Discuss their bicameral Urban Flooding Awareness Act of 2015 CHICAGO – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) met at the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) with Chicago residents whose homes or businesses have flooded as a result of urban flooding and discussed their bicameral Urban Flooding Awareness Act. Their legislation is designed to address increased flooding in urban communities and to find solutions for the urban communities impacted... Continue reading »

After years of lackluster growth and evidence that Houston might surpass Chicago in population, the Chicago City Council this week took a bold step in expanding its transit-oriented development (TOD) ordinance to provide infill potential for more housing near transit stops.   CNT has long been a proponent for such changes, since our research has shown that for a decade-long period (2000-2010), Chicago was the only U.S. city with a major legacy transit system that grew faster away from... Continue reading »

A Crain’s August 15 article, “This rail yard is bustling, and that’s very good for greater Chicago,” provides an excellent introduction to an important, and often overlooked, segment of the economy. But Chicago’s intermodal freight activity can be even more beneficial than the article suggests, provided that our region capitalizes on our freight transportation assets through a combination of progressive public policies and smart business investments. One of the biggest growth opportunities... Continue reading »

Growth around our transit system, commonly known as transit-oriented development (TOD), generates its biggest benefits when it includes all households and all neighborhoods. It gives residents choices for how to get around, particularly to jobs, and connects them to economic opportunity. It lowers the cost of living by making it easier for households of all incomes to live with fewer cars. It’s good for the climate with fewer cars on the road. And when it includes all types of households, it... Continue reading »

What if you could predict where flooding would happen next in your community or get a text alert when basements in your neighborhood are flooding? Often, when flooding occurs, there’s little warning beyond weather forecasts about the presence of flash flooding.  The Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) and the Army Corps of Engineers are working together on a new initiative called RainReadySM Alert, a predictive flood monitoring and alert system based on aggregated data from sump... Continue reading »

A recent Texas A&M study on traffic congestion misses the point. According to the report's findings, Chicago-area commuters lose 61 hours every year due to delays costing $1,445 annually for wasted fuel and time.  Yet we should be able to live in convenient places closer to our jobs and amenities, rather than always expect a road will take us there without delay.  Sixty-one hours a year boils down to 7.3 minutes of delay per trip. Two-thirds of area commuters get to work in... Continue reading »

The RainReady℠ program, an initiative of the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT), has received a $30,000 EPA Environmental Justice Award. The grant will be used to support CNT’s work helping homeowners reduce sewer backups and flooding in Chatham, a neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. The work is being done in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  “We’re very grateful to the EPA. This comes at a critical time as cities like Chicago brace for more frequent and severe... Continue reading »

Every urban community and neighborhood around the world served by a centralized water supply system is plagued by the same problem: Aging water infrastructure that slowly leaks and loses trillions of gallons of water every year. The looming capital investment necessary to repair and upgrade aging water infrastructure will put a severe financial strain on utilities and local governments that are already having trouble avoiding red ink. This, along with the impending impact of climate change,... Continue reading »

A recent article in the Chicago Tribune’s Red Eye, a publication geared toward young commuters, reported on a study from personal finance site WalletHub that called Chicago one of the worst cities for drivers. After noting the many obstacles Chicagoland drivers face, including congestion, city fees, and volatile weather, the article delivers the somewhat bleak conclusion that at least “some of us can avoid it by riding the CTA or a bike.” It’s clear from this article that car ownership comes... Continue reading »

The Cook County Board took an important first step in funding transit when it recently approved a one percent sales tax increase recently to shore up a growing pension deficit. This will bring to an end a longtime misallocation of motor fuel tax dollars in order to fund public transit and aging infrastructure.   The Center for Neighborhood Technology and our partners at the Active Transportation Alliance, leaders of the Transit Future campaign, met with Board President Toni... Continue reading »