News Updates

CMAP adopts long-range transportation plan to guide northeastern Illinois through 2050

The 2026 Regional Transportation Plan sets priorities for a safer, more reliable, more accessible, and more resilient transportation system

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) Board and MPO Policy Committee have adopted the 2026 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), northeastern Illinois’ long-range plan to guide transportation investments and improvements through 2050.

As the region’s federally designated metropolitan planning organization, CMAP is required to maintain a long-range transportation plan that looks at least 20 years into the future. This RTP establishes shared priorities for the transportation system serving northeastern Illinois’ 8.6 million residents, 284 municipalities, and a regional economy that generated $779 billion in gross regional product in 2024. It covers the seven counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will, as well as Aux Sable Township in Grundy County and Sandwich and Somonauk townships in DeKalb County.

Northeastern Illinois has one of the nation’s most important transportation networks — with roads, transit, freight, rail, airports, waterways, ports, bike routes, sidewalks, and trails — that connect people to opportunities and move goods across the region, country, and world. The 2026 RTP recognizes that this system is one of the region’s greatest assets — and one of its greatest responsibilities.

“As mayor, I see every day how transportation decisions affect our communities,” said Palos Hills Mayor Gerald Bennett, CMAP Board Chair. “And from CMAP’s earliest days, I’ve seen how much more we can accomplish when local governments, transportation agencies, and regional partners work together toward shared priorities. The 2026 Regional Transportation Plan gives us a strong framework to continue that collaboration and make thoughtful investments that will serve generations to come.”

The RTP focuses on five interconnected goals:

• Strengthening connections between people and places
• Prioritizing safety and public health
• Mitigating pollution and investing in resilient infrastructure
• Supporting economic prosperity and inclusive growth
• Strategically governing, funding, and preserving the transportation system

The plan identifies strategies to improve travel reliability, expand transportation choices, make streets safer, reduce emissions, prepare infrastructure for extreme weather, support freight and economic competitiveness, and address the long-term costs of maintaining the region’s transportation assets.

These strategies address significant challenges across northeastern Illinois. People walking and biking account for more than 25 percent of traffic fatalities despite being involved in fewer than 3 percent of crashes. Nearly one-third of the region’s rail stations remain inaccessible to people who need accessibility features. Congestion also carries an economic toll, costing an estimated $1.9 billion in lost time and wasted fuel for trucks moving goods throughout the region.

“We applaud everyone who worked on this plan for coming together to develop a framework that will help guide our region over the coming decades,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi. “Thanks to robust public engagement and extensive stakeholder input, we are better informed today to make decisions about transportation that will impact every aspect of people’s lives tomorrow.”

A major component of the 2026 RTP is its list of priority investments: 15 projects and programs that would make significant progress toward the region’s transportation goals. These include investments in regional rail, faster and more reliable bus service, transit station accessibility, freight rail improvements, transportation decarbonization, connected sidewalks and bikeways, regional traffic management, and major roadway and corridor improvements.

The plan also includes 136 fiscally constrained Regional Capital Projects, representing more than $80 billion in project costs considered financially realistic with the support of current and recommended additional revenue sources. Inclusion in the 2026 RTP makes these projects eligible to advance through regional planning and federal funding processes.

Capital projects represent only one part of the region’s overall transportation needs: the RTP’s financial plan accounts for approximately $527.7 billion in transportation funding through 2050, with most spending supporting the operation, maintenance, and improvement of the existing system. The financial plan also identifies potential revenue strategies to help realize regional investment priorities. Together, the capital project list and financial plan reflect the RTP’s emphasis on living within the region’s means while making strategic investments and managing long-term maintenance obligations.

“Transportation decisions made today will shape northeastern Illinois for decades,” said Erin Aleman, executive director of CMAP. “The 2026 Regional Transportation Plan gives the region a shared blueprint. It reflects the voices of residents, local governments, transportation agencies, advocates, and partners who understand that no single community or agency can meet these challenges alone.”

The 2026 RTP is informed by CMAP’s socioeconomic forecast, which helps transportation agencies and local governments understand where travel demand may grow, where infrastructure needs may increase, and how transportation and land use decisions can better support future residents, workers, and businesses. Today, northeastern Illinois is home to 8.6 million residents, 3.3 million households, and 4.5 million jobs. By 2050, the region is projected to grow to just under 9 million residents and 3.8 million households.

“I am grateful to the implementing agencies and Transportation Committee members for collaborating on the RTP, “said Tara Orbon, acting superintendent for Cook County’s Department of Transportation and Highways and Transportation Committee Chair. “Residents throughout northeastern Illinois will benefit from the creation of a safer, more connected, more reliable and multimodal transportation network that is envisioned in this plan.”

The 2026 RTP also reflects extensive public and partner engagement across the region. CMAP gathered input through public meetings, resource groups, committee discussions, an RTP questionnaire, a formal public comment period, and a public hearing.

Adoption of the 2026 RTP marks the beginning of implementation. CMAP will continue working with partners to advance priority investments, track progress through regional indicators, support project-level engagement, and align future transportation decisions with the plan’s goals. The next RTP update is anticipated for 2030.

Learn more about the adopted 2026 Regional Transportation Plan at cmap.is/rtp. A shorter overview is also available.