Technology
Michael Jasso, Cook County Bureau of Economic Development
Theresa E. Mintle, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
Rosa Ortiz, Enterprise Community Partners
Jorge Ramirez, Chicago Federation of Labor
Deborah Sawyer, Environmental Design International
Ronald Serpico, West Central Municipal Conference
Joseph Szabo, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
John Yonan, P.E., Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways
Andrea Zopp, Chicago Urban League

Program Committee
Greg Bedalov, Illinois State Toll Highway Authority
Randy Blankenhorn, Illinois Department of Transportation
Ben Brockschmidt, Illinois Chamber of Commerce
Ron Burke, Active Transportation Alliance
Dorval R. Carter, Jr., Chicago Transit Authority
Joseph Ciaccio, Illinois Railroad Association
Matt Hart, Illinois Trucking Association
Larry Ivory, Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce
Robert McKenna, Chicago Department of Planning and Development
Don Orseno, Metra
Jorge Perez, Hispanic American Construction Industry Association
Arnold Randall, Forest Preserves of Cook County
Leanne Redden, Regional Transportation Authority
T.J. Ross, Pace Suburban Bus Service
Rebekah Scheinfeld, Chicago Department of Transportation
Karen Tamley, Chicago Mayors Office for People with Disabilities

Peer Review Panel

Dena Belzer, Strategic Economics
Anjali Mahendra, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
Patrick J. OBrien, Belt Railway Company of Chicago
Alexander Rothenberg, RAND Corporation
Tom Sanchez, Virginia Tech
Ron Sims, Former US Department of Housing and Urban Development
Samuel K. Skinner, Former US Department of Transportation

A MESSAGE
FROM THE PRESIDENT
To the Residents of Cook County:
From roads and canals, to railways and airplanes, advances in transportation have shaped
our nation and driven our economic presence in the world. Cook Countys economic
health depends in no small part on our ability to provide systems that reduce the
transportation costs for our families and businesses and improve commerce by more
efficiently getting people to jobs and goods to markets. Transportation is an investment in
our economic future.
In Cook County, we have the distinct advantage of being at the center of our nations
transportation infrastructure. With two major airports, ten interstate expressways, and the
largest freight hub in the nation, our transportation system is one of our regions most important
assetskey not only to our economic prosperity, but to the well-being of our residents.
Yet, in the 70 years since the Countys last strategic transportation plan, the commitment
and investment in our infrastructure has declined. Our transportation system has aged and
fallen behind those of similar regions across the globe.
For too long, Cook County sat back while others made decisions affecting our residents
and businesses. Its time Cook County not only had a seat at the table, but also played a
leadership role in creating a modern transportation system that meets changing consumer
needs and responds to the demands of a twenty-first century economy.
Cook County has more than half of the metropolitan regions population, jobs, and
businesses and is uniquely vested in the health and sustainability of our transportation
system. For these same reasons, we are also uniquely positioned to lead the charge.
Connecting Cook County is a call to actiona framework to promote the strategic partnerships
and investments that strengthen our economy and lead to more livable communities.
Connecting Cook County includes input from the public and private sectors, issue experts,
and community members who rely on our transportation system every day. It will allow us
to achieve a better understanding of our current landscape as well as to prepare for the
challenges and opportunities on the horizon.
Sincerely,

Toni Preckwinkle, President

Cook County Board of Commissioners

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TA B L E O F CO N T E N T S

Cook Countys
Transportation Needs
> 5 <

Cook Countys
Transportation Resources
> 21 <

Cook Countys
Transportation Priorities
> 47 <

Cook Countys
ROLE IN TURNING Priorities
INTO ACTIONS
> 65 <

2 0 4 0 L O N G R A N G E T R A N S P O R TAT I O N P L A N

CHAPTER ONE

NEEDS

Cook Countys
Transportation

NEEDS
Cook Countys transportation system is one
of its greatest assets, having a centraleven
dominantrole in the national and international
movement of people and goods. As this plan
Connecting Cook County will outline, this
competitive advantage is being threatened
by the actions other regions are taking, as
well as the Chicago regions own limits in
confronting significant challenges. Many of
these impediments are evident today. Other
impediments and opportunities will emerge as
new technologies are adopted, as consumers
express new preferences, and as the economy
continues to transform itself.

Transportation supports the

economy and creates livable
communities by getting workers
to work, shoppers to stores,
students to school, and products
to consumers.

Connecting Cook County provides the framework

through which County officials, under the
leadership of President Preckwinkle, can plan for
the future, advocate for sound transportation
policies, andmost importantlytake action.
The findings and recommendations of Connecting
Cook County are based on these realities:
The purpose of transportation is to support
the economy and create livable communities.
Transportation is meant to get workers to work,
shoppers to stores, students to school, and
products to consumers. Good transportation
systems help create stronger economies,
reduce transportation costs, and create better,
more livable communities.



systems are multi-purpose and

Transportation

multi-modal. Airports generate truck and auto
traffic. Passenger rail services compete with
freight transportation. Cars and trucks share
the same highways. The various components
have to be designed and managed as an
integrated system, rather than as distinct silos.

The Current Need for

Transportation Services

Toward those ends, the Countys transportation

Every day Cook County residents use various

it must support the businesses and families

transportation services to get to work, school,

that reside in the County. Second, it must

family, and friends. Businesses use it to receive raw

accommodate the demands that come with

materials, ship finished products to customers, or

being the hub of the metropolitan area, including

fly across the world to finalize a deal. People and

those of commuters from the surrounding

businesses from other areas also depend heavily

counties, regional freight, and visitors wishing

on the Countys transportation system, whether

to take advantage of all that the region has to

they are going to work, visiting a museum, or

offer. Third, the system must perform a crucial

passing through on their way from Indianapolis to

function as both the nexus of North American

Milwaukee. All of these millions of daily trips fulfill

freight distribution and a linchpin of the global

some economic or social purpose. The users of the

freight network. The first and second of these

system are looking for the least expensive, most

are common to all major urban areas, but Cook

convenient, most reliable, and safest ways to reach

Countys transportation system is forced to

their destinations.

confront the demands imposed by all three on a

system serves three interrelated purposes. First,

daily basis.

The
 current transportation system involves
hundreds of public agencies working

Transportation is not an end in itself. It is a

means by which people and businesses fulfill

Demands from Within the County

their objectives. And yet, agencies responsible

Residents

for transportation too often report progress in

The largest and most obvious source of demand for

terms of the number of trains run per day, the

transportation services within Cook County comes

condition of road pavement, or the miles of bike

from its residents. As the center of the nations

lanes installed. These measures are important,

third largest metropolitan area, the County is home

This chapter of Connecting Cook County begins

but the users of the transportation system only

to nearly two million households and more than

with a description of the users of the transportation

care if it will allow them to achieve their goals in a

five million residents. While it makes up less than

system and the reasons they need these services.

reasonable amount of time, at a reasonable cost,

a quarter of metropolitan Chicagos land area, its

It then describes the trends that will shape future

and preferably with multiple options.

residents represent roughly sixty percent of the

with private sector institutions to provide

transportation assets and services. Effective
transportation planning and management
requires intergovernmental cooperation and
partnerships with the private sector.

preferences and alter the way transportation

regions population. Nationally, Cook County is

services are delivered.

among the densest urban areas and is the second

most populous county.

FIGURE 1.1 PURPOSE OF TRIPS TAKEN BY COUNTY RESIDENTS

FIGURE 1.2 DAILY WORK TRIPS COOK COUNTY

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Analysis of 2008 Travel Tracker Survey, 2010

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census

Total Number of Trips = 19.1 million

Total Number of Work Trips = 2,792,904

Includes work trips for the CMAP region, and Lake County, Indiana

5%
Food
(eating out)

5%
School

2%
Health Care
1%
Other

80,833

63,520

33,522
8%
Recreation

4,521
43%
Shopping and
personal business

44,423

12%
Transportation-related
(such as driving to a train station)

19,303

24%
Work

137,477

2,076,152

Nearly half of all trips taken by Cook County residents are made for shopping and personal business. Workrelated trips account for slightly less than one-quarter of all trips.

135,387

During a 24-hour workday, residents take more

recreation or transportation-related functions.

than 19 million trips. The peak evening rush hour

Certainly, residents rely on the transportation

sees more than one million residents traveling

system for far more than getting to work.

at any given moment, of which less than half of

Commuting, though, plays an outsized role in the

these are commuters coming home from work.

need for transportation services in two ways. First,

Data for the number, purpose, and mode of trips

the distances and destinations of these commutes

within Cook County and the region comes from

matter. The average round-trip for work taken by

the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning

a Cook County resident ranges from less than 13

(CMAP) 2008 Travel Tracker Survey. More recent

miles in central Chicago to nearly 24 miles in the

data is not available, but the order of magnitude

southern suburbs, significantly longer than the

and character of those trips are not likely to

average round-trip for other purposes (roughly

Outbound Work Trips

have changed materially. Figure 1.1 illustrates the

six to 10 miles, depending on purpose and point

Inbound Work Trips

purposes of these various trips.

of origin). Indeed, while many residents live and

Work Trips within Cook County

830
6,429
12,768
93,471
46,089
MAP KEY

38,179

work within the County, a large percentage travel

While the commute to and from workperhaps the

significant distances. Hundreds of thousands more

most commonly discussed trip purposerepresents

commute into a neighboring county each day.

a significant portion of these trips, it is actually

Figure 1.2 provides an overview of these patterns.

surpassed by trips made for shopping and personal

business, and nearly matched by trips made for

Two million work trips begin and end in Cook County every day. Another 274,000 Cook County residents travel
to neighboring counties for work and 442,000 collar county residents travel to Cook County for work. The vast
majority of these trips are made by car in both Cook County (71.8 percent) and the region (80 percent). Regions
must offer workers alternatives for getting to their jobs, and also anticipate growth, changes in commuting
patterns, and demographic and technological trends.

FIGURE 1.3 COOK COUNTY WEEKDAY TRIPS BY PURPOSE

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Analysis of 2008 Travel Tracker Survey, 2010

Total Number of Trips = 19.1 million

FIGURE 1.4 COOK COUNTY WEEKDAY TRIPS BY MODE

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Analysis of 2008 Travel Tracker Survey, 2010

Total Number of Trips = 19.1 million

10

11

While trips peak during the morning and evening rush hours, they remain substantial throughout
the day.

At peak hours, car travel accounts for approximately half of the trips taken by Cook County residents.

Peak commuting hours during the morning and

typical Cook County household spends $10,459 on

Manufacturers depend upon the efficient delivery

Demands from the Countys Role as the

evening rush hours represent the times of day

transportation, but this varies widely throughout

of parts or raw materials, as well as the ability

Regional Hub

when the existing transportation system is most in

the County, from as low as $5,700 to as high as

to quickly and economically ship products

Regional Residents and Businesses

demand. Figure 1.3 charts the daily fluctuation in

$15,400. In aggregate, this amounts to more

to customers around the globe. Professional

Cook Countys transportation system

County trips over the course of the day.

than $20 billion per year in spending by County

services firms must be able to traverse the region,

accommodates hundreds of thousands of residents

families clearly indicating the high value placed on

the country, and even the globe in order to be

from the surrounding counties, including from

competitive and effective. Businesses of all kinds

outside of Illinois. Many of these trips are made for

While most of these trips are by personal

transportation. In return, transportation providers

automobile (the Countys 5 million residents have

must ensure that these crucial services remain

collectively registered nearly 2 million vehicles),

accessible and affordable.

many occur on bikes, buses, trains, and foot. Figure

1.4 illustrates the variety in mode type by trip.

Businesses
The 128,722 businesses operating within the County

need a transportation system that can bring them

the supplies needed to support their day-to-day
operations. Each of these needs places demands
on the transportation system. If the system cannot
accommodate them, businesses might very well

work. Others are taken to enjoy cultural attractions,

sports facilities, visit friends, or shop. In total,
regional residents make more than 750,000 trips
into Cook County every day.

Between each of these various transportation

collectively employ roughly 2.2 million individuals

options, individuals spend a substantial

who place significant requirements on the

and increasing amount of their income

transportation system. Businesses also have their

the region. In particular, much of the regions freight

on transportation services. The Center for

own transportation needs.

movement, serving these very businesses, comes into,

Neighborhood Technology estimates that the

move to a region with a system that can.

As the hub of the metropolitan area, Cook County is

also impacted by the needs of businesses throughout

out of, or through Cook County on its way elsewhere

within the region or country.

FIGURE 1.5 TRIP PURPOSE FOR REGIONAL VISITORS TO COOK COUNTY

FIGURE 1.6 BUSIEST NORTH AMERICAN PORTS BY TEUS MOVED (IN MILLIONS)

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Analysis of 2008 Travel Tracker Survey, 2010

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning 2014 Estimate and Metropolitan Chicagos Freight Cluster: A Drill-Down Report on Infrastructure, Innovation, and Workforce, June 2012

TEU = Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (The equivalent number of 20-foot shipping containers.)

Total Number of Trips = 760,000

VANCOUVER, BC
2.91
5%
School

6%
Food
(eating out)

3%
Health Care

8%
Transportation-related

SEATTLE / TACOMA
3.46
OAKLAND
2.39

(such as driving to a train station)

CHICAGO
15.40

LOS ANGELES /
LONG BEACH
15.17

13%
Recreation

NEW YORK /
NEW JERSEY
5.77
HAMPTON
ROADS
2.39

48%
Work
SAVANNAH /
BRUNSWICK
3.35

17%
Shopping and
personal business

HOUSTON
1.95

12

13

Almost half of regional visitors to the County come for work-related purposes.

Visitors to the Region

The Chicago region attracts millions of visitors
each year. Many come specifically to Cook County,
while many others are simply passing through.
In 2015, more than 52 million people visited the
City of Chicago alone. These visitors rely on the
transportation system to come and go, whether
via OHare International Airport, Amtrak, or
I-57. And while in the area, they depend on the
transportation network to get aroundusing
transit, rental cars, taxis, ride sharing, or the bike
sharing program Divvy.
Cook Countys Role as a Distribution Center
Beyond serving the transportation needs of the
Chicago region, the metropolitan transportation
system is the center of a global supply chain and
supports the nations largest port. The region
receives freight from all over the world and sorts,
stores, and reships it for use elsewhere. It handles
millions of tons of freight that are not consumed

The Chicago metropolitan area is the busiest port in North America handling 15.4 million shipping containers
annually. In 2012, the freight cluster moved more than 925 million tons of freight valued at $1.3 trillion directly
into and out of the region, supporting over 176,000 jobs and generating $12.3 billion in personal income.

or produced locally. Its major railroads bring rail

cars from the coasts, switch them to another
railroad and send them to a variety of destinations
across the continent. Major retailers have made
the Chicago region a distribution point to store
goods in vast warehouses and truck them to retail
locations in the Midwest and beyond. This function
as a major distribution center brings jobs and
income to the region, but it also places additional
demands on the Countys transportation system.

This role as a distribution center is not restricted to

rail. Within Cook County, there are nearly 160,584
registered trucks. An additional 331,630 are
registered in the greater Chicago region. Not all of
these drive within Cook County on a daily basis, but
many do. More than 35,000 trucking companies
operating in the region manage these trucks.
Together, these trucks and the jobs connected to
them represent significant sources of demand on
the Countys transportation system.

Roughly half of freight rail trips in the region are

simply passing through on their way to another
destination. The vast majority of these trips are
routed through Cook County, given its outsized
importance in the regional (and national) rail
network. Each of these trains competes for
limited time and space on a rail network that is
already congested with the movement of local

When these local trucks are combined with

thousands of additional trucks from outside the
area, the Chicago region has more truck traffic than
most others in the country. Indeed, while shipping
by truck is somewhat more localized than that by
rail; roughly 30 percent of all truck traffic in the
region is due to trucks that are neither shipping
freight to or from the region. Even some local trips
are a direct result of the regions role as a global
distribution centertrucks make more than 7,500

freight and passenger trains.

trips each day transporting goods from one rail

yard to another, as goods continue on their way
across the continent.

Between 2010 and 2040, it is

anticipated that the population over
65 will grow by 66 percent.
By 2040, the Cook County
population under the age of 29
will represent 38 percent of the
Countys population, down slightly
from 42 percent in 2010.

14

Trends Shaping Future Needs

These demands are unlikely to shift dramatically in
the short term, but just as they have changed over
time in the past, there is no doubt that such shifts
will occur once again. Over the next 30 years,
there will be significant changes to the Countys
population and economy. Existing technologies
will continue to evolve and new ones will emerge.

15

The changing composition of the population will

alter transportation preferences. Between 2010
and 2040, it is anticipated that the population over
65 will grow by 66 percent. Experience indicates
that older populations are looking for additional
transportation options, as they are either unable to
rely solely on their cars, or are simply uninterested
in doing so.

The mixed-use, transit-oriented developments approved by the City of Evanston near the CTA and Metra Davis
Street Stations have turned its downtown into an employment, shopping, and entertainment destination. They
have boosted resident population, transit ridership, and walking and biking while reducing the number of cars.

These trends will have a significant impact on the

future need for transportation services, and must
be the foundation for any related policies and
investments made today.
Demographics
Between now and 2040, CMAPs GO TO 2040 plan
projects that Cook County is expected to add more
than 850,000 new residents. Most of the County
will experience moderate population growth.
However, there are likely to be some pockets of
concentrated growth, in particular the central
parts of Chicago. Population growth will place new
requirements on the transportation system. So too
will changes in regional population; as different
portions of the metropolitan area grow at different
rates, the Countys transportation system will be
forced to respond accordingly.

Furthermore, todays younger generations appear to

be significantly less interested in driving, and more
interested in utilizing transit or alternative modes
of transportation. It seems possible that these
preferences will remain, even as that population
ages. And while the percentage of the Cook
County population under the age of 29 will decline
slightlyfrom 42 percent in 2010 to 38 percent in
2040continued shifts in preferences among this
age cohort could have significant implications.
Across all age ranges, Americans are also
increasingly interested in living in mixed-use
communities, a form of development with a
combination of housing, offices, and retail that
is known as transit-oriented development. For
example, a national study by TransitCenter in 2014

found that, out of nearly 12,000 respondents,

roughly 10 percent more would like to live in urban
neighborhoods, or mixed-use neighborhoods in the
suburbs or small towns, than currently do so (69
percent vs. 60 percent).
Residents of transit-oriented developments own
fewer cars, use them less often, and have lower
transportation costs as a result. Communities with
this form of development have attracted new
businesses, experienced an increase in activity
around their stations, and seen tax revenues grow.
The County has many communities that fit
this definition (especially when compared to
national standards) but the desire to live in such

communities may well exceed even this relatively

large supply. And while mixed-use communities
arise in part because of land-use decisions made by
both the public and private sectors, they are also
a product of the transportation infrastructure and
policies instituted by government the corner
store cannot easily find a place, or customers, in a
suburban cul-de-sac.

FIGURE 1.7 REGIONAL EMPLOYMENT (2010)

Photo credit: LB Steel

Sources: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Volume 3, October 2014

The clustering of industries in sectors such as metal manufacturing, distribution and logistics, manufacturing,
and food processing enables Cook County to target infrastructure improvements to corridors that benefit broad
sectors rather than individual companies.

16

MAP KEY
City of Chicago
Number of Jobs

0 to 50
51-250
251-500
501-1,000
> 1,001
Open Space

Job Growth
In addition to the jobs depicted in Figure 1.7,
the County is also expected to add more than a
half million jobs by 2040. Many of these will be
in places like downtown Chicago that are wellserved by the current transportation network, with
multiple mode options. Others may be in areas
that are less accessible to significant portions of
County residents. This might be because of the
distance between jobs and the residents that want
them, or because of a lack of accessibility by public
transit. And some of these jobs, especially those
in suburban communities, will not conform to the
morning and evening rush hours around which the
transit system is based.
There will also continue to be job growth in the
surrounding region. Many of these jobs will be
filled by Cook County residents, placing additional
demands on the transportation system.

Regional employment is most heavily concentrated in Chicagos urban core, but substantial employment centers
exist elsewhere in the County and region at large.

Technological Developments
Technological changes, and their impact on the
economy, will have important consequences for the
Countys transportation system. These will include
increases in online shopping and a corresponding
decline in brick-and-mortar retail, resulting in fewer
trips to the store and an increase in truck deliveries.
The wide-scale deployment of 3-D printing as a
complement to large-scale industrial manufacturing
will change freight delivery patterns. More
sophisticated video conferencing will generate
more work-from-home opportunities and fewer
business meetings requiring travel.
New technology will also shape the supply of
transportation services. New technologies have
fostered the rapid growth of car sharing, ride
sharing, and bike sharing. Governments will expand
the use of new technologies that improve the
capacity of existing infrastructure, such as road
signage that adjusts speed limits in real-time to

17

18

19

New shared-use mobility services like Zipcar could reduce private car ownership and increase reliance on
other modes.

CTA, Metra, and Pace customers can now use Ventras smartphone app to access pre-tax transit benefits,
purchase tickets, and manage their transit accounts from home, the office, or while riding the bus or train.

Conclusion
smooth traffic flow. The provision of real-time bus
arrival information could lead to increases in bus
ridership. Automatic adjustment of tolls based on
congestion levels will shift demand for highways
away from peak traffic times. New parking systems
and pricing models are available that will reduce
the time people spend looking for parking spaces.
Sophisticated new services are in place to allow
shippers to fill their trucks and reduce the number
of return trips without any cargo. Using new data
systems to adjust the timing of traffic signals
enables a given road to handle more traffic. All
these systems, and new ones yet to be created,
have the potential to change the number and
character of trips, and could increase the capacity
of existing infrastructure.

New automotive technologies will also change the

transportation landscape. A new generation of
smart cars will have automatic warning or braking
systems that reduce the risk of accidents, one of
the leading causes of traffic congestion. Electric
vehicles will change the need for supporting
infrastructure, requiring more charging stations and
fewer trips to the pump. Advanced GPS guidance
systems and real-time data availability will allow
drivers to avoid congested routes. And, while
autonomous vehicles may be a decade or more
away from widespread use, they have the potential
to dramatically alter both the demand profile
for transportation services and the capacity of
transportation systems to meet these needs. Even
now, many governments are beginning to plan their
response to these new developments. Cook County
will do the same.

The demand for transportation services in Cook

County is enormous and complicated. Cook County
has to supply services to its millions of residents
and thousands of businesses. It provides for
travelers who come to the County to work, shop,
or visit. Uniquely, it must also provide the resources
necessary to support the movement of freight in a
globally linked supply chain. These demands, and
the trends with the potential to alter them, must
play a determinative role when deciding how best
to allocate scarce resources and attention.

2 0 4 0 L O N G R A N G E T R A N S P O R TAT I O N P L A N

C H A P T E R T WO

RESOURCES

Cook Countys
Transportation

RESOURCES
Cook County has a rich and complex inventory
of transportation assets and services to meet
the needs described in the previous chapter.
It contains over ten thousand miles of roads
that support millions of truck and car trips
and enjoys one of the countrys largest public
transit networks. It has miles of railroad rightsof-way that serve commuters and facilitate
the movement of millions of tons of freight.
It supports alternate modes of transportation
such as ride-sharing services, taxi cabs, school
buses, and bicycles, as well as trails and
sidewalks. This complex network of assets and
services successfully supports approximately
20 million trips every day.

Meeting The Demand

These 168 governments work with private

The responsibility for fulfilling the transportation

participants such as the railroads, taxicabs,

needs of Cook County rests with multiple public

car-sharing services, thousands of trucking

agencies and private businesses. The public

companies, private bus services, and more.

agencies and related entities include the following:

All of the participants share a responsibility to

improve transportation services. They frequently

Cook County Department of Transportation

act in concert with each other. However, they do

and Highways (Department)

not always coordinate their efforts or agree on

Municipalities within Cook County (135 in all)


Townships within Cook County (22, with

transportation resources, in all)

priorities. Each is constrained by what it is able

to do by law, by the limitations of budgets, or by
the use of outdated financial allocation formulas.
This balkanization of responsibility is a serious

Transit providers: Chicago Transit Authority

challenge for the agencies that strive to meet

(CTA), Metra, Pace, and the Northern Indiana

Cook Countys demand for transportation services.

