About
Region 1 Planning Council (R1) provides collaborative planning services to local governments. R1’s planning jurisdiction encompasses the Rockford Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA), which covers portions of Winnebago, Boone, and Ogle counties.
While core planning activities are those required by the R1’s designation as a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), a wide variety of services are available, such as long-range transportation planning, travel demand modeling, transit planning, and land use planning.
How R1 Supports the Region's Transportation Network
Federally Required Planning
R1 is responsible for several federally required planning activities, including:
- Unified Work Program (UWP), which outlines the planning tasks for each fiscal year
- Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), a long-range plan typically covering 20+ years
- Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), a plan listing short-term projects that align the region’s transportation system with federal goals and obligations.
The UWP identifies the planning priorities and activities the MPO will conduct within a metropolitan area during the fiscal year (July 1 - June 30). These activities are funded with federal, state, and local resources.
The TIP contains all planned improvements to the surface transportation system.
Title VI ensures that the transportation planning process is conducted without discrimination. R1 is committed to full and fair participation in transportation decision-making without regard to race, color, or national origin. This commitment includes meaningful access to programs and activities for persons with limited English proficiency.
Environmental Justice (EJ) builds on to Title VI by considering the planning impacts for low-income and minority populations.
Title VI Non-Discrimination Procedure
Title VI Considerations for Rockford Metropolitan Planning Organization
This plan describes the policies and procedures that R1 will follow in involving the public and transportation stakeholders in planning and programming.
The MTP is the MPO’s guiding document. It lays out the goals and objectives for a safe and efficient multimodal transportation system over the next 20 years. It incorporates a wide range of community and technical input to meet the needs of citizens, business, and industries for decades to come.
2050+ MTP for the Rockford Region
The Annual Listing of Obligated Projects lists all projects within the MPA that received dedicated federal funds in the prior fiscal year. MPOs are required to provide this list for all projects on the Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) that receive federal funding.
The Transportation System Management & Operations Plan analyzes how the current transportation system is functioning, particularly with respect to congestion, and provide strategies to improve its efficiency, reliability, and transit choices.
Supportive Services
Beyond federally required planning, R1 also provides technical assistance to local governments. This includes efforts that:
- Support multimodal transportation (e.g., bike lanes, pedestrian pathways)
- Address environmental concerns (e.g. reducing emissions to improve air quality)
- Manage developments or infrastructure projects.
R1 offers expertise in public engagement, data analysis, and best practices to ensure transportation projects are technically sound, community-informed, and aligned with regional goals. Data-driven reports help local leaders make decisions based on real trends and challenges.
Active Transportation
Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan for the Rockford Metropolitan Area (2023)
Complete Streets
Complete Streets Design Guidelines (2024)
Feasibility Studies
Parking
Parking Reimagined (2025)
Greenways Planning
Greenways Plan for Boone, Winnebago, and Ogle Counties (2021)
4-1-2024 Rockford Passenger Rail Study
2-10-2023 Belvidere Rail Siting Analysis
9-14-2022 Belvidere Passenger Rail Virtual Public Engagement - Zoom Recording
9-14-2022 Belvidere Passenger Rail Virtual Public Engagement - Presentation Slides
2019 Rockford Passenger Rail Study
NICTI
2009 Results of the Northern Illinois Commuter Transportation Initiative Survey (NICTI)
Regional Freight Rail Site Feasibility Study for Southern Winnebago County (2023)
Regional Freight Study for the Rockford Region (2023)
Regional Freight Rail Site Feasibility Study for Southern Winnebago County (2015)
Congestion Mitigation
Transportation System Management & Operations Plan (2023)
Resiliency & Redundancy
Transportation Resiliency Study (2023)
Traffic Safety
Other Resources
For more information, contact Tim Verbeke, Director of Planning, at tverbeke@r1planning.org
or 608-313-4785.