The region will improve its efficiency in moving people and goods.

The proportion of homes built within two miles of rail stations fell in all six counties between 1990 and 1995 from pre-1990 levels. In Will County, only 18% of new homes are within two miles of rail, compared to 35% built before 1990. Kane also experienced a sharp decline, from a pre-1990 level of 57% to 27%.

Approximately 46% of all housing built before 1990 is within walking distance (i.e. one-half mile) of a Metra or CTA train station. Between 1990 and 1995, only 9% of new houses were constructed within one-half mile of rail stations. Proximity of new housing to rail stations affects the feasibility and ridership potential for rail transit, which is considered an integral component of metropolitan transportation systems.

This indicator is limited by the lack of available data since 1995. Newer data and additional analysis of changing population densities would show how well the region is anticipating population growth, siting its rail infrastructure and influencing development patterns.

New jobs added to the region from 1990 to 1995 were less likely to be within a one-half mile walking distance of a Metra or CTA station. In 1990, about 49% of jobs were within that distance, but by 1995, the share of total jobs close to rail stations had dropped to 46%. Only Kane and Will Counties were reversing that trend. Kane County added slightly more than 33,000 jobs from 1990 to 1995, with more than 11,000 of them near transit. Will County added 32,000 jobs with slightly more than 4,000 near transit. Efficient land use near rail stations is a measure of that area’s potential for continued job growth, since rail can bring more people into and out of an area than roads and automobiles.