Quigley Announces More Than $200 Million in Federal Funding for Chicago Transportation
CHICAGO, IL – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), Ranking Member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, announced over $200 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Mega Program. With this federal funding, the Illinois Department of Transportation will receive $209,877,984 for the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program, aimed at reducing traffic delays, increasing rail junction safety, and improving mobility throughout Chicago. DOT’s Mega Grant Program provides federal funding for large projects of regional significance and is funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
“This funding announcement is critical to helping CREATE in their mission to improve rail operations in Chicago for both passengers and freight. As the Ranking Member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, I have an in-depth understanding of the needs facing our freight, commuter, and intercity passenger rail,” said Quigley. “Luckily, the CREATE Program has stepped up to the task and broken ground on numerous rail improvement projects throughout the region. In May, I visited their Forest Hill Flyover site, where I witnessed firsthand the efficiency and safety improvements CREATE is making. From adjacent neighborhoods to the nation's supply chain, I know that the benefits of this funding will extend far beyond Chicago’s city limits.”
The CREATE Program brings together the City of Chicago, the State of Illinois, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Metra, Amtrak, and the nation’s freight railroads in a partnership to eliminate transit bottlenecks, boost the economy, and improve overall safety of the Chicagoland area. Today’s announced funding will advance the 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project, a three-mile elevated rail corridor on Chicago’s South Side, which approximately 90 freight trains and 30 Metra commuter trains use daily. In 2018, Quigley worked to secure $132 million through the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program to help get the project off the ground. The project will reconfigure track segments and signals at Belt Junction, add a third track to the Norfolk Southern line, replace and restore 14 aging bridge and viaduct structures, and implement mobility improvements on surface streets throughout the corridor. In addition to the creation of the 75th Street Flyover, the 75th Street Corridor Project includes the 71st Street Grade Separation, Belt Junction and 80th Street Junction Replacements, and Rock Island Connection projects.