Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation Recognizes CINCO for Infrastructure Innovation
CINCO Joins Other Regional Leaders to Celebrate Advances in Clean Fleets, Infrastructure, Education, and Community Engagement at Annual IACT Awards
Contact:
Civic Infrastructure Collaborative | Innovate@InfrastructureForward.org
Click here for the Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation press release.
Chicago, IL: In its annual sustainable transportation award ceremony on December 11, the Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation (IACT) recognized Civic Infrastructure Collaborative (CINCO) for its work with cross-sector partners on the Millennium Gateway EV Charging Hub in downtown Chicago.
IACT applauded CINCO and Millennium Garages for their commitment to innovation in infrastructure, awarding the underground parking complex its prestigious Infrastructure Innovation Award. Operating as a public-private partnership with the City of Chicago, Millennium Garages has emerged as a regional and national leader in energy efficiency, electric vehicle (EV) charging, and multi-modal mobility.
Spanning 12 square city blocks adjacent to Chicago’s central business district, Millennium Garages serves as a pivotal hub for residents, commuters, visitors, and businesses alike. Since the enactment of Illinois’ Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), Millennium Garages has prioritized energy efficiency, earning recognition as Illinois’ Largest Public EV Charging Hub. Boasting 100 level 2 charging ports, it stands as the Midwest’s premier public EV charging facility.
“We are thrilled to honor Millennium Garages for its transformative contributions to sustainable urban mobility,” says Samantha Bingham, co-coordinator for the Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation. “Their commitment to electric vehicle infrastructure aligns seamlessly with our collective goals for a cleaner, greener future.”
In partnership with CINCO, ComEd, and multiple EV charging platforms, Millennium Garages is pioneering replicable and scalable models for EV infrastructure planning. The parking complex is actively exploring grid-connected batteries, demand response, and other initiatives to enhance electric grid reliability. Beginning Q4 2023, 25% of Millennium Garages’ electricity will be sourced from certified renewable wind energy, ensuring that EV charging is powered by clean energy.
Millennium Garages engages the community through awareness campaigns, leveraging email newsletters, green EV charging lighting, and EV charging hub tours/events. The Millennium Gateway Innovation Lab, launched in 2020, serves as a cross-sector consortium exploring new uses for urban parking facilities through technology and innovation.
The EV Charging Testbed, a joint effort with Civic Infrastructure Collaborative, and SP+ has proven successful, resulting in the funding of an expansion project to increase EV charging stations to 100+.
The outcome, as reflected in 2023 metrics, includes 19,500 charging sessions, 410 MwH of energy dispensed, and a significant environmental impact, avoiding 260 metric tons of CO2 and enabling 1.3 million EV miles traveled.
CINCO executive director Jamie Ponce receives the Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation's annual award for Infrastructure Innovation.
About Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation
Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation (IACT), formerly known as Chicago Area Clean Cities, is one of more than 75 coalitions across the country affiliated with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program. IACT's mission is to advance energy, economic, and environmental security of the U.S. by supporting the reduction of petroleum consumption. IACT brings together stakeholders to reduce emissions in the transportation sector through the use of zero-emission and low-emission vehicles.
Learn more at https://il-act.org/about/.
About Millennium Garages
Millennium Garages is a publicly owned, privately operated infrastructure joint venture that spans 3.8 million square feet in downtown Chicago. Under an exclusive, long-term operating concession, Millennium Garages is using technology and business partnerships to expand its role as a transportation gateway to downtown Chicago. With more than 9,000 parking spaces in four adjacent facilities, Millennium Garages offers daily, monthly, and long-term parking for Chicago commuters, residents, visitors, and fleet customers.
Learn more at www.MillenniumGarages.com.
About Civic Infrastructure Collaborative
Civic Infrastructure Collaborative drives public value from core urban infrastructure through cross-sector partnership and technology-enabled innovation. As a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, the Collaborative uses a proven methodology to identify, develop, deploy, and scale inclusive infrastructure solutions. We help infrastructure asset owners, operators, public officials, technology providers, and other stakeholders to deliver economic, social, and environmental returns for the communities they serve.
Learn more at www.InfrastructureForward.org.
About the Millennium Gateway Innovation Lab
The Millennium Gateway Innovation Lab envisions urban parking real estate as a gateway to other transportation modes and commerce. Launched in partnership with Millennium Garages, SP+, Arrive, the National Parking Association, the International Parking & Mobility Institute, and the City of Chicago, the Lab pursues scalable solutions to expand access to public transit and other mobility options, enable smart infrastructure management, and demonstrate other value-added space uses.
Share this article:
©2021 Civic Infrastructure Collaborative.
All rights reserved.