Commuter Transportation District

Regional Transportation Authority (RTA)


Amtrak

Chicago Region Environmental and


22

Cook Countys transportation system works well

Freight operators face many of the same

much of the time, but not always. A resident

frustrations as county residents, as well as

traveling by car at 11:00 pm on a Sunday probably

challenges unique to their industry. When truckers

will not have a problem. If she relied on public

carry a heavy or oversized load, they have to get

transit at that time, the trip would be far more

special permits from a half dozen local jurisdictions

difficult. The Monday morning commute can

that regulate when and where they can drive. The

sometimes be double or triple the amount of

railroads move $3 trillion in cargo each year, but

time it would be at mid-day. Metra commuters

they face costly delays when trains compete with

schedule their lives around what is typically a very

each other for the same tracks. And while this plan

reliable service, until they are delayed by a freight

will only focus on ground-based transportation,

train that has not cleared the tracks, or find their

water and air services also play a critical role as

trains canceled due to problems with antiquated

drivers of Cook Countys economy and enablers of

infrastructure. Drivers too often get stuck at

mobility, both in the region and across the globe.

one of the 794 at-grade rail crossings. Getting

into downtown Chicago by transit is relatively

This chapter of Connecting Cook County describes

convenient. Getting out to suburban jobs by public

the transportation facilities and services in Cook

transit is more complicated, if even possible.

County, the entities that oversee them, and the

resources that support them, and the challenges
they face.

Moving People
Cook County residents, and those who visit Cook
County, use a variety of transportation modes:
cars, public transit, biking, walking, etc. While

Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Public

cars represent the principal means of travel, many

Private Partnership

of the trips combine different modes. Each of

U.S. Department of Transportation

the modes is inextricably linked with the others,


State of Illinois Department of Transportation

(IDOT)

sometimes in complementary waysbike sharing

and car sharing, for example, can provide crucial
last-mile connections from transit stops to final

State of Illinois Interstate Commerce

destinations. Other times, modes such as buses

Commission

and passenger cars compete for limited space and

Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (Tollway)

resources. Each mode is discussed below.


Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning

(CMAP)

This complex network of

transportation facilities and
services successfully supports
approximately 20 million trips
every day.

23

FIGURE 2.1 CONSTRUCTION COSTS VS MOTOR FUEL TAX REVENUES

In 2014, Cook County municipalities

and townships spent more than
$1.2 billion on transportation.
Of this, only $223 million came
from the state motor fuel tax.

Roads and Bridges

with only 2 percent being structurally deficient and

Within Cook County, there are more than 12,500

a total of 20 percent either structurally deficient,

miles of streets and highways to accommodate all

functionally obsolete, or both.

Sources: US Department of Transportation (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration Office of Highway Policy Information, National Highway Construction Cost Index, November 2014. Illinois Department of Revenue
Annual Reports, 2005 2014. Illinois Department of Transportation. Motor Fuel Tax Allotment Statistics, December 1, 2012 November 30, 2013.

Figure 1.6 Busiest North American Ports (to come)

of the car (and truck) trips made each day. Some of

24

those roads are built and maintained by the State.

The money to maintain or expand this road

The remaining roads are the responsibility of Cook

network comes from a wide variety of sources.

County government and the various municipalities

The roads that are the responsibility of the State

and townships within the County. Figures 2.2 and

and the County are paid for largely through a

2.3 show the complexity of the roadway network.

combination of federal and state motor fuel taxes.

The Department is responsible for 560 miles of

During 2015, Cook County spent $42.2 million on

roads, or about 5 percent of the total road system.

road work.

On an estimated aggregate basis, 39 percent of the

The municipalities and townships within Cook

roads in the County are rated as either in Poor

County receive a share of the state motor fuel tax

much also comes from property taxes, general

businesses. The Texas Transportation Institute

(7 percent) or Fair (32 percent) condition, with

revenues: In 2014, this ranged from a low of $878

fund revenues, sales taxes, and other sources. In

indicates that the cost of congestion in the

37 percent in Good condition and 24 percent in

for Elk Grove Township to a high of $67,213,376

2014, for example, Cook County municipalities

Chicago region is the third highest in the nation.

Excellent condition.

for the City of Chicago. Cook County received

and townships spent more than $1.2 billion on

The Metropolitan Planning Council in Chicago

$94,603,987 in motor fuel tax funds in 2015. Cook

transportation. Of this, only $223 million came

places the cost of congestion as high at $7.3 billion

In addition, there are more than 2,300 bridges

County and its many municipal and township

from the state motor fuel tax.

per year. That is a cost which is borne largely by

in Cook County that are the responsibility of

governments received 40 percent of the total

these same governments. Many of these require

amount of state gas dollars that are set aside for

The result of this spending is that while the

significant upgrades or maintenance: 37 percent

distribution to local governments.

demand for roads in Cook County is high, the

of them are functionally obsolete (i.e., designed

25

Motor fuel tax dollars are not nearly enough to support the needs of local governments in building or
maintaining streets and roads. Because tax rates have not been raised in more than 20 years and the motor fuel
tax is not indexed to inflation, the gap between the revenue generated by the state gas tax and construction
costs has widened in recent years.

Cook County businesses and residents.

supply is also substantial. Indeed, there are few

in a way that no longer serves the travel demand

However, motor fuel tax dollars are not

places in the country that have similar road

placed upon them), 3 percent are structurally

nearly enough to support the needs of local

densities. Much of the time this supply is more

deficient, and 5 percent are both in total, 45

governments in building or maintaining roads

than adequate. But, during peak periods and in

percent of the bridges in the County are not in

and bridges. Some funding comes from the

heavily traveled corridors, demand exceeds the

satisfactory condition. The 106 bridges for which

national governmentroughly 20 percent of

available supply, creating congested conditions

County government is responsible fare much better,

surface transportation funding in Illinoisbut

which exact high cost penalties for residents and

FIGURE 2.2 COOK COUNTY ROADS

FIGURE 2.3 COMPLEX TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM UNDER MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS

Source: Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, October 2012; Chicago Transit Authority, 2012; PACE, 2012; National Transportation Atlas Database, 2012.

26

27

MAP KEY
MAP KEY
Cook County Roadway Jurisdiction
City of Chicago
Township
Unincorporated Cook County

The Department is responsible for 560 miles of roads and 106 bridges in Cook County.

Township
Unincorporated Cook County
Metra Rail
Pace Bus
CTA Rail
CTA Bus Route
Cook County Roads
Freight Rail

County roadways represent just 5 percent of all roadways in Cook County and an even smaller share of the
entire transportation network. As a result, the County will need to look beyond its own facilities to improve local
and regional travel.

The CTA provides transit services to the City

account for about 37.3 million trips a year,

of Chicago and 40 suburban Cook County

approximately the same as in 2004. As with the

communities. In 2015, the CTA provided 516

CTA and Metra, Cook County riders represent the

million rides for its customers. It operates eight

majority (75 percent) of all Pace riders.

rapid transit lines with 145 rail stations, serving

242 million riders in 2015. It also manages 140
bus routes with 12,000 posted bus stops. The
bus service provided 274 million rides in 2015.

The South Shore Line, which is operated by the

Between 2005 and 2015 ridership on the rail lines

Northern Indiana Commuter Transit District,

increased by 55 million rides or about 30 percent.

provides commuter rail service between

Bus ridership decreased by 30 million riders in

downtown Chicago and South Bend, Indiana.

that same period. More than 90 percent of all CTA

It shares the right-of-way and tracks with the

riders are also Cook County residents.

Metra Electric line on Chicagos South Side. Most

of its customers are from Indiana or Chicagos
Hegewisch neighborhood and are weekday

More than half of all Metra stations and more than 75 percent of its riders reside in Cook County. Regionally,
Metra provided 81.6 million rides in 2015, a 10 percent increase from the 74 million rides in 2004.
28

Public Transit

and the transit systems that will support those

Cook County, in addition to the rest of the

densities. For those who cannot afford a car, or

Chicago region, is extremely fortunate to have one

cannot use one, the transit system is an essential

of the largest and most extensive public transit

service.

systems in the country. It provides more than 650

commuters. Weekend service brings riders to

Metra operates a six-county commuter rail system

downtown Chicago for shopping and recreation.

which includes 11 rail lines and 241 passenger

Ridership on this line is about 3.8 million

stations. More than half of all Metra stations and

passengers per year.

more than 75 percent of its riders reside in Cook

County. Metra provided about 81.6 million rides in
2015, more than a 10 percent increase from the 74
million rides in 2004. Many of the Metra commuter

million passenger trips a year, roughly 90 percent

Public transit is provided by the five operating

of which begin or end in Cook County. These

agencies that serve the region. They include

trips would otherwise more than likely be made

the CTA; the commuter rail service Metra; the

on the regions roads and highways. Good transit

suburban bus service Pace; the Northern Indiana

service is one of the reasons businesses choose

Commuter Transportation District; and Amtrak.

the Chicago region. Modern economies place a

The RTA provides oversight services for the

premium on the proximity of firms and workers

CTA, Metra, and Pace. Each operating agency is

that can only be achieved with higher densities

described in more detail below:

Modern economies place a premium

on the proximity of firms and workers
that can only be achieved with higher
densities and the transit systems that
will support those densities.

trains share the rail tracks with freight trains as

Amtrak, the nations inter-city passenger rail

well as Amtrak. This helps distribute costs, but

system, operates 18 lines through Cook County.

also leads to competition for time and space on

The County is one of the top destinations for

the tracks and often results in delays.

Amtrak passengers, with Chicagos Union Station

having the fourth-highest number of departures
and arrivals in the entire system. In 2015, more
than 3.5 million Amtrak trips began or ended in

Pace is one of the largest bus service providers in

the Chicago region, and 97 percent of those were

the nation. It manages 209 bus routes, serving 284

to or from Cook County. Regardless of the trip

communities in the six-county metropolitan area,

purposeleisure, business, or the daily commute

as well as operates one of the largest vanpool

this mode of travel reduces demands on the

systems in the country, with 784 vehicles in

regions streets, highways, and airports.

service. Pace is also responsible for the Americans

with Disabilities Act transit services throughout all
of metropolitan Chicago, supporting the needs of
this community with 442 vehicles and providing
4.2 million rides in 2015. Collectively, Pace services

29

FIGURE 2.4 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION NETWORK

Source: Chicago Transit Authority, Metra, Pace.

Despite the long history and solid foundation of the

Francisco, and Boston have all added more miles of

regions transit system, other regions are expanding

passenger rail service than has the Chicago region.

their systems and growing ridership more

Funding for the operations of the largest transit

effectively. Although CMAP has called for doubling

providersthe CTA, Metra, and Paceis provided

transit use by 2040, between 1991 and 2014 transit

by fares collected from riders, a sales tax collected

ridership in the region declined slightly, performing

from the six counties within the transit service

worse than any of the other six regions in the U.S.

area, and additional tax dollars from the State.

with transit ridership greater than 300 million a

Within Cook County there is a 1.25 percent sales tax

year (Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York,

dedicated to transit. Within the surrounding five

San Francisco, and Washington DC). While two

counties there is a 0.5 percent sales tax dedicated

of these systems saw only slightly higher growth

to the RTA, CTA, Metra, and Pace. The money

rates, others saw dramatic increases New Yorks

collected through these taxes is largely distributed

ridership rose by 68 percent and Bostons rose by

via formulas established more than 30 years ago,

38 percent.

rather than based on usage and need.

The Chicago region has not significantly expanded

its transit service since the 1990s, with the opening
of the CTAs Orange Line in 1993 and Metras North
Central line in 1996. By contrast, other systems
have made expansion a priority since 1991, transit
30

providers in New York, Los Angeles, D.C., San

FIGURE 2.5 TRANSIT PASSENGER TRIPS

Source: American Public Transportation Association

Figure 1.6 Busiest North American Ports (to come)

MAP KEY
City of Chicago
Metra Rail
Pace Bus
CTA Rail
CTA Bus Route

Cook Countys large and expansive transit system provides 650 million trips per year representing 11 percent
of all trips taken regionally and within the County. The public transportation network plays a vital role in
reducing congestion on area roads and highways, and providing mobilityand access to jobsto residents
without a vehicle.

Transit ridership in the Chicago metropolitan area has remained flat even as peer regions have posted modest
to substantial increases.

