Illinois' top officials -- from Senator Dick Durbin to Governor Pat Quinn to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel -- had reason to celebrate, Monday.
The state won $44 million in investment capital from a federal agency (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery or TIGER) for three projects:
- $20 million will help fund a 3.6 mile revamp of the Chicago Transit Authority's Blue Line, complete a track improvements between O'Hare and Downtown, and provide capitol for a bike share program.
- $13.8 million will go toward a multimodal transportation center in Alton, Illinois.
- $10.5 million will go toward reconstruction of Illinois Route 83 between Kedzie and Western Avenues.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel released a statement following the announcement.
“Chicago is a city on the move,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Revitalizing and modernizing our infrastructure is critical to creating jobs, maintaining our competitiveness, and enhancing the quality of life of residents throughout the city. I want to thank Senator Durbin, Representative Luis Gutierrez and the Illinois delegation for their support and recognizing that this TIGER grant will help ensure we provide a solid foundation for the city’s future.”
Senator Durbin called it a win for Illinois.
“Illinois has benefitted greatly from the TIGER grant program due to the hard work of local officials and organizations in close coordination with the state and federal government. These investments will create hundreds of good-paying jobs across our state,” he said.
