Title
METRA RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF A STATE OF ILLINOIS CAPITAL BILL
Body
WHEREAS, the State of Illinois has a critical need of a Capital Bill to fund transportation and infrastructure projects; and
WHEREAS, the State of Illinois has not had a Capital Bill since the FY 2010 Illinois Jobs Now! Capital Bill; and
WHEREAS, Metra operates 686 revenue trains every weekday on 11 lines through the six-county area, has 242 stations, nearly 500 route miles, and nearly 1,200 track miles; and
WHEREAS, Metra provides nearly 290,000 passenger trips each weekday; and 75.9 million trips projected annually; and
WHEREAS, Metra benefits citizens of Illinois by removing millions of automobile trips from arterial roads and expressways, thus reducing congestion and maintenance costs of the existing roadways and eliminating the need for the construction and maintenance of up to 27 additional expressway lanes and arterial roads; and
WHEREAS, Metra’s economic model determined 40 years ago is no longer sustainable due to decline in sales tax growth as a result of changing macroeconomics factors, budget cuts, the burden of funding increasing ADA transportation costs and largely unfunded federal mandates; and
WHEREAS, Metra has the oldest fleet and more than 800 bridges, over half of which are 100 or more years old resulting in a minimum need of $5 billion over the next five to seven years to buy new passenger cars; improve, rehabilitate or replace stations, adding warming shelters, locomotives and bridges; and to provide service enhancements on various existing Metra lines; and
WHEREAS, transit agencies have stressed to the General Assembly that funding is needed to keep their existing system in the State of Good Repair; and
WHEREAS, a significant way to relieve the financial needs of transit agencies and ensure that the transit system in the State of Illinois does not deteriorate further, a fully-funded capital bill dedicated to annual transportation funding is ne...
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