31

The RTA has estimated that the

CTA, Metra, and Pace have a
backlog of roughly $20 billion in
maintenance needed to achieve a
State of Good Repair, and will need
an additional $13.4 billion over the
next ten years to address routine
capital needs. To address these
needs, roughly $3 billion in
annual capital spending would
be requiredonly $1.3 billion was
spent in 2015.
Pace is one of the largest bus service providers in the nation accounting for approximately 37.3 million trips a
year. As with the CTA and Metra, Cook County residents represent the majority, 75 percent, of all
Pace riders.

32

FIGURE 2.6 CHICAGO REGION SALES TAX COLLECTIONS FOR TRANSIT (IN MILLIONS)

FIGURE 2.7 SALES TAX DISBURSEMENTS FOR TRANSIT (IN MILLIONS)

Source: Regional Transportation Authority Mapping and Statistics, 2014 Regional Transportation Authority Sales Tax and Real Estate Transfer Tax Receipts, 2014

Source: Regional Transportation Authority Mapping and Statistics, 2014 Regional Transportation Authority Sales Tax and Real Estate Transfer Tax Receipts, 2014

Communities located in Cook County pay more than three-quarters of the sales tax collected to support transit
within the region. In return, they get the majority of transit service.

Sales tax revenue collected for transit is largely distributed via formulas established more than 30 years ago,
rather than based on usage and need.

33

Photo credit: (left) DivvyManSuit2 by Steven Vance, available under a Creative Commons
Attribution-Noncommercial license, and (right) Gordon Walek

FIGURE 2.8 COOK COUNTY APPOINTMENTS TO TRANSIT BOARDS

CHART KEY
34

Cook County Board President

Suburban Cook County Commissioners
Other elected officials

Cook County appoints one-third of the members of the transit

boards within the region. These appointed officials can play a
critical role in shaping the policies and practices of their respective
boards to ensure they are responsive to the Countys transportation
priorities.

Despite these funding sources, transit agencies face

a serious shortage of capital funds for maintenance
and expansion. Funds for some capital investments
are provided by annual funding from the federal
government, as well as Illinois capital funding
programs. In recent years, state capital programs
have been underfunded and erratically timed.
Federal funding cycles and amounts have also
often been delayed and uncertain, making longterm planning difficult. As a result, the transit
agencies are seriously falling behind on basic
maintenance, let alone expanding services to
accommodate todays demands.
The RTA has estimated that the CTA, Metra, and
Pace have a backlog of roughly $20 billion in
maintenance needed to achieve a State of Good
Repair, and will need an additional $13.4 billion over
the next ten years to address routine capital needs.
To address these needs, roughly $3 billion in annual
capital spending would be requiredonly $1.3
billion was spent in 2015.

The RTA, CTA, Metra, and Pace each has its own
Board of Directors and distinct legislative mandate.
The four boards have a total of 47 members,
which are appointed by 21 different elected
officials. The Cook County President and the 17
County Commissioners have the authority to
make appointments to these governing boards as
indicated in Figure 2.8.
While the RTA is nominally in charge of the major
components of the transit system, it is seriously
constrained by a lack of funding, obsolete funding
formulas for the allocation of what funds are
available, and restrictions in its enabling legislation.
As a result, the three transit operating agencies
largely function independently of each other, as
they have with few changes since the current
structure was created in 1983.

Launched in 2013 with 75 stations and 750 bicycles, Divvy grew to 476 stations, 4,600 bicycles, and 3.2 million
trips by the end of 2015.

Additional Transportation Options

Another important option that more people are

While the vast majority of all trips in Cook County

choosing is biking. Similar to the increases in

are by personal automobile or public transit, there

walk trips, a national survey indicates that bike

are many other transportation options that play a

trips increased from 1.7 billion to 4.9 billion from

crucial role in the Countys transportation system.

1991 to 2009. The share of Chicagoans biking to

work rose from 0.5 percent in 2000 to 1.4 percent

The first of these is walking, which is

in 2014. Suburban Cook County saw an increase

sometimes referred to as the forgotten mode of

from 0.3 to 0.5 percent over the same time period.

transportation. Many trips are completed entirely

Overall, Cook County residents more than doubled

by walking, and many others require walking as

the use of bikes for work trips from 0.4 percent

one leg of a longer journey. Nationally, walking

in 2000 to 1.0 percent in 2014. Some of the trips

trips are 10.9 percent of the total; the walk share

are made with privately owned bicycles, while a

of trips increased 235 percent between 1990

growing number are with bike sharing programs

and 2009. In the Chicago region, 10.4 percent of

like Chicagos Divvy system. Currently Divvy has

all weekday trips are walk trips. Public agencies

476 stations and plans to have 583 by the end of

responsible for transportation need to build and

2016, including stations in Evanston and Oak Park.

maintain sidewalks for walkers, just as they build

In 2015, Divvy customers took 3.2 million trips.

and maintain roads and bridges for those who

drive cars.

35

FIGURE 2.9 BIKE LANES AND TRAILS IN COOK COUNTY

Source: City of Chicago, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning

In recent years, the City of Chicago and many

Taxis, privately operated shuttle buses, limousine

of the Countys municipalities have created new

services, car sharing services, and ride sharing

bike paths and redesigned existing streets to

services, are a critical additional component of

accommodate both cars and bikes. In total, Cook

the transportation infrastructure of Cook County.

County has more than 300 miles of off-street,

Along with biking and walking, these services fill a

multi-use paths for bikers and walkers, with an

public demand for something other than personal

additional 30 miles set to be completed by 2018.

cars or public transit. This desire is reflected in

The Northeastern Illinois Regional Greenways and

real, significant numbers of trips:

Trail Plan has proposed an additional 400 miles

of off-street trails. On-street, there are also more

Car-sharing companies own and operate

than 300 miles of bike lanes and routes, with more

nearly 1,000 vehicles within Chicago

than 200 miles in Chicago and an estimated 100

Uber passengers take more than two million

miles or more in suburban Cook County.

trips every month in the Chicago area

In addition, Cook County and 35 constituent

communities have adopted Complete Streets
ordinances and six more communities may do
so in the near future. These ordinances are a
commitment to design streets to accommodate
36

pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transit, as well as

automobiles. Many municipalities have been using




Over 6,300 taxis and 2,500 livery vehicles are

registered in the City of Chicago

The rapid growth of these transportation modes
reflects the degree to which consumers needs
and preferences are not adequately served by the
current system.

their land use planning and regulatory systems to

support mixed-use, higher density developments
that encourage more walking and biking.

MAP KEY
City of Chicago
Existing Path
Proposed Path
Existing Bike Lane
Proposed Bike Lane
Existing Bike Route
Proposed Bike Route

Cook County has more than 300 miles of off-street, multi-use paths for bikers and walkers, with an additional
30 miles set to be completed by 2018. Many of these trails are interconnected, but many segments are deficient,
underutilized, discontinuous, or completely absent.

Uber passengers take more than two million trips every month in the Chicago area. The rapid growth of ride
sharing reflects the degree to which consumers needs and preferences are not adequately served by the
current transportation system.

37

Public and private leaders in the region have

of-way are shared between commuter and freight

concluded that the benefits of this industry far

rail trafficand trains often have to wait for each

outweigh the added costs. Indeed, the freight

other when the tracks cross. As the demand for

industry has even been singled out by Cook

both passenger and freight capacity grows, these

County as a priority industry sector to support,

conflicts will limit expansions of existing service.

because it provides a competitive advantage

that few other regions enjoy. It is a source of
jobs and profits for local companies. The City of
Chicago, several other surrounding counties, and
the regions planning agency CMAP, have also
identified the freight industry as an industry sector

More than a century ago, Daniel Burnhams

Plan of Chicago identified rail congestion as a
problem the community needed to address.
Although significant progress has been made,
there continues to be opportunity for substantial
improvement.

that deserves priority support to maintain and

grow its role in the regional economy.

During the past century the private railroads,

with the support of a variety of public agencies,

38

The challenge for the region is to maximize the

have worked to reduce congestion and conflicts

economic benefits of the freight industry, while

while improving the capacity of the rail system to

also managing the costs of hosting an industry

move goods and people. The latest effort is called

that serves the nation.

CREATE, which is a public-private effort among

six of the countrys largest railroads, plus Amtrak,

The Belt Railway of Chicagothe largest switching terminal railroad in the United Statesseparates and
classifies rail cars into rebuilt trains for 14 freight rail providers and dozens of private companies in the Chicago
region at its Clearing Yard in Bedford Park.

Rail Freight

Metra, the City of Chicago, and the State of Illinois.

The Chicago region has 2,796 miles of rail rights-

Cook County is not a member of the CREATE

of-way. Of that total, 1,194 miles are in Cook

partnership.

Moving Goods

170,000 in the region. Equally important, the

County. Within the Chicago region, there are more

The Chicago region is the freight capital of North

regions role as a freight hub provides advantages

than 50 freight rail yards, of which half handle

America. Between a quarter and a third of all

to other industries that depend on a competitive

containers. This rail infrastructure is used by six

freight tonnage in the U.S. originates, terminates,

freight industry to get their raw materials and

of the seven largest railroads in the nation. The

or passes through the region. Each year, the region

ship their finished products. By 2024, the volume

infrastructure also supports nine smaller regional

handles nearly a billion tons of freight with a value

of freight is expected to grow by 50 percent

rail companies, many of which move rail cars from

stopped. Local and national political and business

of more than $1.3 trillion. A portion of the freight

nationwide, which will mean significant increases

one major line to another, as well as Metra and

leaders were concerned that this rail gridlock

that moves through the area serves the needs

in the freight handled in the Chicago region,

Amtrak. No other place in the country has such

would be repeated without significant action.

of the regions businesses and families. But the

leading to more jobs, more income, and more tax

a concentration of rail assets. Cook County is the

region also serves a second freight function, as an

revenue.

center of the nations rail system.

CREATE is the outgrowth of a massive snow storm

during the winter of 1998-99 that brought freight
rail traffic in the region to a virtual standstill. Given
the critical importance of Chicago as a transfer
point, rail traffic across the country was slowed or

This public and private concern initially led

to the creation of the Chicago Transportation

important nexus in the national and international

However, this role as a freight hub comes at

An estimated 500 freight trains move 30,000 rail

Coordination Office (CTCO). The CTCO is a

a cost. The additional trucks create added

cars through the region each day. That represents

centralized office that helps reduce operating

Serving as a major freight center for the rest of

highway congestion and wear-and-tear on roads

about half of the total rail freight movements

conflicts when the major freight railroads, as well

the nation is clearly an economic benefit. The rail,

and bridges. Freight trains slow traffic at Cook

in the nation. On an average weekday, Metra

as Amtrak and Metra, use the same rights-of-way

truck, storage, and supporting industries related

Countys 794 at-grade rail crossings. And, every

operates another 703 trains and Amtrak operates

or cross each others lines. The CTCO still exists

to freight provide jobs and income to more than

day the freight trains and Metra must share

an additional 56 trains. As stated earlier, many of

100,000 people in Cook County, and more than

the same tracks, a complication for both the

these trains are competing for time on the same

commuter passengers and freight customers.

tracks. In Cook County, roughly half of rail rights-

freight network.

and assists in coordinating the timing and routing

of train traffic.

39

FIGURE 2.10 FREIGHT FACILITIES

Source: Illinois Department of Transportation, National Transportation Atlas Database 2014

40

41

Roughly half of the rail rights-of-way in Cook County are shared between commuter and freight trains.

MAP KEY

It soon became apparent, however, that the

While much work remains to be completed,

CTCO by itself was not sufficient, and that further

CREATE has been enormously successful. It has

progress in reducing congestion delays would

resulted in the construction of several projects that

require substantial capital investments. New

have improved train traffic in the region. It is a path-

infrastructure was needed to reduce rail conflicts,

breaking effort, recognized nationally as a public-

eliminate highway grade crossings, and upgrade

private approach for maintaining and growing the

outmoded signals and switching systems. The

regions status as a continental freight hub.

City of Chicago
Air-Truck
Rail-Truck
Truck-Truck
Rail-Truck-Waterway
Freight Rail

initial budget for CREATE was $1.5 billion with the

railroads pledging to pay $232 million of the total
cost. The current estimate is that all the projects
will cost a total of $4.4 billion. To date, $1.2 billion
has been spent to complete 25 of the initial 70
projects, as well as begin work on twenty-six
more. The remaining projects are in various stages
of pre-planning. Approximately 63 of the 70
projects are within Cook County.

Most of the regions freight assets are located in Cook County, which has 80 percent of the regions intermodal
yards and shipping containers, 50 percent of the regions at-grade rail crossings, and 80 percent of the motorist
delays resulting from passing trains. Rail bottlenecks are also more numerous.

FIGURE 2.11 FREIGHT BOTTLENECKS AND TRUCK ROUTES IN COOK COUNTY

Source: Assessment of Multimodal Freight Bottlenecks and Alleviation Strategies for the Upper Midwest Region;
National Center for Freight & Infrastructure Research & Education Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; University of WisconsinMadison; April 2010.

42

Approximately 70 percent of all the freight moved in the Chicago region travels by truck. Trucking companies
identify this region as one of the least commerce-friendly places in the country because of the complicated
regulatory environment and infrastructure deficiencies.

Truck Freight
While rail plays a central role in the regions freight
network, trucks actually move most of the goods.
About 70 percent of all the freight moved in the
Chicago region travels by truck. These movements
range from a truck loaded with cars on its way
from Detroit to Milwaukee, to a truck full of scrap
on its way to a steel mill, to a delivery truck
bringing groceries to someones home.
Trucks operate on the same roads, streets, and
highways used by personal automobiles. Six
percent of these are designated as official truck
routes, but trucks travel on many others. And
much, though not all, of that infrastructure was
designed with the car in mind. As a result, the
trucking industry is frequently faced with bridges
that cannot bear their loads, viaducts that are too
low, streets that are too narrow, or with turning
radii that are too small. In addition, trucks must
deal with a complicated regulatory environment

43

that involves the State, the County, and hundreds

of local jurisdictions that control when and
where some of the trucks can travel. Because of
these hurdles, shippers, trucking companies, and
logistics firms often identify the Chicago region as
one of the least commerce-friendly places in
the country.
Every street and bridge need not be designed
for trucks, but there are substantial opportunities
to improve this element of the freight industry.
There are trade-offs such as increased congestion,
wear-and-tear on the regions roads and bridges,
and air pollution, among others, but these are
the price the region pays for increased logistics
employment opportunities and economic
productivity. Failure to realize these opportunities
makes it hard for the County to support this
critical sector of the economy.

MAP KEY
City of Chicago
Truck Route
Freight/Roadway Bottleneck

Eleven of the top 20 bottlenecks in the Midwest are located in or near Cook County on IDOT-designated truck
routes. The American Transportation Research Institute estimates that Cook County has the highest cost of
congestion to trucking firms$933 millionof any county in the U.S.

44

45

Infrastructure designed for the car poses problems for the trucking industry in the form of viaduct clearances
that are too low, bridges that cannot bear commercial weights, and narrow streets with turning radii at
intersections that are too short to accommodate trucks.

The Central Tri-State between 95th Street and Balmoral Avenue serves as a major freight corridor within the
region, with trucks accounting for as much as 20 percent of traffic in some sections. Planning is currently
underway to rebuild this 22-mile stretch of Tollway, which connects with four different interstates. A fifth
roadwaythe Elgin-OHare Expresswaywill connect once it is completed.

Conclusion

About 70 percent of all the freight

moved in the Chicago region
travels by truck.

Cook Countys extensive transportation network and

technological innovation. And funding will continue

services on average support 19 million trips made

to be insufficient to maintain and modernize

by people and businesses every day. However, the

the transportation system and distributed using

long-term sustainability of these assets and, more

outdated financial allocation formulas rather

importantly, the regional economy are threatened

than changing demands or transparent

by a lack of vision and values that clearly articulate

performance criteria.

the importance to the County of maintaining and

modernizing a complex system across modes and

Much, though not all, of the

roadway infrastructure was
designed with the car in mind,
not the truck.

jurisdictions. Without such a framework to provide

guidance, system performance will continue to fall
short of expectations, changing preferences and

2 0 4 0 L O N G R A N G E T R A N S P O R TAT I O N P L A N

CHAPTER THREE

PRIORITIES

Cook Countys
Transportation

PRIORITIES
The Countys existing transportation system
is extensive, but it is not meeting the needs
of many current users. Clearly, it is not
sufficient to meet future demands. Although
the County enjoys a substantial foundation of
transportation infrastructure and services, it
cannot simply rely on its history of leadership
and investment. Other regions across the
country and around the world are continuing
to modernize and expand their transportation
systems. If Cook County does not do so, it
will lose its competitive advantage, damage
its economy, and make the County a less
attractive place to live and work.

Although the County enjoys a

substantial foundation of
transportation infrastructure and
services, it cannot simply rely
on its history of leadership and
investment and retain its supremacy
as a transportation hub.

To meet this challenge Cook County has adopted the following five policy priorities. These policies will shape

PROMOTE

the Countys work and serve as the foundation for collaborative efforts with the many other public and
private agencies responsible for providing transportation services. Each of these policy priorities is discussed

EQUAL ACCESS TO
OPPORTUNITIES

below with corresponding action items presented in the following chapter.

48

PRIORITIZE
TRANSIT
AND OTHER
TRANSPORTATION
ALTERNATIVES

SUPPORT

THE REGIONS
ROLE AS NORTH
AMERICAS
FREIGHT CAPITAL

MAINTAIN
MODERNIZE

AND

WHAT ALREADY
EXISTS

INCREASE

INVESTMENTS
IN
TRANSPORTATION

49

FIGURE 3.1 TRANSIT FUNDING PER CAPITA, 2012

50

PRIORITIZE

TRANSIT AND OTHER

TRANSPORTATION
ALTERNATIVES

Atlanta

Barcelona

Miami

Dallas

Houston

Los Angeles

Chicago

Philadelphia

Boston

Berlin

Montreal

Washington

Vancouver

Toronto

San Francisco

New York

Paris

London

Source: Transit agencies in each region, Metropolitan Planning Council

Public transportation ridership in the Chicago metropolitan area has shown disappointing growth over the last
several decades because this region invests less on a per capita basis than many international and domestic
urban counterparts.

decades, especially when compared to other

The County will also place a new emphasis on

regions. Crucially, many of those regions are

pedestrians. While many places in the County

making substantial improvements in their systems

are walkable, pedestrian-friendly environments, a

and investing more per capita than metropolitan

significant number are not. In those places, walking

Chicago as shown in Figure 3.1. The County fully

to a store or a transit stop is not possible, or at least

supports the CMAP goal of doubling transit

highly inconvenient. As with bicycles, designing

ridership by 2040. Expanding transit service either

streets to better accommodate pedestriansby

through better use of existing resources, or the

adding or widening sidewalks, shortening the

Cook County, like the rest of the country, has long

Cook County is a highly urbanized place,

development of new capacity, will be a priority for

distance needed to cross an intersection, adding

prioritized the automobile as the preferred mode of

competing with similar places across the globe

Cook County.

street lighting, etc.can be relatively inexpensive

personal travel. It has done so with land use policies

for businesses, people, capital, and talent.

and hugely beneficial. Actions in this vein are

To successfully compete, the County must

In addition to transit, Cook County will fully

and because federal or state funding policies have

complement its extensive road network with

support bicycles as an important transportation

historically prioritized road building over other

improved transit and fully embrace other modes

mode. The early success of Chicagos Divvy

Transportation services operated by private

transportation investments. Cars, of course, will

such as walking, biking, car sharing, and ride

program, as well as the popularity of bike lanes,

companies have an important role to play as well.

continue to have a central place in serving the

sharing. These modes must not be afterthoughts

indicate the potential for growth. Whats more,

Ride sharing, car sharing, and other services can

mobility needs of County residents. However, trying

to a system based on the automobile, but must

the infrastructure required to make biking more

and should fill gaps in and supplement existing

to address congested traffic or supporting new

instead be essential components of a suite of

attractivepaint for bike lanes, plastic bollards to

transportation offerings, just as private bus systems

consumer preferences by only expanding highways

transportation options, offering families and

separate them from car lanes, etc.is relatively

and shuttle services do. Government need not have

or building new ones is unrealistic and shortsighted.

businesses realistic, high-quality choices.

low-cost. Road diets, one mechanism for creating

a monopoly on providing services or facilities to

bike lanes out of existing car lanes, can also have

travelers. Instead, it is governments responsibility

that encourage low density land development,

In recent years, it has even become apparent

already underway; continuing them is a priority.

that new road capacity can lead to more traffic,

Of these modes, public transit is the single-most

the added benefit of reducing speeding, which can

to ensure that these new services lead to more and

offsetting any temporary reductions in congestion.

important. Growth in transit use in the region

make the road safer for everyonedrivers, bikers,

better options for County residents.

has been disappointingly slow over the past few

and pedestrians alike.

51

Nationally, demand for freight

services has exceeded population
growth and is expected to increase
by 50 percent by 2024 and nearly
double over the next 25 years.
To retain its status as a freight hub,
the County will focus on rail and
trucking, the two modes that carry
the most freight within the region.

52

SUPPORT

THE REGIONS ROLE AS

NORTH AMERICAS
FREIGHT CAPITAL
Freight transportation has historically played
a critical role in Cook Countys economyone
that carries through to the present. Freights
economic impact extends beyond transportation
infrastructure and providers to include the many
manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers that
depend upon and interact with the transportation
sector. Collectively, this cluster of industry sectors
supports a significant number of well-paying jobs.
The Countys central location within the region
and nation makes it a crossroads for much of this
traffic.
Rail freight facilities in the region collectively
handle the equivalent of 15.4 million shipping
containers a year, making the Chicago region not
only the busiest freight hub in North America,

but also the largest rail bottleneck in the national

freight system. Most of this regional activity occurs
in Cook County, which has 80 percent of the
regions intermodal yards and shipping containers,
50 percent of the regions at-grade rail crossings,
and 80 percent of the motorist delays resulting
from passing trains.
The trucking industry faces similar constraints.
Eleven of the top twenty highway bottlenecks in
the Upper Midwest, for example, are located in
the Chicago area; nine are in Cook County and
two are in neighboring DuPage County. And new
regulations may allow longer, taller, and heavier
vehicles than in the past, adding additional
pressures to a system that is already straining to
accommodate the demand.

Nationally, demand for freight services has seen

much growth and is expected to increase by 50
percent by 2024 and nearly double over the next
25 years. Recognizing the economic opportunity
embedded in these trends, the Countys
competitors have upgraded freight transportation
systems and added strategic capacity to and
connections between roads, rail lines, waterways,
ports, and airports. As a result, the Chicago regions
market share is slipping. In 2000 the metropolitan
area processed 51.2 percent of all intermodal
containers nationally; by 2013 that share had
dropped to 47.7 percent.
Despite this relative decline, metropolitan Chicagos
freight cluster has the potential to add jobs and
businesses at a faster rate than other commercial
sectors, and in greater numbers than at the two
other largest freight centers in the U.S.Los Angeles
and New York . However, the County cannot take
these possibilities for granted. To ensure that it
captures its share of this growth, the County will
maintain and build upon the advantages that have
led to its unique roles as North Americas freight
capital and a global freight hub.

To retain this status, the County will focus on

rail and trucking, the two modes that carry the
most freight within the region. Both modes, and
the industries associated with them, are highly
complex. Any solutions to the problems affecting
them will require collaboration with the many
governments and private companies. Some
efforts already underway, such as the CREATE
program and the streamlining of truck permits,
will require renewed support and revitalization.
Other problems, such as the more fundamental
capacity constraints facing the rail freight industry,
or the need for an overarching approach to the
issues affecting the trucking sector, will require
new solutions and partnerships. And because
these issues are a result of the function the County
performs for the rest of the nation, the federal
government must be one of these partners.
Beyond transportation, the County will also
prioritize land-use and development practices
that build upon the regions strength as a center
of freight distribution. Such practices are referred
to as cargo-oriented development, and involve
promoting areas with good links to freight
infrastructure as sites for potential freight and
logistics developments.

53

The unequal distribution of

transportation services and
opportunities lead to significant
additional costs and restrictions in
opportunities for hundreds of
thousands of Cook County families
and companies each day.

54

PROMOTE

EQUAL ACCESS TO
OPPORTUNITIES

The unequal distribution of transportation services

Other modes see similar discrepancies in access

is not restricted to one particular mode, but

for instance, while the City of Chicago has been

falls across many modes. This is not necessarily

ambitious in expanding its network of protected

surprising, since the County is not a homogeneous

bike lanes, many areas of the County have no such

placeits transportation system will not be so,

infrastructure available. And, while residents in

either. What is problematic, though, is when the

highly urbanized areas might never come across a

distribution is so unequal that it leads to material

road without a sidewalk, this is not uniformly true

differences in access between residents of various

for the five million people who live in Cook County.

sub-regions.
Even in the areas where most residents are
This problem is often referred to as transit

effectively served by the transportation system,

The purpose of transportation is to provide

In acknowledging this, Cook County is not alone.

deserts, areas that have high demand for but no

there are hundreds of thousands of persons

access to opportunities. Transportation is the

Most notably, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation

access to high-quality transit. Figure 3.2 highlights

with disabilities, seniors, and parents with small

way people get to jobs, school, healthcare,

recently said, There is a regrettable legacy of

areas that have high demand for transit, but are

children for whom proximity to transportation

recreational activities, and much more. Within

aligning and designing transportation projects that

both more than a quarter-mile away from high-

options is not enough. Whether because of a

Cook County, however, transportation services

separated Americans along economic and even

frequency bus service and more than a half-mile

missing sidewalk, a flight of stairs, or a vehicle not

and the opportunities they afford are not

racial lines. The choices we make about future

away from rail transit stations. While there are

properly equipped, this population cannot access

equally distributed. The historical causes of

transportation projects, the people they touch and

some transit deserts within the City of Chicago,

quality transportation services.

these inequities may be land use and economic

places they connect, will play a role in determining

the large majority lie in the suburbs. Moreover, the

development practices that have limited the

how widely opportunity expands throughout

lack of access to reliable transit is not restricted

Businesses are also impacted by unequal access

number of nearby opportunities, discrimination in

America. The County will use transportation

to transit deserts. For example, many of the areas

to public infrastructure. Many firms have operated

investment, or other factors. Whatever the cause,

investments as a means to combat inequalities,

not noted as transit deserts in Figure 3.2 may only

for decades in communities with deteriorated

discrimination against part of the population or

because inequalities lead to significant additional

have a Metra stop, which would support trips for

transportation facilities and paid a price for

business base is not acceptable.

costs and restrictions in opportunities for

work, but not for shopping, social entertainment,

disinvestment in the form of less efficient

hundreds of thousands of Cook County families

healthcare, or other purposes due to limited

operations and higher shipping costs. These

and companies each day.

service outside of rush hour.

impediments have limited their ability to thrive and

55

FIGURE 3.2 AREAS POORLY SERVED BY TRANSIT

FIGURE 3.3 AFRICAN AMERICANS UNEQUAL ACCESS TO JOB OPPORTUNITIES, 2010

Source: Center for Neighborhood Technology

Source: US Census, Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission, RW Ventures, LLC and Mass Economics, 2016

LAKE

McHENRY

KANE

JOBS

CITY OF
CHICAGO

DUPAGE

MAP KEY
Regional Center
of Employment

COOK

Regional Centers
of Populations

56

White

Latino

African
American

Asian

WILL

Regional jobs as well as the population centers for Asians, Whites, and Latinos are centered in the Northwest
part of the County. The center of the African-American population is further away from the job center, creating
increased challenges for employment accessibility and more transportation challenges.

expand. Similarly, companies in transit deserts have

South Cook County, in particular, has seen less

access to smaller labor pools and face decreased

capital investment and more economic contraction

workforce reliability and higher turnover rates that

than other parts of the County as a result of

also add to their operating costs.

declines in the steel industry and manufacturing.

It has high unemployment rates. There are too

MAP KEY
City of Chicago
Transit Desert

Transit deserts have high demand for public transportation but no walkable access to high-quality transit. The
large majority of transit deserts lie in the suburbs.

The second inequality is in the distribution of

few job opportunities in the area and commutes

opportunitiesjobs, schools, healthcare, and more.

to available jobs are much longer than in other

For even if transportation services were equally

parts of the County. The County has launched

available throughout the County, an unequal

a major sub-regional economic development

distribution of opportunities would still lead to

effort in the South Suburbs, designed to both

longer commutes, higher costs, and restrictions in

increase opportunities and to improve access to

choice. For example, as seen in Figure 3.3, African-

opportunities outside the area.

American residents of the region live much farther

from the regions employment centers than any

To fully realize equitable distribution of

other group. And Figures 3.4 and 3.5 show that

employment opportunities, the Countys economic

this mismatch is reflected in the number of jobs

development and transportation policies will

accessible to different sub-regions, across all modes.

be designed to create a climate conducive to

business expansion and to making jobs more
accessible to households everywhere.

57

FIGURE 3.4 JOB ACCESSIBILITY BY CAR WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF HOME

FIGURE 3.5 JOB ACCESSIBILITY BY TRANSIT WITHIN 45 MINUTES OF HOME AT 8AM

Source: University of Illinois-Chicago Metropolitan Chicago Accessibility Explorer ; Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics

Source: University of Illinois-Chicago Metropolitan Chicago Accessibility Explorer ; Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics

58

59

MAP KEY
0%-5%
6%-10%
11%-15%
16%-25%
26%-40%
>41%

NOTES: 1) Total number of regional jobs is 3.9 million. 2) The accessibility calculation does not take into account congestion for auto travel.

Residents of south Cook County have far fewer jobs accessible to them within a 30-minute drive than do
residents of other parts of the County.

MAP KEY
0%-5%
6%-10%
11%-15%
16%-25%
>26%

NOTES: 1) Total number of regional jobs is 3.9 million. 2) The accessibility calculation is based on travel at 8 a.m.

The number of jobs accessible within 45-minutes by transit is highly concentrated within the City of Chicago.

Maintaining what exists will be a

priority. It is tempting to add new
capacity, but failure to maintain
what already exists creates
additional long-term operating
costs, safety hazards, delays,
and congestion.

60

MAINTAIN
MODERNIZE

61

AND

WHAT ALREADY EXISTS

Maintaining what exists will be a priority. It

freight rail networks underperform by delivering

is tempting to add new capacity, but failure

fewer goods at higher costs.

to maintain what already exists has major

negative consequences. By postponing regular

Despite these realities, agencies responsible for

maintenance, agencies significantly add to their

transportation systems have not always made

long-term costs. It is three to four times more

maintenance a top priority. Often there is simply

expensive, for example, to restore pavement once

too little money to keep the various systems in a

it has fully degraded than to keep it in a state

state of good repair. Ribbon cuttings for a new

of good repair through regular upkeep. Poor

road are more appealing than routine maintenance.

maintenance creates safety hazards, increases

Some government funding programs make money

operating costs, causes delays, and creates or

available to build new roads or transit lines rather

worsens congestion. Poorly maintained public

than money to maintain what already exists. As a

transit services lead to declines in ridership, and

consequence, there are significant maintenance

once those riders are lost, it is not easy to get

and investment needs. Cook County will prioritize

them to return. Deteriorating highway systems and

addressing these backlogs.

Modernizing the existing transportation system

Demand Management, which are programs to

means using new practices and technologies to

reduce or reallocate demand for transportation

get more out of what exists rather than building

services that are currently congested or over

new capacity. By maximizing existing resources,

capacity. This could include prioritizing multi-

modernization projects can feasibly deliver

occupancy vehicles on the Countys expressways,

significant results, even given financial constraints.

or redesigning existing streets to support all

And modernizing existing infrastructure typically

modes, rather than just cars.

reduces long-term maintenance obligations. Such

projects are, of course, not always easythey will

Modernization can also mean adapting existing

require significant intergovernmental collaboration

infrastructure to new technologies. This could be

and financial investmentbut the potential returns

for the technologies of today, such as by building

for the County are worth the effort involved.

charging stations for electric vehicles. Even now,

many governments are beginning to plan their

Modernization can take several forms. One is

responses to future technological developments

Transportation Systems Management techniques,

automation, smart devices, and more. When

which are programs designed to improve the

making upgrades to its existing infrastructure,

capacity and efficiency of existing infrastructure,

as well as when making new investments, Cook

such as adding bus lanes on the shoulders of

County will do the same. Given existing financial

expressways or coordinating traffic signals on

constraints, the County must ensure that todays

arterial streets in order to reduce congestion and

investments do not preclude future innovation

increase traffic flow. Another is Transportation

and growth.

Photo credit: OaktonStation1 by cta web, available under a Creative Commons

Attribution-Noncommercial license

62

INCREASE

INVESTMENTS
IN TRANSPORTATION
More money needs to be invested in the Countys

and families. Those savings can go into more

transportation system. Investment is the right way

purchases, more savings and more investments in

to think about transportation costs. The nations

the local economy.

investment in the Interstate Highway system

generated a 15% return on investment by helping

Transportation investments have another

lower freight rates, reduce inventories, increase

benefit. They make commerce more efficient and

reliability, and reduce travel costs.

businesses more profitable. A good transportation

system provides businesses with a larger labor

In Illinois the real cost of transportation is borne

pool to draw upon, improving the effectiveness of

by families and businesses when they buy vehicles,

the workforce. A good transportation system can

fill them with gas, insure them, repair them, hire

reduce costly business inventories. It can make it

drivers for trucks, or pay a transit fare. For every

easier to get goods to market and raw materials

dollar governments spend on transportation

to factories. It can reduce accidents and improve

when they build roads or buy buses, families and

air quality. Failure to invest in transportation shifts

businesses spend 8 dollars. When governments

more of the cost of moving people and goods to

are smart about their transportation they

taxpayers.

can reduce the private costs to businesses

Even with better and more

collaborative spending practices,
current revenues are not sufficient
to adequately address the Countys
transportation needs.

63

Experience locally and throughout the country

ways that align with its transportation priorities,

has demonstrated that the public will support new

at the local, state, and federal level. And because

revenue for transportation, but only if they can

of the demonstrated importance of spending

be assured the investments will generate a good

on transportation, the County will also need to

return. For example, the Tollway almost doubled

explore new and increased sources of revenue.

its tolls recently with little public objection. Those

who had to pay the tolls believed that the money

Conclusion

was wisely and fairly used, providing value and

In a system dominated by the automobile,

worth the added cost.

valuable transportation assets such as the public

transportation system, bike and pedestrian

The public is less likely to support new taxes,

facilities, and the freight network have been taken

tolls, or fares if they lack confidence in the ability

for granted, or viewed as afterthoughts by Cook

of public agencies to deliver promised results.

County. Connecting Cook County establishes a

To build that support, the County and others

framework that elevates the importance of these

must demonstrate their ability to be responsible

facilities as catalysts for sustainable economic

stewards of public resources allocated to the

growth and for improved access to a greater

transportation system. This must include more

array of transportation choices and more diverse

transparent allocation of resources, performance-

employment opportunities. Connecting Cook

based criteria for decision-making, and effective

County envisions the transportation policies and

and efficient interagency collaboration. Funds

improvements that are needed to address these

must be spent in ways that reflect todays

challenges and meet the current and future needs of

transportation realities. Cook County will push

residents, businesses, communities, and the region.

for the reallocation of existing and new funds in

The next chapter describes the path forward.

2 0 4 0 L O N G R A N G E T R A N S P O R TAT I O N P L A N

CHAPTER four

ACTION

Cook
County
s

role in turning PRIORITIES INTO

ACTION
The five priorities described in the previous
section reflect Cook Countys assessment of
the state of its transportation system. While
the foundation of the system is substantial,
it has been neglected. Too many families
and firms find themselves with too few
transportation options. They spend too much
on transportation and too much time traveling.
Too many families have unequal access to jobs,
health care, shopping, or other opportunities.

Leadership and Advocacy

Inform the 21 board members appointed by



Connecting Cook County will guide the

the President and County Commissioners

transportation policy and funding decisions

to serve on the CMAP, RTA, Pace, and Metra

of Cook County. The President and County

boards of the Countys priorities for action.

Commissioners recognize the enormous impact

These appointed officials represent a critical

transportation assetsexpressways, roads,

force in shaping the policies and practices of

commuter rail, rapid transit, city and suburban bus

their respective boards. They will be asked to

service, and freight facilitieshave on commerce,

represent the Countys interests and priorities.

community livability, and personal mobility. With

approval of this plan, the County will assume

Advocate for increased transportation

a broader transportation focus and take the

revenues from the State. These include:

following actions to implement it:

Communicate the priorities to the 11 members

of the United States Congress, the 58 members

of the Illinois House, and the 32 members of
the Illinois Senate that represent the County.
These elected officials will understand the
breadth of the Countys transportation

66

interests, need for additional investments, and

priorities for action.

