Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning

We’re celebrating International Women’s Day, recognizing some of the people who helped deliver our Plan of Action for Regional Transit (PART). PART is an award-winning project that outlines bold solutions to the fiscal challenges facing our transit system and continues to reshape the conversation around the future of public transportation in northeastern Illinois. Women have been integral to PART which stands as a major accomplishment of a multidisciplinary CMAP team — from sponsoring legislation to chairing steering committees, from developing policies and reforms to refining key messages on financial sustainability and governance. Thanks for all the work you do, on PART and beyond! #IWD2025

Alex Beata, AICP, director of our regional policy and implementation (RPI) division, was part of a panel discussion this week at the annual Illinois Transportation and Highway Engineering (T.H.E.) Conference in Champaign. Alex joined Jonathon Lloyd from the Illinois Department of Transportation and professor Yanfeng Ouyang from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The panel addressed traffic patterns since the COVID-19 pandemic. Alex described the pandemic’s impact on long-term traffic forecasting, as well as related trends in regional land use patterns and telework practices.?Other panelists described recent performance of traffic volumes, crashes, transit ridership, and ride-hailing usage. Photo courtesy of Jordan Ouellet ?

With the chair of CMAP’s Council of Mayors, City of Batavia Illinois Mayor Jeffery Schielke (left), CMAP Executive Director Erin Aleman (right) recognizes members of the Council for their service to the agency and our region. Outgoing members include President Tom Hayes, Village of Arlington Heights (pictured, second from left); President Karen Darch, Village of Barrington (pictured, second from right); Mayor George Van Dusen, Village of Skokie; and President Greg Lungmus, Northfield. The Council of Mayors provides municipal expertise to inform, guide, and support the agency’s work.

In the latest Lake County Partners newsletter: a Q-and-A with CMAP Executive Director Erin Aleman! That, and some big news about how the Chicago area, for the 12th consecutive year, has been named the #1 U.S. metro for corporate relocation by Site Selection Magazine.

For our region, that's now 12 years on top in the U.S. for corporate relocation and expansion, ranked by Site Selection Magazine.

Our own Kate Evasic will be a panelist for Local Solutions to Water Challenges. It's on Friday, March 14: https://lnkd.in/gxX8nCpJ

400+ People, One Big Question: What Should the Future Look Like? It's Feature Photo Friday time! CMAP team members were at the Chicago Architecture Center's Engineering Fest. We were excited to talk with over 400 people about CMAP, our Regional Transportation Plan, and — most importantly — what our youngest residents want their future communities to look like. The kids had ideas! They drew their visions for the future. CMAP was represented by Alexsandra Gomez, Aspen Walters, Gabriel Guevara, Cassie Varrige, and Lawrence Landfair. #FeaturePhotoFriday #CMAP #UrbanPlanning

CMAP released the Northeastern Illinois Priority Investments guide, a blueprint documenting the highest-priority projects across our region for the next two years. It reflects continued collaboration between us and our partners at the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Chicago Department of Transportation, Regional Transportation Authority of Northeastern Illinois (RTA), Chicago Transit Authority, Metra Commuter Rail, Pace Suburban Bus, the region’s seven counties, and the CREATE Program Chicago. Click the link in the comments section to learn more about our region's vision.

Help us welcome Yolanda Martin, who joins CMAP as a procurement officer in our finance division. With decades of leadership in information technology, enterprise projects, procurement, and contract compliance, Yolanda has built a career driven by purpose and impact. She’s an NIGP-certified procurement professional (NIGP-CPP), a certified diversity executive, and a licensed Realtor in the state of Illinois. Beyond the titles, Yolanda’s passion is making a real difference. She thrives on creating opportunities that uplift communities, build lasting relationships, and drive sustainable growth. At her core, Yolanda believes in leading with excellence, fostering collaboration, and ensuring equity in every position she occupies. #WelcomeToCMAP

We work on behalf of our region to advance northeastern Illinois' long-range plan — ON TO 2050 — which reflects the collective vision and priorities of our region and its communities, leaders, and people. Our annual budget and workplan — recently approved by the CMAP Board for fiscal year 2026 starting July 1, 2025 — describes what we do per our federal and state mandated responsibilities. It presents budget details including funding, revenues and expenses, and outlines activities the agency will continue or commence over the fiscal year. Find a link in the comments section.