Infrastructure Newsletter

Andrew Cunningham l Executive Director, Infrastructure Council l 217-520-2345

December 15, 2023

The Infrastructure Council is an initiative of the

Illinois Chamber that brings together Chamber members with a focus on increasing

infrastructure investments in a strategic and thoughtful way to boost the overall business climate in Illinois. Our focus is on the public and private systems that are essential to Illinois businesses.

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Illinois Chamber Legislative Initiatives

As we approach the end of the year, the Illinois Chamber is finalizing its legislative strategy for the Spring of 2024. If you have any legislative ideas or proposals that you would like the Chamber to consider supporting or drafting please don't hesitate to reach out.

You can email me at acunningham@ilchamber.org or give me a call at (217) 520-2345.

CMAP Releases Plan of Action for Regional Transit

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) released its Plan of Action for Regional Transit (PART) for northeastern Illinois. This fulfills the requirements of Illinois Public Act 102-1028 tasking CMAP with developing legislative recommendations on the region's transit system. A draft of the plan was released in September which I highlighted in an earlier edition of this newsletter.

As has been extensively discussed in a variety of publications, events, and hearings, there is an anticipated funding gap that will arise for regional transit in 2026 after COVID-related federal funding has been exhausted. The budget deficit is projected to be $730 million to return to pre-pandemic service levels.

Post-pandemic transportation has shifted nationally, but CMAP identified three "significant drivers" for the operating funding gap.

Declining ridership
Transit service providers were significantly impacted by the shift in transportation trends following the pandemic. This is the largest contributing factor to the 2026 funding gap.
Reduced average fares
Increased cost to operate transit

Early in the document, a case is made for the value of transit and its benefits for the economy, equity, and mobility (see pages 13-20). Thereafter, an image of the future of transit in the region is laid out (see pages 24-61). A major theme of this section is the prioritization of service and improvement of experience for users.

Throughout the Plan, greater participation from the state for both funding and governance is present in the recommendations. Provided below are some of the revenue options discussed in the PART that go beyond system actions to achieve $1.5 billion in new revenue (see pages 63-93). I encourage you to read this section of the PART for a greater understanding of how each option is categorized as well as the projected revenue numbers.

Expand sales tax base to a broad selection of services
Raise RTA sales tax in the region by 0.25%
Raise tolls on existing Tollway facilities
Expand tolling to un-tolled expressways (a long-term option that would require federal action)
In-region vehicle registration surcharge (+$10/car)
MFT surcharge (+5¢/gallon)

The report is to be submitted to the General Assembly and the Governor's office by January 1st. Read the full PART here. Learn more from CMAP here.

IDOT Move Illinois Virtual Advisory Group

On Monday, I participated in IDOT's virtual advisory group for Move Illinois: the 2024 Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The purpose of the group is to get input that will shape the plan's strategic goals, objectives, and strategies, influencing Illinois’ diverse transportation network for the next 20 to 30 years. The advisory group is also to be a "sounding board" and is considered a key source of engagement.

The Move Illinois: 2024 LRTP is an update of the 2019 plan and is policy-based rather than project-based. The goals of the 2019 LRTP were economy, livability, mobility, resiliency, and stewardship. The Department identified gaps within that plan which included safety, equity, changes in technology, funding, and maintenance of aging infrastructure.

Most of the material covered during the advisory call had been discussed at the Department's fall planning conference which took place in Springfield in early October.

This was the first virtual stakeholder meeting as the planning process is in Phase 1. Phase 3 is scheduled to conclude in December of 2024 which is when the final plan is to be presented for review before publication.

I encourage you to share your thoughts by taking IDOT's Move Illinois survey here.

$10 Million Allocated to Chicago for Safety Cameras on City Streets, State Routes

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that IDOT has reached an agreement to provide $10 million to Chicago to help the city expand its network of safety cameras along both state routes and city streets. The increased presence of cameras will be a valuable tool to help ensure the safety and effective movement of traffic through Chicago during special events and emergencies as well as in typically busy areas.

The intergovernmental agreement will increase the city's ability to monitor traffic, manage incidents and assist in increased enforcement and safety along rights of way in Chicago.

The $10 million from IDOT will cover the costs of equipment, permitting and labor associated with the purchase and installation of the cameras. The city, under the terms of the agreement, will own and manage the physical and technological infrastructure and data as well as use a vendor to provide the required supplies and services, including equipment, installation, maintenance and any repairs.

The city also will determine the specific locations of the cameras and coordinate best practices for sharing information with law enforcement agencies.

Legislative Action of Note:

HB 4268, Corporate Emissions was filed. This bill creates the Climate Corporate Accountability Act. Provides that, on or before July 1, 2024, the Secretary of State shall develop and adopt rules to require a reporting entity to annually disclose to the emissions registry, and verify, all of the reporting entity's scope 1 emissions, scope 2 emissions, and scope 3 emissions. Provides that a reporting entity, starting on January 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, publicly disclose to the emissions registry all of the reporting entity's scope 1 emissions and scope 2 emissions for the prior calendar year, and its scope 3 emissions for that same calendar year no later than 180 days after that date. Provides that the Secretary of State shall contract with an emissions registry to develop a reporting and registry program to receive and make publicly available disclosures. Provides that, on or before January 1, 2025, the Secretary of State shall contract with the University of Illinois, a national laboratory, or another equivalent academic institution to prepare a report on the public disclosures made by reporting entities to the emissions registry. Provides that the emissions registry, on or before January 1, 2025, shall create a digital platform, which shall be accessible to the public, that will house all disclosures submitted by reporting entities to the emissions registry.

State Rulemaking

There was no adopted or proposed rulemaking of note for this Council in the December 15th edition of the Illinois Registe r.