A
 n increase in the state motor fuel tax,
which has not been raised since 1991
and which has a purchasing power
that is 40 percent less as a result.
Any increase in these funds should be
available for investments in all modes of
transportation. In a modern economy, it
is long past the time when transit, trails,
and other modes of transportation are
given only a negotiated share of what is
assumed to be money for roads.

67

The County faces competition for population

Cook County represents more than two-thirds of

and employment from regions across the

the metropolitan areas population and economic

country, and the rest of the world. Those regions

activity. It contains a similarly large share of the

have recognized the importance of creating

transportation services operating in the region. In

transportation systems to attract business

order to realize the full potential of the regions

investment and improve the quality of life for their

transportation system, the County must be a

residents.

leader in restoring and enhancing transportation

Photo credit: Descending by Steven Vance, available under a Creative Commons

Attribution-Noncommercial license

assets and service.

To realize the full potential of the

regions transportation system,
the County must be a leader in
restoring and enhancing
transportation assets and services.
Increasing transit ridership is key to relieving congestion in Cook County. Innovations such as allowing busses to
drive on the shoulder during periods of congestion need to be implemented across the region.

The enactment of a reliable and

consistent source of transportation
capital funding. The State has not
served its constituents effectively by
passing infrequent capital bills. This
pattern of unpredictability has led to
gross inefficiency in the planning and
use of capital dollars. The result is
transportation infrastructure that
is failing.

Advocate for a public review of the

organization and financing of the RTA and

its service boards. The RTA was created in
its current form more than 30 years ago and
has not changed materially since then. In that
time there have been significant population
shifts and changes in consumer preferences.
The RTA itself is handicapped by limited
authority to lead a region-wide transit system.
The allocation of capital and operating dollars

Advocate for the reevaluation of the powers,

is made by old formulas that do not reflect

duties, and membership of the current

changing needs or transparent performance

CREATE partnership. It is time for a major

criteria. It is time to act on the many public

reassessment. The program is taking longer

recommendations for modernizing the

and costing more than originally anticipated.

system that have been made over the past

The lack of data to conduct cost-benefit

several years, including those in the 2014,

analyses makes it difficult to determine how

Northeastern Illinois Public Transit Task Force

much of the benefits of each investment

Report: Transit for the 21st Century.

68

Cook County partnered with the Village of Franklin Park to use innovative financing and a low-interest BUILT
(Broadening Urban Investment to Leverage Transportation) in Cook loan to finance infrastructure improvements
in the Cullerton Avenue Industrial Park. The loan includes a job creation requirement and will be repaid from
taxes levied on firms within the Special Service Area that benefit from the new industrial streets.

accrue to the public and how much to the

railroads. After a decade, the interests of
the private railroads have changed and their
commitment to CREATE is uneven. The
federal interest and commitment to freight
transportation has also substantially changed
in the past decade; CREATE needs to reflect
those changes. Updating the structure and
policies of this partnership to reflect new
circumstances, new challenges, and new
opportunities is essential to ensuring that the
region continues to be a preeminent national
and international freight center.

Publish an annual update on the state of

the transportation system to be called the

Implementing the Priorities

Transportation for Our Future: State of the

Transportation is an ever-present and essential

Department will play a leadership role in

County. This report will use established

part of life. Because fully realizing the Countys

collaborations across County government, working

performance indicators to measure progress

transportation priorities will engage all aspects

with its partners in the Bureau of Economic

toward meeting the goals of increasing

and powers of Cook County government, the

Development, the Department of Planning and

the availability and use of transportation

Department of Transportation and Highways will

Development, the Department of Public Health,

alternatives, supporting the regions role as a

not be the only department tasked with

and others.

freight hub, providing equitable opportunities

implementing the priorities. Instead, the

for all of its residents, making travel safer,

maintaining and modernizing existing facilities,
and securing higher levels of transportation
funding. The report will include a description
of the Countys investment and policy
priorities for the succeeding year.

69

PRIORITIZE

TRANSIT AND OTHER

TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES
Globally competitive regions depend upon and
support robust transit systems. The needs of
modern economies and changing consumer
preferences argue for substantial improvements in
the Countys transit system. Cook County commits
to the following actions to enhance transit and
other alternative forms of transportation:
Prepare a transit plan that complements
70

Fund transportation improvements in support

of transit-oriented developments to make it

easier and more convenient to walk, bike, or
take transit to destinations. Improvements to be
supported by the Department include sidewalks,
facilities for bicycles, and community plazas.
The number of stations within the County makes
this a sustainable strategy that can be broadly

implemented.

agencies. The Countys plan will identify gaps in

Encourage and support an increase in the

service and high priority needs not addressed

number of local governments that have adopted

by existing public transit services. It will make

Complete Street ordinances, and support

recommendations on how to provide those

these governments as they work toward

services, either through changes in existing

implementation. These ordinances are designed

transit agency policies or the adoption of

to ensure that designated public rights-of-way

supplemental services that could be funded or

are available for all users, including pedestrians,

delivered by the County or other organizations.

bicyclists and buses, not just automobiles.

the existing plans of the RTA and its transit

DOTH will play a leadership role in developing,

Expand its support of public transit agencies

designing, and financing expanded construction

and other alternative modes of transportation.

of trail systems.

For example, the Department will assist Pace in

its efforts to provide expedited bus service on
arterial roads and expressways. This will include
assistance to local governments with respect to
the design of streets, sidewalks and bus stops,
and work on signal coordination and giving
transit vehicles priority.

Assist local governments with the adoption of

bicycle/pedestrian planning programs designed

to identify gaps in existing services and promote
increases in pedestrian and bicycle trips.
Support new and emerging ride sharing, private

shuttles, and other supplemental services that

are changing the transportation landscape. These
services are fulfilling the needs of consumers that
are not being served by the taxi industry or transit
agencies.

COOKINACTION
Rosemont Station
Transportation Center and
Transit-Oriented Development
The Rosemont Station on the CTA Blue Line is
the busiest transfer point in the region between
Pace buses and CTA rail. The existing Rosemont
transit center already exceeds capacity and must
be modernized and expanded to accommodate
Paces new express bus service on the Jane Addams
Tollway. The availability of underdeveloped land
around the station, owned by Cook County and the
Tollway, presents an opportunity to build a multimodal transportation center. Cook County will lead a
collaborative process to redevelop the site and build
a state-of-the-art center.

A Walk Along The 606

Projects like The 606 in Chicago, the Prairie Path in
west suburban Cook County, and the Burnham
Greenway Trail extension in south Cook, connect
communities and open space assets in a way that
promotes more walking and biking. Cook Countys
contribution of $2.26 million toward viaduct
rehabilitation on The 606 improved traffic flow
on County routes and enhanced the communitys
enjoyment of the new trail.

71

SUPPORT

THE REGIONS ROLE AS NORTH

AMERICAS FREIGHT CAPITAL
Metropolitan Chicagos role as the freight and

CREATE projects were to be completed. The

logistics center of North America brings benefits

public agencies in the region responsible for

and challenges. The County is committed to making

transportation will be part of a planning process

sound plans, policies, and investments in order

to address the Countys long-term rail needs.

to fully realize the benefits and overcome the

72

challenges associated with sustaining supremacy

Developing a CREATE-like program for the

as a shipping and logistics hub. The Countys

trucking industry to be called TRIPTruck

commitment to the freight transportation system

Routing, Infrastructure, and Permitting. Like the

includes:

freight rail industry, much of the truck traffic

in the region supports shippers from across

Completing the unfinished projects in the

the country. In partnership with the freight and

CREATE Program. These projects were carefully

logistics industry, other government agencies,

designed to improve freight and passenger

and shippers, the Department will develop a

rail traffic. Cook County will participate in and

plan that:

support efforts to secure federal, state, and

Brings to completion the recently

railroad funding of the unfinished CREATE

launched initiative to harmonize the

projects. It will expect that all projects will be

hundreds of different truck regulations

subject to transparent evaluations and equitable

within the region. Working with other

allocations of costs between governments and

counties in the region, Cook County will

the private sector. The Department will help

actively support efforts to align policies

speed project delivery by joining IDOT and

and practices so as to simplify the steps

CDOT as one of the implementing agencies in

that private industry must take when

the state with the ability to design and procure

moving goods within the region.

federally funded projects.

Producing a comprehensive passenger and

freight rail plan that addresses the expected

growth in freight rail traffic, the need for more
frequent and reliable commuter rail service,
and the exceptionally high number of rail
crossings that delay motorists on the Countys
roads. The many rail facilities in the Chicago
region are reaching full capacity, even if all the

Creates a connected and efficient system

for truck movements, which would include
the identification of more priority truck
routes, roadway improvements that would
accommodate the needs of trucks, rail
grade separation priorities, bridge and
viaduct limits that currently inhibiting
truck movements, and the rationalization
of truck parking requirements.

COOKINACTION
Touhy Avenue MultiModal Safety and Capacity
Improvement Project
Touhy Avenue carries more than 33,400 vehicles
per day, 14% of which (4,750) are trucks. This route
serves major job centers in Elk Grove Village (3,600
firms) and at OHare International Airport, as well as
surrounding residential and business communities.
The Touhy Avenue project will add capacity to a road
with traffic volumes that already exceed its design
and that has led to severe congestion and crash
incidents that place it in the top 5 percent for Illinois.
CMAP projects that traffic volumes will increase more
than 40% by 2040.
To address these issues, the Touhy Avenue project
includes roadway reconstruction, wider intersections,
interconnected traffic signals, and a new by-pass at
Old Higgins Road. However, this is much more than a
road project; the improvements will enhance freight
railroad operations by building a grade separation
at the Union Pacific (UP) rail crossing, UPs second
busiest line in the region. It will facilitate growth in air
travel and shipping by improving access to OHare
International Airport, the fourth busiest passenger
and sixteenth cargo airport in the world. Finally, it
will address the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, and
transit riders by adding much-needed sidewalks,
crosswalks, safety islands, transit signal priority, and
bus shelters. Touhy is one component of the ElginOHare Western Access project, an improvement of
regional and national significance. Cook County is
leading the improvement of the state route and has
partnered with the Tollway and CMAP on funding.
Additional funds are being pursued via the U.S.
Department of Transportation.

73

COOKINACTION
PROMOTE

The Economic Benefits of South Suburban Truck Route Improvements

EQUAL ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITIES

Regions that are more inclusive, that fully use their

is characterized by a mix of complementary

human, transportation, real estate, and business

manufacturing and logistics firms clustered in

assets, achieve greater and more evenly distributed

industrial districts surrounding freight facilities.

economic growth than less inclusive metropolitan

The Department will promote the growth of

areas. The County is committed to promoting

cargo-oriented development by investing in

equity in its own policies and investments, and as

roads, utilities, viaducts and grade separations

a partner with other governments that provide

many of which do not fall under its jurisdiction

transportation within the region. The Department

but are essential to economic development.

The Countys commitment to rebuild deteriorated municipal roads in Alsip, Harvey, Phoenix, Riverdale and South Holland
has played a significant role in business retentions and expansions. Cook County has secured federal and state funding and
contributed motor fuel tax revenue to improve truck routes in these industrial districts. This $20 million public investment
supports businesses that employ 1,170 workers, are investing $62 million in their facilities, and expect to add 420 new jobs.

will:
Participate in the Countys South Suburban
74

Make access to opportunity a principal criterion

pilot to improve opportunities in and the

when making its transportation investment

economic well-being of the Countys most

decisions or reviewing the choices made

distressed communities. Within Cook County

by others. One outcome of this long range

the inequality in access to quality transportation

transportation plan is the establishment of

facilities and services and to jobs is pronounced

a project evaluation and selection process

in south Cook and getting worse. A major

with criteria tied to the plans priorities. The

initiative coming from the Presidents Council

Department will review its list of proposed

of Economic Advisors, the pilot is designed to

and completed projects to ensure that their

create combinations of housing, retail and other

distribution is equitable and spur greater

amenities that attract and retain key segments

opportunities.

of the regional population by linking growth to

156th Street (LB Steel): Under Design

75

151st Street (Sterling Lumber): Built

strategies addressing public safety and healthy

Provide funding for transportation

communities. The Department will support

improvements in support of cargo-oriented

this effort by funding, rehabbing and building

development, a form of development found

facilities such as transit facilities, public spaces,

across the County that represents a significant

bike paths, and sidewalks that enhance quality

part of the economy. This form of development

of life.

