Cook County Presents Freight Plan for Region

Plan Designed to Relieve Congestion and Spur Economic Development

The Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways presented the County’s Freight Plan at the Cook County Board Meeting today. Under the leadership of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, the County is spearheading efforts to ensure the region remains North America’s freight capital, spurring the County’s economy and creating jobs. 

The Freight Plan takes an in-depth look at the current performance of the freight system in the County and provides an action plan to implement policy, program and project recommendations.

“Cook County is North America’s freight capital. As our economy continues to transform, government plays a vital role in ensuring that our infrastructure remains a strong foundation for continued job growth and prosperity for our residents,” President Preckwinkle said.

The plan emphasizes the elimination of the County’s biggest bottlenecks and use of vacant and underutilized land to grow its role as a freight center. The County will take a leadership role in advocating at the federal and state levels for freight policies that support the region’s role as an international freight center. 

Approximately $1.5 trillion in goods move by road, rail, air water and pipeline in Cook County. Twenty-seven percent of jobs in the County are in freight-dependent industries, producing 56 percent of the County’s economic output. By 2022, an estimated 17,000 jobs will be added in the County in the transportation and material-moving industries.

The Freight Plan supports Connecting Cook County, the County’s Long Range Transportation Plan. For more information, visit www.ConnectingCookCounty.org.