Randy Blankenhorn is executive director of CMAP, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, which is responsible for land use and transportation planning across seven counties -- Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will -- that make up northeastern Illinois.
Under his leadership, CMAP has consolidated the previously separate regional planning agencies for land use and transportation. The resulting new agency has established an integrated approach that views the region's challenges as a whole, rather than in isolation, with an emphasis on changing how development and infrastructure investment decisions are made. In addition to core competencies in data and analysis related to land use, the environment, and transportation, CMAP is committed to addressing interrelated issues such as jobs, housing, and economic development. Randy and his staff are leading the GO TO 2040 campaign to develop and implement the metropolitan Chicago area’s first truly comprehensive regional plan, which will be published in 2010.
He has over 20 years experience in the planning, development and implementation of transportation infrastructure projects for the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). As IDOT Bureau Chief of Urban Program Planning just prior to joining CMAP in May 2006, he coordinated the activities of the 14 metropolitan planning organizations across the State of Illinois. At IDOT, Randy was responsible for a $1.9 billion public transit operating and capital program; a $145 million airport capital program; a $15.5 million railroad capital program an $18 million Intelligent Transportation System Deployment program; and a $45 million planning program. These programs were developed in cooperation with the modal divisions of IDOT, local transit, airport and planning agencies, local elected officials, public interest and environmental organizations, and federal partners.