Regions that are more inclusive

achieve greater and more evenly
distributed economic growth than
less inclusive metropolitan areas.

CHART KEY

Center Street (CN Terminal/Harvey

Industrial District): Under Construction

Truck Route
Improvements
Area Companies

167th Street (CN Terminal/Harvey and

South Holland Industrial Districts):
Under Construction

Current infrastructure can also be modernized.

Many existing techniques and technologies
can be used to expand the capacity of existing
infrastructure. Other tools can alter the demands
placed on that infrastructure. And many more

MAINTAIN AND MODERNIZE

WHAT ALREADY EXISTS
Striking the balance between maintenance
and modernization of existing facilities and
the expansion and investment in new facilities
is a challenge for all local agencies, as well as
government more broadly. There are circumstances
in which adding new capacity is appropriate. But
each new investment leads to future maintenance
76

costs, in addition to those already required to keep

up todays infrastructure. Instead, investments made
in maintenance, or in modernizing what currently
exists, are often a better use of limited resources.

Establish annual target allocations for the

percentage of transportation funding to be

spent on maintenance of existing assets. These
investments are needed not only to achieve a
state of good repair, but also to bring assets into
compliance with modern safety and accessibility
standards. The Department will have individual
targets for specific asset types (pavement,
bridges, stormwater management facilities,
traffic signals, transit, bicycle/pedestrian, and
freight).

such innovations will be developed in the coming

years. To take advantage of these practices, and to
prepare for new developments, the Department will
coordinate with its transportation partners to:
Implement a network of Smart Corridors

across jurisdictional lines to improve travel for

all modes (private autos, freight, and transit
vehicles) by increasing their traffic-handling
capacity through the adoption of low-cost
technological solutions (often referred to as
Intelligent Transportation Systems). Among the
tools to be applied along Smart Corridors are
traffic signal interconnects, transit signal priority,
real-time fleet location tracking and dynamic
messagingwhich can increase a roads traffic
capacity by as much as 15 percent.

The cost of maintaining the Countys current

infrastructure is substantial. Bringing the
Departments average pavement quality up to
industry standards of good condition will require
an additional investment of $60 million per year
for the next 10 years. Addressing this backlog as
well as the maintenance needs for all types of
existing infrastructure will require a shift in the way
that resources and investments are allocated. The
Department will:

Enhance coordination with partner agencies

to ensure projects deliver the greatest benefit

Redesign existing streets and intersections

to provide enhanced mobility for bicycling,

walking, transit, and seniors, families with
young children, and those with disabilities by
adding bike lanes, sidewalks, and improved
compatibility with bus traffic.
Advocate for the adoption of techniques that

optimize the use of existing infrastructure, such

as managed lane programs for multi-occupancy
cars on the regions expressways and the use
of dynamic, congestion-based toll pricing
to shift drivers toward alternative modes of
transportation, or to encourage them to drive at
off-peak hours.
Keep pace with technological advancements,

and particularly their potential impacts on

transportation systems. The Department will
build upon existing interagency forums, which
convene to discuss technical issues, to advocate
for a future-proofing approach. Todays
investments must be made in ways that are
adaptable to new technologies.

across all modes. In particular, because so

many agencies and entities in Cook County
are responsible for transportation investments,
the Department will prioritize projects where
its investments will complement those made
by others. These could include: upgrading
intersections along priority truck routes;
prioritizing improvements that are part of, or
complementary to, a communitys development
plan; and incorporating sidewalks, crosswalks,
bus pads, and shelters into roadway projects
along planned Pace Arterial Rapid Transit routes.

COOKINACTION
Transit Priority
on Expressways
Several Cook County expressways and tollways have,
or are planning, special facilities for Pace bus service.
On I-55, the Illinois Department of Transportation
retrofitted existing shoulders so that Pace buses
could bypass congestion when travel speeds fall
below 35 mph. Cook County is actively engaged in
planning for the reconstruction of a section of the
Tri-State Tollway (I-294) and encouraging inclusion of
special use lanes for transit.

77

INCREASE

INVESTMENTS IN TRANSPORTATION

78

In 2015 Cook County took the unprecedented step

Requests for more transportation dollars, regardless

of expanding transportation funding by ending the

of the source, will only be honored by the public if

long-standing practice of diverting motor fuel tax

it is assured that the money will be used efficiently

funds to other uses. Starting in 2017, this action

and effectively. The Countys actions to demonstrate

will provide an additional $45 million per year for

effective stewardship of public money includes:

transportation. The additional funds will be used to

79

pursue the priorities described in Connecting Cook

A new, more rigorous investment criteria for the

County. This significant demonstration of leadership

use of County transportation funds. The criteria

transportation safety programs. In 2014

implementation of a Complete Streets

is a first step in a concerted campaign to increase

are designed around the priorities described

there were 143,952 reported traffic

program to ensure that the safe and efficient

funding for transportation from multiple sources,

in this plan. This performance-based approach

accidents in the County, resulting in 235

use of public rights-of-way for all users.

including taxes, tolls, and fares.

to investment is an integral part of Connecting

deaths. The County is developing its own

Cook County.

road safety program and will share this

The County will also advocate for more

work with local governments.

transparent, performance-based investments

This commitment also represents the first step in the

Advance the implementation of

assist with the preparation, adoption, and

Countys expanded responsibilities with respect to

A commitment to work with the 135 local

transportation. The County is not only responsible

municipalities in designing and financing

for the highways and bridges under its direct

projects. Active cooperation will save money

jurisdiction, but is also accountable for providing

for the County and municipalities, and it will

its constituents with the transportation services

demonstrate to the public its money is being

they expect by actively working with the multiple

used responsibly. The Department is right-sized

providers of those services. The County is pleased to

to collaborate across all levels of government

take more responsibility to direct, source, and invest

and qualified to handle projects of varying

resources throughout the County on projects and

complexity. Collaboration is essential to

contracting support using the Countys

or system performance. The allocation of public

services consistent with its priorities. The economic

exerting influence, leveraging public dollars, and

Job Order Contracting system.

and private dollars for CREATE projects are

health of the County depends on expanded and

attracting the private investment that will move

coordinated investments.

the region forward. Examples would include:

The County will play a leading role in

the development of regional and subregional trail and path plans with councils
of government and municipalities that
address existing gaps and promote more
walk and bicycle trips.

Provide engineering services and

Provide joint procurement opportunities

to reduce costs of procuring goods or

services.

Provide engagement of municipalities

and the Active Transportation Alliance to

for all the agencies that provide transportation

services. At a minimum, this will include the
State, which continues to employ a formula
for allocating dollars between metropolitan
Chicago and the rest of the state. Similarly, the
RTA allocates operational and capital dollars
between the three service boards based on old
formulas rather than on well-defined objectives

negotiated deals rather than publicly available

analyses that document the relative costs
and benefits.

CONNECTING
Cook County
2 0 4 0 L O N G R A N G E T R A N S P O R TAT I O N P L A N

Endnotes
(sources listed in alphabetical order)
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Conclusion

80

With over 5,000,000 residents and 128,000

diverse stakeholders. Cook County will collaborate

businesses, Cook County deserves a first rate

with all stakeholders, including municipal leaders,

transportation system. President Preckwinkle

regional organizations, and the private sector, to

has made this a clear priority. Connecting Cook

ensure key priorities are addressed and critical

County formalizes that commitment and puts forth

projects are completed.

an agenda to support, modernize, expand, and

advocate for the regions transportation system.

The recommendations in Connecting Cook

County have the potential to improve transit,

The premise of Connecting Cook County is that

increase transportation choices, facilitate business

transportation assets and services drive the

expansion, better link people with jobs, spur

economy of northeastern Illinois. Transportation

redevelopment in areas that have declined, and

improves the quality of labor markets. It facilitates

strengthen key industry sectors and employment

retail trade. It reduces costs for families and

centers by redirecting where and how Cook

businesses. And it is essential for the region

County improves its transportation infrastructure.

to grow its role as the freight capital of North

The plans success will be measured by how well

America. We cannot afford to neglect this

implementation addresses the challenges and

essential critical driver of the regions economy.

moves toward the vision.

Smart investments will yield long-term dividends.

Connecting Cook County provides the guiding
This plan identifies what needs to be done and

framework by which Cook County can use its

how it must be accomplished. It recognizes

strengths to more fully realize opportunities as

that responsibility for transportation extends

well as to overcome challenges in pursuit of a

beyond Cook Countys own jurisdiction. As Cook

stronger, more resilient economy and healthier

County is the epicenter of the nations networks,

communities. The plans success depends upon

transportation services within the County are vast,

Cook County becoming a more strategic partner

containing all possible modes and touching many

as well as a more effective transportation leader.

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American Community Survey; various reports, 2014-2016.

American Public Transportation Association; various reports, 2014-2016.
American Transportation Research Institute; Cost of Congestion to the Trucking Industry, April 2016.
Amtrak; Ridership Statistics, 2015.
Brookings Institute; Transit Oriented Development: Moving from Rhetoric to Reality; Dena Belzer and Gerald
Autler, Strategic Economics, June 2002.
ChicagoInno; Uber Gives Numbers on the Fast Growth of UberX after 2 Years in Chicago, July 22, 2015.
Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning;
Metropolitan Chicagos Freight Cluster: A Drill-Down Report on Infrastructure; Innovation,
and Workforce, 2012.
Northeastern Illinois Regional Greenways and Trail Plan, 2009.
Overview of Freight Flows into and out of the Chicago Region, October 2014.
Rail Crossing Delay Data, January 2015.
Socioeconomic Data (from regional travel model), October 2014.
Travel Tracker Survey, 2008.
Chicago Transit Authority; Ridership Statistics, 2015.
Chicago Department of Transportation; various data sources, 2014-2016.
Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program; various reports, 2014-2016.
Chicago Tribune; Editorial: Open the Airports to Uber, October 4, 2015.
Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways; various sources, 2014-2016.
Cook County Forest Preserve; various sources, 2014-2016.
Cyber Drive Illinois; Vehicle Count Data, April 2016.
Divvy; Divvy Data, 2016.
ESRI Geographic Information System; various sources, 2014-2016.
Illinois Department of Transportation;
Multiple datasets from 2012-2014.
Metra; Ridership Statistics, 2015.
Metropolitan Planning Council; Moving at the Speed of Congestion, 2008.
National Transit Database; Transit Agency Profiles, 2015.
Northeastern Illinois Public Transit Task Force Report: Transit for the 21st Century, 2014.
Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District; Ridership Statistics, 2015.
Pace; Ridership Statistics, 2015.
Pew Charitable Trusts; Intergovernmental Challenges in Surface Transportation Funding, September 2014.
Regional Transportation Authority Mapping and Statistics (RTAMS); Ridership Statistics, 2015.
Regional Transportation Authority Sales Tax and Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT) Receipts, 2014.
Shared Use Mobility Center; SUMC Research, 2016.
Smart Growth America; Repair Priorities: Transportation spending strategies to save taxpayer dollars and
improve roads, June 2011.
Texas A&M Transportation Institute; Urban Congestion Reports, 2015.
Trails for Illinois; Steve Buchtel-Executive Director, 2016.
Uber; UberDATA: Ubers Economic Impact on the City of Chicago, March 12, 2014.
United States Census Bureau;
County Business Patterns, 2012.
Economic Census, 2012.
U.S. Census Work Trip Survey, 2000.
United States Department of Transportation;
Beyond Traffic, 2015.
Intelligent Transportation Systems Database, 2016.
Ladders of Opportunity, 2015.
United States Public Interest Research Group; Millennials in Motion: Changing Travel Habits of Young Americans
and the Implications for Public Policy, October 2014.

CONNECTING
Cook County
2 0 4 0 L O N G R A N G E T R A N S P O R TAT I O N P L A N

H O N O R A B L E T O N I P R E C K W I N K L E , P R E S I D E N T, C O O K C O U N T Y B O A R D O F C O M M I S S I O N E R S
J O H N YO N A N , P. E . , C O O K C O U N T Y D E PA R T M E N T O F T R A N S P O R TAT I O N A N D H I G H WAY S