News Updates

Plan inventory for the 2026 Regional Transportation Plan

Earlier this year, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) commenced development of the 2026 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). One of the first steps in the multiyear effort is to review transportation plans adopted in the region to better understand the current transportation goals in northeastern Illinois.

CMAP recently completed a plan inventory after reviewing 29 distinct plans adopted from the municipal, county, regional, state, and federal levels. Staff identified overarching goals, objectives, and strategies that broadly summarized the diverse perspectives represented. CMAP intends to uplift the current priorities of transportation partners and incorporate federal, state, regional, and local priorities in this early stage of the RTP development.

Next steps

The plan inventory and summary serve as a starting point to understand northeastern Illinois’ current transportation goals. Using this foundation, CMAP will coordinate with board members, committee members, and transportation stakeholders to explore the following questions:

• Which goals remain relevant to today’s transportation needs and priorities of today?
• Are there transportation goals or approaches to certain topics that need to evolve to better reflect the current landscape?
• Are there any gaps or emerging trends that require the region to form consensus around new transportation solutions?

This summer, CMAP will begin conducting outreach and engagement to inform these questions and the broader RTP vision. These conversations will continue throughout the plan’s development.

In case you missed it: CMAP presented an RTP update at the CMAP Board meeting on Thursday, June 12. Watch the video recording of the presentation.