Metropolitan Planning Council

Interested in improving our region's water system? Apply to join MPC as an Associate on our water team. Additional information and the application available here: https://bit.ly/49uC6pQ

Application deadline: May 22

Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) Senior Manager Justin Williams was quoted in a recent WBEZChicago article about Illinois' lead service line replacement project and its potentioal to create 90,000 jobs. WBEZ promoted our collaborative report, "Leveraging Lead Service Line Replacement for Workforce Growth" that makes the assertion that Illinois has the rare opportunity to tackle two challenges at once: address its toxic legacy while laying the groundwork for a more inclusive economy. Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/4sIpLWM

Today, Illinois took a historic step to advance reliability, expand access, improve connectivity, and strengthen our transit system!

Governor Pritzker stated, “The Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) Act is designed to modernize Illinois’ transit systems—from the far northern reaches of our state, to East and West Central Illinois, to Southern Illinois... we are bolstering operations and upgrading trains, tracks, and buses, and we’re doing it in the most responsible way, with no new statewide taxes. For families, workers, businesses, schoolchildren, and visitors, this is a once in a generation investment that will benefit everyone, especially the overall Illinois economy. We need to continue pushing forward until Illinois truly has the best transit system in the nation, the one our riders need and deserve.”

MPC Senior Director Audrey Wennink, along with other advocates and partners from the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC), watched on as Governor Pritzker signed the Act into law today. Continued congratulations to the hardworking, tenacious staff at MPC (especially Thomas Bamonte), Active Transportation Alliance, Illinois Environmental Council, Center for Neighborhood Technology, and Cook County. Congratulations, as well, to the passionate and knowledgeable legislative champions who worked on this issue day and night for years: Senator Villivalam (D-8), Representative Eva-Dina Delgado (D-3), and Representative Kam Buckner (D-26). Onward!

Active Transportation Alliance The Illinois Environmental Council Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT)