What We Do

The Transportation Task Force has a dynamic vision for specific projects and policies that support an interconnected, sustainably funded, and efficiently governed transportation model that works to provide safe, efficient, and reliable transportation services for everyone.

We work to promote this vision of a thriving multi-modal integrated transportation system that considers road, rail, waterways, and air. We support the use of innovative technology to make transportation safer, more efficient, more sustainable, and better connected. In our work to enhance these connections, we continue to champion the Chicago region as the most vibrant economic hub in the Midwest.

Our work underpins necessary transformational improvements in areas including congestion, freight volume, safety, air travel, shared mobility, and transit accessibility.

What We’ve Done

The Transportation Task Force is a collection of transit-focused executives who offer insight and understanding to move our policy and project priorities forward. We work with public officials and transportation stakeholders to promote our vision of a fully integrated system that supports the region’s economic prosperity, protects our environmental assets, and fosters the well-being of all who live here.

The Transportation Task Force is a collection of transit-focused executives who offer insight and understanding to move our policy and project priorities forward. We work with public officials and transportation stakeholders to promote our vision of a fully integrated system that supports the region’s economic prosperity, protects our environmental assets, and fosters the well-being of all who live here. For further information about the task force’s historic achievements, please look to our archival material available here.

The Task Force’s Four Key Principles

Improve O’Hare International Airport

We are committed to ensuring the airport remains a critical economic engine for the region, as well as a leading transportation hub, and international gateway for the Midwest. The Civic Committee continues to be a strong leader in the completion of the O’Hare Modernization Program and supported the terminal rebuilding project and ground access to O’Hare.

Accelerate the modernization of our freight network via the CREATE rail program

CREATE is leading a program of over 70 projects with an estimated $31.5 billion in economic benefits across the Chicago region bringing improved rail operations and increased efficiency and capacity to our region’s freight rail system.

The strength of Chicago’s economy relies on its transportation network. The region’s future prosperity depends on the maintenance, modernization, improvement, and expansion of our transportation and infrastructure systems.

Since 1877, the Civic Committee has helped build, plan, and develop these systems. We recognize the importance of our historic transportation resources in the Midwest that have long connected the United States geographically, economically, and politically. We have continuously supported the strengthening of these resources to best position our region as a great place to live, work, and do business.

Collaborate with the Blue-Ribbon Commission

This partnership has helped us critically evaluate existing transportation revenue sources and funding distributions across the state. Investigating the governance of Illinois transportation systems allows us to establish how state, county, township, and municipal governments can complement development projects together. Better connected and better coordinated governance can lead to improvements in transportation services, increased ridership, and greener environmental outcomes across the different transit agencies.

Together with key stakeholders, the Civic Committee has directly contributed to the review of transportation investment goals such as improving racial equity, addressing climate change, and increasing economic growth.

Improve how our State DOT project selection and delivery

We have pursued and promoted the adoption of modern performance-driven methods and innovative project delivery techniques so that State funding allocation is awarded under consistent and transparent evaluation criteria.

For example, IDOT has evaluated 34 projects for inclusion in the State Fiscal Year 2023-2028 Highway Improvement Program to improve highways, bridges, and interchanges throughout the region.

Improve the region’s mass transit system

In 2021 and 2022, the Regional Transportation Authority reformed its funding allocation strategies in response to efforts made by the Civic Committee, and other organizations, to improve transparency and accountability in how capital expenditure is spent. These efforts led to further research conducted by CMAP and the PART report, which focused on how to improve transit spending for a better coordinated, more efficient transit system for the region.

Following the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP)’s release of its Plan of Action for Regional Transit , the Task Force collaborates with local and state legislators, as well as advocates to create a Transit Reform Coalition. The coalition’s north star has been to create, campaign for, and pass state legislation that will amend the structures in place across mass transit. This reform will create a unified regional transit body to deliver more efficient, interconnected, safe, sustainable, transit services, which in turn, will support growth, employers, and riders across the Midwest.

In 2023 and 2024, the Civic Committee has continued these efforts which has resulted in the establishment of the Partnership for Action on Reimagining Transit (PART). The Partnership, led by state Senator Ram Villivalam, and state Representative Eva-Dina Delgado, introduced the Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act Bill. This legislation calls for a new unified regional transit body to be created to oversee all bus, rail, and paratransit operations in Northeast Illinois. The bill was introduced on April 29th . The task force will continue to support this legislation and coordinate public hearings of the bill this summer to raise public awareness. We hope this legislation will pass in the coming months and years ahead and lead to transformational change for public transit across Illinois.

Modernize Union Station

We firmly support the plans for modernization at Union Station to improve train platforms, add and extend train track capacity, and to strengthen Chicago’s rail hub network. A stronger rail hub will improve connections to other Midwest cities and create a high-speed rail line to better connect downtown Chicago with O’Hare airport.

The Civic Committee supported the successful $93 million grant win for the modernization of Union Station under President Biden’s Infrastructure, Investments, and Jobs Act, with commitments from local, county, and state governments to match portions of funding as part of The Chicago Hub Improvement Plan.

Champion the Innovate Coalition

Innovate Illinois is a public-private coalition led by Governor Pritzker, universities, and key business leaders, along with the Civic Committee. The coalition is dedicated to a coordinated effort to secure federal funding as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.

The initiative embraces quantum computing, energy storage, biotechnology, and clean energy innovation. The coalition’s work in clean energy will be key in our future efforts to decarbonize commercial transportation to meet the advancing needs of electric vehicles across the Midwest.

The Brain Train was established through Innovate Illinois, which was formed by Civic Committee, universities, and P33. The effort galvanizes existing transit systems between cities and suburbs, innovation hubs, and academic institutions. With improved access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable transit, students as well as employers will benefit from access to new talent pools and high-value and high-growth job opportunities.

Refurbishment of the I-290 Blue Line Transportation Corridor

How We Work

The Civic Committee’s Transportation Task Force supports its project and policy priorities by working with a diverse set of stakeholders to create policies, funding, and actions that move these priorities ahead. To achieve its vision and principles, the Task Force has built coalitions and partnerships with others from business, labor, environmental, advocacy, and planning groups, to promote informed federal and state policies.