COMMUNITY PLANNING PROGRAM INFORMATION
Community Planning program funds are available for planning purposes only; capital, engineering, operating, and staff/equipment costs are not eligible.  Municipalities located within the RTA six-county service region are eligible to apply to the Community Planning program. 

Individual “not to exceed” project budgets are set by the RTA during the project development process.  Project budgets should not be included as part of your Application submittal.  As part of the Community Planning partnership between the RTA and local communities, a local cash contribution of 20% of the total project cost is required for each project. Keep in mind that in-kind services cannot be applied toward the 20% local contribution.  Additionally, applicants are responsible for providing 100% of any costs of the project over the not to exceed budget set for the project.

If you have any questions regarding the local match or eligibility requirements, contact Heather Tabbert, Program Manager, Special Programs Division at 312-913-3244 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

ELIGIBLE PROJECTS
The regional transit system has a significant impact on local communities in terms of providing alternatives to driving, but also by providing an opportunity for balanced development.  The Community Planning program encourages applicants to undertake a balanced, coordinated and integrated approach to community and transportation planning that benefits both the community and the RTA transit system. 

Community Planning projects are designed to address local conditions and meet varying community goals and objectives, including integrating the transit facilities into the fabric of the community and providing increased mobility options.  Typical projects include the following:

It is important to note that this is not an exhaustive list, and the RTA will consider other projects that aim to increase transit usage, improve access to bus and rail facilities, facilitate multi-modalism, support transit-oriented design and development, improve job access and improve mobility for seniors and people with disabilities.

STATION AREA/TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT PLANS
Station area plans are based on the basic tenets of transit-oriented development: mixed land uses, higher residential densities and pedestrian-friendly environments.    These plans produce recommendations for an appropriate mix of land uses and transportation improvements to support a rail station or major bus corridor.  Plans also address urban design elements, including streetscape improvements, and recommend multi-modal mobility improvements to and within the station area.  Typical tasks in these types of projects include the following:
  • Data Collection
  • Residential, Office, and Retail Market Analyses
  • Public Participation
  • Development of Concept Plans
  • Circulation and Access Plans
  • Implementation Strategies 
  • Developer / Funding Summits

These plans are used by communities to guide and manage development and redevelopment within the station area while integrating the transit facilities and mobility improvements into their land use plans.  In preparing these plans, the RTA strives to achieve three main goals:
1.  Provide community residents and officials with an awareness of the benefits of supporting compact, walkable, higher density mixed use development within the vicinity of their transit station.
2.  Develop a transit-oriented development plan / guide for the community and private developers to follow while planning, designing and implementing new land use or transportation projects in the station area so that the final build-out is cohesive.
3.  Develop and foster partnerships and relationships among service boards, community officials, regional agencies, private developers, residents and business owners that will assist in streamlining the implementation of the final plan.
For more information on transit-oriented development.

TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES
For communities that do not currently have a transit station, but are interested in planning development and redevelopment in a manner that supports future transit service, the creation of Transit-Oriented Development Guidelines may be more appropriate than the creation of a detailed Station Area Plan. Public participation is an important component, focusing on introducing and discussing the concept of transit-oriented development to community members and elected officials:   mixed land uses, higher residential densities and pedestrian-friendly environments.   Improvements for multi-modal access to and within the potential station area also are identified.  The Guidelines discuss appropriate land preservation for a potential future transit station and the associated transit assets. The Guidelines will present visual examples of development densities and design standards that are most appropriate for the community and address pedestrian-friendly streetscaping such as lighting, sidewalks, landscaping and other amenities.  For more information on transit-oriented development.

LOCAL TRANSIT IMPROVEMENT PLANS
Local Transit Improvement Plans develop recommendations for local transit opportunities such as new transit service, increasing or improving existing transit service, or identifying options to enhance mobility within a select community.   Recommendations are generally based on community needs and travel patterns both within and outside the community boundaries.  Potential recommendations may include the establishment of community circulators, rerouting of an existing bus line, or the introduction of reverse commute shuttle buses from an existing rail station or transit center.  These plans also address improving access to transit stations and the enhancement of transit infrastructure such as bus shelters, bus pads, or multi-modal transit centers.  Some plans, where appropriate, include land use and develop plans/ guidelines to increase transit-oriented development and spur economic development within the community.

