News Updates

Region unites on 2025-26 priority projects for federal investment

For the third year, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) collaborated with stakeholders throughout northeastern Illinois to achieve consensus around prioritizing transportation projects for federal investment. The highest priority projects for 2025-2026 are reflected in the Northeastern Illinois Priority Investments booklet. 

By leveraging funding from federal opportunities, regional transportation partners can implement transformative projects that support our economic strength, climate resilience, multimodal accessibility, and safety for all who travel through our region. 

This regional partnership has already had a powerful impact, with the region securing more than $1.27 billion in federal funding for transportation projects in 2024. Some awards from the past year include: 

• $126.8 million for CTA’s Blue Line Forest Park Branch station and track improvements 
• $209 million for the CREATE program’s project EW2A 
• $18.8 million for Lake County’s Cedar Lake Road Realignment 
• $8.6 million for IDOT’s I-290 Maywood Flood Relief Project 

Building off the momentum of these crucial investments, stakeholders will continue to seek funding to implement projects and address ongoing needs.

As an international transportation hub, our priority projects have the potential to reverberate beyond the region to the rest of the country. CMAP stands ready alongside our partners to rebuild and reimagine our infrastructure to be more equitable, sustainable, resilient, accessible, and safe.