Tri-County Regional Planning Commission is pleased to announce the Regional Land Use, Transportation, and Ecosystem Integration Plan (Regional Plan). Funded partially through a matching grant from the Federal Highway Administration, the Regional Plan will be groundbreaking in significance for the Tri-County region and regions this size nationwide.
Traditionally, planning for land use, transportation, and the ecosystem has been done independently with little coordination. The Regional Plan will break down the walls between these plans, developing a regional vision by analyzing the relationships between land use, transportation, and the ecosystem.
Goals include:
· Improving the health of the Illinois River
· Improving the health and safety of the transportation systems
· Increasing connectivity of the region’s significant local ecosystems
· Integrating ecosystem needs with construction and development projects
· Clarifying the relationships between transportation, the ecosystem, and land use
· Developing comprehensive land use plans for local jurisdictions
In addition to the integrated regional plan, the project will develop corridor plans for the region’s four major proposed transportation upgrades (Eastern Bypass, Illinois Route 336, Illinois Route 29, and the remainder of Pekin’s Veteran’s Drive), and create a Green Highways Program with recommendations for making our transportation system more compatible with our ecosystem.
The Regional Plan will be suitable for use by local units of government in updating individual land use and transportation plans, and include recommendations and strategies for implementing the priorities and goals established by the region during the process.
The project will begin in spring 2008, with completion anticipated in spring 2010. For questions or more information, please contact John A. Chambers at 309-673-9330 or jchambers@tricountyrpc.org.
April 4, 2008