These projects typically use a systematic planning approach to determine appropriate community-based transit planning, starting with the premise that no transit option has been pre-determined as “preferred”. An investigation of transportation strengths and weaknesses is performed, and suitable transit options are identified. The end result is a customized set of recommendations and implementation strategies for the proposed service. The following tasks are usually undertaken in creating the plan:

1. Data Collection is performed to assemble information pertaining to current and future traffic and transit conditions such as transit ridership, traffic counts, travel patterns, transit connections, and access and circulation patterns for several modes of transportation. 
2. Analysis of Travel Patterns is undertaken to provide a snapshot of how residents and others are currently using transit and other modes of transportation within the study area.
3. A Mobility Needs Assessment identifies and addresses the community’s unique transportation characteristics. Special needs, barriers and deterrents to travel (and transit) are identified and addressed during this process. 
4. Public Participation is utilized to gather information regarding resident travel patterns, behaviors and preferences; educate the public on various transit options; and in some cases, introduce transit principles and concepts to community members and elected officials.
5. Recommendations and Implementation Strategies provide the results of the investigation and analysis. Preferred transit options and ways to increase mobility are detailed. Funding options are provided. Specific service types and operational guidelines can also be addressed. Additionally, action plans for individual communities are outlined. Community specific capital and infrastructure needs such as streetscaping, lighting, and sidewalk improvements can also be identified. 
6. The Development of Concept Plans provide visuals of the preferred options and recommendations. These graphics create a future vision and illustrate the implementation potential. 

The RTA seeks to achieve the following goals through Local Transit Improvement Plans:

1. Assist local communities in determining and planning for appropriate transit service, thus allowing potential service providers to focus on service implementation.
2. Provide an objective, systematic planning process for the communities, enabling them to produce quality plans, prepare for and pursue new transit service.
3. Develop and foster partnerships and relationships among the appropriate service boards, community officials, regional agencies, and residents that will streamline the implementation process.
4. Identify alternatives to single occupancy vehicle use.
COORDINATED PARATRANSIT PLANS
In October 2007, the RTA adopted the Coordinated Public Transit - Human Services Transportation Plan (HSTP) which outlines strategies for providing transportation services in a more coordinated and efficient manner.  The Plan can be downloaded at http://jarcnf.rtachicago.com/jarc-nf/coordinated-public-transit.html.  Coordinated Paratransit plans analyze existing non-traditional fixed route transit services in a localized area.  The types of services that these plans focus on include dial-a-ride services, human service transportation programs, subsidized taxi programs, and other township and municipal sponsored services.  The plans provide recommendations to better coordinate and consolidate existing services to better serve the basic mobility needs of residents and workers.  Typical tasks in these types of projects include the following:
  • Data Collection
  • Analysis of Travel Patterns
  • Identification of Mobility Needs
  • Public Participation
  • Development of Service Plans
  • Identification of Potential Funding Programs

DETAILED IMPLEMENTATION PLANS
For communities that have already adopted a transit-oriented development plan (or plans) for their station area or a transit corridor but need a more defined strategy for implementing the recommendations of that plan, we recommend preparing a more Detailed Implementation Plan.   These plans provide detailed strategies for moving forward on recommendations, from revisions to the zoning code to developer incentive packages.  These plans can also update implementation timeframes, address the cohesiveness of past plans, and identify available funding sources.  Typical tasks in these types of plans include the following:
  • Review of Existing Plan(s)
  • Public Participation
  • Implementation timeframes
  • Zoning Change Recommendations
  • Detailed Funding Options / preparation of incentive packages
  • Developer / Funding Summits
 

Village-of-Wheeling City-of-Chicago City-of-Elmhurst City-of-Woodstock Village-of-Morton-Grove Village-of-Niles Village-of-Oak-Park2 Village-of-Oak-Park3 Village-of-Oak-Park Village-of-Westmont

Annual Call for Projects Timeline

April 8, 2009
Call for Projects launched

June 12, 2009
Applications are due
to the RTA by 3:00 P.M. CST

August 20, 2009
Preliminary Programs of Projects
presented to the RTA Board of Directors

August 20- September 30, 2009
Public comment period

October 15, 2009
Programs of Projects presented to the RTA Board of Directors for approval

December 2009
RTA Board of Directors considers approval of funding for the Community and Subregional Planning programs

RTAMS

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For additional information on RTA planning initiatives, please visit the Regional Transportation Asset Management System (RTAMS).  The RTAMS is a transportation information retrieval system which has been developed by the RTA.  The system’s goal is to improve access to the region's enormous transportation data resources being gathered by the RTA, its service boards and other regional transportation and planning agencies. 

The RTAMS contains an inventory of RTA-sponsored planning programs and projects. The RTAMS allows users to download completed  studies and to view progress on ongoing efforts.   http://rtams.org
© 2009 Regional Transportation Authority | Community Planning