September 21, 2017

Duckworth, Durbin Announce $100 Million in Federal Funding to Upgrade Public Transit in Chicago

 

[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $100 million in federal funding to support the Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) Red and Purple Modernization (RPM) Program and improve accessibility and safety on CTA public transit. This funding comes through the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Capital Investment Program (CIP), which provides roughly $2.3 billion each year to support light rail, heavy rail, commuter rail, streetcar and bus rapid transit projects. The Trump Administration's proposed budget would eliminate the CIP grant program and the TIGER grant program, putting infrastructure projects throughout Illinois and the jobs they create at risk.

"Rebuilding Chicago's public transit systems isn't just about improving the work commute for hardworking Chicagoans - it's also about creating good-paying jobs and growing the local economy," said Senator Duckworth. "The CTA's Red and Purple Modernization Program is critical to improving the city's infrastructure, and this grant funding has never been more important given the fact that the President has pushed for an extreme budget proposal that would eliminate all future federal funding for transit capital investment projects. That's unacceptable. I'm proud to announce this investment in Chicagoland infrastructure with Senator Durbin and I'll keep working to modernize transportation systems in every corner of our state."

"Continuing to invest in Chicago's transportation infrastructure creates jobs, revitalizes neighborhoods, and strengthens our local economy. Our city's future depends on our ability to improve our existing infrastructure to meet new demands. This grant funding will do just that by ensuring the CTA's aging infrastructure can keep pace with the growing demand for its services," said Senator Durbin. "With a budget that slashed transportation investments, President Trump has made his hostility to upgrading our public transportation systems clear. Senator Duckworth and I will not stop working to bring Illinois' public transit infrastructure into the 21st century."

As a member of two Senate committees with jurisdiction over our nation's transportation systems and infrastructure projects, Duckworth has been a vocal advocate for infrastructure investments and for upgrading our public transit systems, which create good-paying jobs in Illinois. Duckworth recently rode the CTA Blue Line in Chicago with representatives from a local disability rights organization to underscore the need for investments to achieve the goal of 100 percent compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) across the entire CTA system. She also attended the groundbreaking of a new rail car facility in Chicago that has committed to hiring 170 workers to assemble 400 new rail cars by 2020 for the Chicago Transit Authority. In February, Duckworth hosted a roundtable with a number of elected officials, local leaders and officials representing local and regional transportation agencies around Chicagoland to discuss her efforts to ensure Illinois receives adequate funding from the federal government to rebuild and modernize state infrastructure and transportation systems.