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SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Illinois has a competitive advantage over other
3 states with our extensive network of railroads that are the
4 envy of other states; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Our passenger train service is not up to par with
6 other states and a faint echo of the passenger train service
7 enjoyed by other Western nations; and
 
8     WHEREAS, The City of Chicago is a rail hub of the nation,
9 with dozens of different lines converging in downtown Chicago,
10 creating economic opportunities but also massive gridlock that
11 affects freight and passenger train service all over the State
12 of Illinois; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The CREATE (Chicago Region Environmental and
14 Transportation Efficiency) Program is a proposed $1.5-billion
15 modernization of the freight and passenger rail infrastructure
16 serving Chicago and northeast Illinois that will improve
17 passenger rail service, reduce freight rail and highway
18 congestion, eliminate numerous conflicts between rail and road
19 traffic, reduce motorist delays, and enhance safety; and
 
20     WHEREAS, The plan calls for creation of five rail corridors
21 through the city, including one primarily for passenger trains,
22 improvements at 33 grade crossings in the Chicago region, and
23 the opening of a key corridor in downtown Chicago for
24 commercial development; and
 
25     WHEREAS, The private railroad companies are contributing a
26 significant amount of funds to the project, along with the City
27 of Chicago and the federal government; and
 
28     WHEREAS, The federal government's share of the program has
29 not been appropriated or authorized; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, The State's $200 million investment in upgrading
2 the track between Chicago and St. Louis relies on the CREATE
3 Program to improve service from Joliet to Chicago; therefore,
4 be it
 
5     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL
6 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, That we call on the Congress
7 and the President to work to secure full funding for the CREATE
8 Program; and be it further
 
9     RESOLVED, That we call on the Congress and the President to
10 work to secure federal funding to complete the necessary
11 infrastructure work on the Chicago-Springfield-St. Louis
12 corridor; and be it further
 
13     RESOLVED, That we call on Governor Blagojevich to include
14 sufficient funding in the State's 2006 budget to increase
15 service on the Chicago-Springfield-St. Louis corridor from
16 three daily departures to five daily departures; and be it
17 further
 
18     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
19 delivered to the President of the United States, the President
20 pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, the Speaker of the U.S. House
21 of Representatives, each member of the Illinois congressional
22 delegation, and the Governor.