(70 ILCS 1707/45)

Sec. 45. Regional comprehensive plan. At intervals not to exceed every 5 years, or as needed to be consistent with federal law, the Board shall develop a regional comprehensive plan that integrates land use and transportation. The regional comprehensive plan and any modifications to it shall be developed cooperatively by the Board, with the involvement of citizens, units of local government, business and labor organizations, environmental organizations, transportation and planning agencies, State agencies, private and civic organizations, public and private providers of transportation, and land preservation agencies. Any elements of the regional comprehensive plan or modifications that relate to transportation shall be developed cooperatively with the Policy Committee. Units of local government shall continue to maintain control over land use and zoning decisions.

Scope of Regional Comprehensive Plan. The Regional Comprehensive Plan shall present the goals, policies, guidelines, and recommendations to guide the physical development of the Region. It shall include, but shall not be limited to:

(a) Official forecasts for overall growth and change and an evaluation of alternative scenarios for the future of the Region including alternatives for public and private investments in housing, economic development, preservation of natural resources, transportation, water supply, flood control, sewers, and other physical infrastructure. It shall present a preferred plan that makes optimum use of public and private resources to achieve the goals of the Plan.

(b) Land use and transportation policies that reflect the relationship of transportation to land use, economic development, the environment, air quality, and energy consumption; foster the efficient movement of people and goods; coordinate modes of transportation; coordinate planning among federal agencies, state agencies, transportation agencies, and local governments; and address the safety and equity of transportation services across the Region.

(c) A plan for a coordinated and integrated transportation system for the region consisting of a multimodal network of facilities and services to be developed over a 20-year period to support efficient movement of people and goods. The transportation system plan shall include statements of minimum levels of service that describe the performance for each mode in order to meet the goals and policies of the Plan.

(d) A listing of proposed public investment priorities in transportation and other public facilities and utilities of regional significance. The list shall include a project description, an identification of the responsible agency, the timeframe that the facility or utility is proposed for construction or installation, an estimate of costs, and sources of public and private revenue for covering such costs.

(e) The criteria and procedures proposed for evaluating and ranking projects in the Plan and for the allocation of transportation funds.

(f) Measures to best coordinate programs of local governments, transportation agencies, and State agencies to promote the goals and policies of the Regional Comprehensive Plan.

(g) Proposals for model ordinances and agreements that may be enacted by local governments.

(h) Recommendations for legislation as may be necessary to fully implement the Regional Comprehensive Plan.

(i) Developing components for regional functional issues including:

(1) A regional housing component that documents the needs for housing in the region and the extent to which private-sector and public-sector programs are meeting those needs; provides the framework for and facilitates planning for the housing needs of the region, including the need for affordable housing, especially as it relates to the location of such housing proximate to job sites, and develops sound strategies, programs and other actions to address the need for housing choice throughout the region.

(2) A regional freight component, the purpose of which is to create an efficient system of moving goods that supports economic growth of the region and sound regional and community development by identifying investments in freight facilities of regional, State, and national significance that will be needed to eliminate existing and forecasted bottlenecks and inefficiencies in the functioning of the region's freight network; recommending improvements in the operation and management of the freight network; and recommending policies to effect the efficient multi-modal movement of goods to, through, and from the region.

(3) A component for protecting and enhancing the environment and the region's natural resources the purpose of which is to improve the region's environmental health, quality of life, and community well-being by defining and protecting environmentally critical areas; encouraging development that does not harm environmentally critical areas; promoting sustainable land use and transportation practices and policies by local governments.

(4) Optionally, other regional components for services and facilities, including, but not limited to: water, sewer, transportation, solid waste, historic preservation, and flood control. Such plans shall provide additional goals, policies, guidelines, and supporting analyses that add detail, and are consistent with, the adopted Regional Comprehensive Plan.

(Source: P.A. 94-510, eff. 8-9-05; 95-677, eff. 10-11-07.)