Advancing the Green Economy in the Transportation and Logistics (T&L) Sector of Northeast Illinois

New report maps trends in the region’s transportation and logistics sector and explores approaches to equitable transition

The Voorhees Center is pleased to announce the release of a new report, The Green Economy in the Transportation and Logistics Sector of Northeast Illinois. The report examines how electric vehicles (EVs), warehousing & logistics, and transit fleet electrification are reshaping jobs, infrastructure, and opportunity across Chicagoland. The analysis offers equity-focused strategies to advance clean transportation, guide smart investment, and expand inclusive workforce opportunities. Read the full report.

What the report covers

• Electric Vehicles & Charging Infrastructure: State and federal initiatives, along with the steady rise in EVs, demonstrate why fair access to charging matters. Illinois is still behind on its 2030 goals, and the current charging network does not meet needs. Tract-level maps make the gaps easy to see, especially on Chicago’s South Side and in southern Cook County. A practical near-term fix is to add sites in population-dense cold spots and match the charger type to how people park and travel. Stronger training pipelines and support for workers is required to turn this transition into good local jobs. Explore the EV Charging Infrastructure Dashboard to see distribution and accessibility.
• Green Opportunities & Jobs in Warehousing & Logistics: The warehousing and storage sector has enormous potential to reduce climate impacts and expand job opportunities. Location decisions, vehicle operations, renewable energy integration, and facility upgrades can support a transition to more sustainable and inclusive logistics systems. Spatial analysis identified several clusters of employment that present opportunities to connect jobs to underserved communities, and highlights employment cold spots. The report is accompanied by a Warehousing and Storage Dashboard that visualizes job clusters and hot and cold spots.
• Transit Vehicle Electrification: The section compares CTA’s bus electrification and Pace’s zero-emission plans, including timelines, technology, funding, and workforce needs. CTA’s battery electric transition lowers operating costs but requires higher near-term capital while cutting greenhouse gases and pollutants. Pace pursues a zero-emission pathway with flexibility for future fuel cell buses while scaling battery electric units now. Recent grants expand fleets, but long-term progress depends on competitive funding and sequencing depot retrofits, chargers, and grid upgrades. This work creates local construction and electrical jobs and requires upskilling as operations and maintenance evolve.

Why this study matters: Modernizing T&L is essential to meet climate goals and connect residents to quality jobs. The analysis links infrastructure to everyday routines: where people live, work, and travel. These investments improve air quality, expand opportunities, and deliver a just transition across the region.