Problem Statement

On January 26, 2006 , the Cook DuPage Corridor Policy Committee and Technical Committee, who provide leadership, guidance and technical expertise to the study, approved the first part of the Purpose and Need Statement . The Problem Statement:

.A significant increase in population and jobs has occurred in suburban areas of Northeastern Illinois over the past several decades. Major regional employment centers have emerged in and around the Cook DuPage Corridor, offering new work locations for both city and suburban residents. As a result, both DuPage county and Cook county are currently net importers of workers. Corridor employment growth is anticipated to far outpace population change in the next 30 years.

Suburban growth in population and jobs has brought about a significant change in travel patterns. While the traditional commute from the suburbs to Chicago remains strong, there has been a large increase in intersuburban and reverse commute travel. The existing Corridor transportation system was established to serve the traditional commute to downtown Chicago . The system does not provide a sufficient level of service and/or range of options to address the high growth travel patterns to Corridor employment centers. This deficiency is most acute for reverse and intersuburban travel markets where transit options are limited or non-existent..