SB3045 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB095 21608 JAM 51641 b

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
SB3045

Introduced 5/31/2008, by Sen. Susan Garrett

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

20 ILCS 2705/2705-585 new

Amends the Department of Transportation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that, prior to funding any new or continuing surface transportation capital project, the Department of Transportation must establish certain prioritization procedures. Provides that the Department of Transportation must publish and furnish to the General Assembly a comprehensive project prioritization plan.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Department of Transportation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by adding Section 2705-585 as follows:

(20 ILCS 2705/2705-585 new)

Sec. 2705-585. Prioritization for surface transportation capital funding.

(a) In this Section:

"District" means the districts of the State of Illinois established by the Department for its administrative purposes and statutorily authorized activities.

"MPO" means a Metropolitan Planning Organization designated under 23 U.S.C. 134 whose metropolitan planning area boundaries are partially or completely within the State.

"Per capita cost/benefit" means a determination of the estimated cost of the project divided by the population affected by the project.

"Project" means any new or continuing surface transportation capital project (including but not limited to roadways, transit, rail, trails, walkways, bicycle trails, and intermodal facilities) financed in whole or in part by State funds.

"RPC" means a regional planning commission or joint regional planning commission established in accordance with Section 5-14001 or 5-14003 of the Counties Code.

"State transportation goals" means the following:

(1) Providing transportation system investments that improve passenger and freight mobility and maximize benefits to local, regional, and State economies and their economic competitiveness;

(2) Providing transportation investments that integrate proper land use planning and therefore improve the accessibility of individuals and businesses to housing, jobs and services;

(3) Increasing public safety, security, and quality of the environment by reducing per capita crash rates, particularly for the most vulnerable transportation users, by increasing use of less hazardous modes, and by reducing unhealthy emissions; and

(4) Ensuring efficient use of transportation resources by utilizing high capacity modes, demand management, and other technologies, and reducing per capita congestion delays.

"STIP" means the transportation improvement program each state must develop pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 135.

(b) Prior to funding any new or continuing surface transportation capital project, the Department shall:

(1) Establish no fewer than 5 and no more than 10 evaluation criteria for project prioritization derived from the State transportation goals;

(2) Establish a process for calculating a project's per capita cost/benefit;

(3) Establish a process for receiving and evaluating projects proposed by MPOs, RPCs, and Districts, provided such projects have first been evaluated and prioritized by the proposing entity considering the evaluation criteria and the process for calculating a project's per capita cost/benefit as established by the Department;

(4) Publish and furnish to the General Assembly a comprehensive project prioritization plan that:

(A) describes the evaluation criteria, per capita cost/benefit calculation, and prioritization process used by the Department;

(B) includes all of the projects submitted by each MPO, RPC, and District, as well any statewide projects proposed by the Department; and

(C) prioritizes all projects for State and federal funding using an objective scoring system based upon the evaluation criteria, and considering the project's per capita/cost benefit and use restrictions applicable to particular funding sources.

(c) Commencing in 2009 and in each year thereafter, the Department shall revise and update the comprehensive project prioritization plan described in item (4) of subsection (b) of this Section and publish and furnish such plan to the General Assembly as the annual project program for the highway, mass transportation, and railroad systems required to be developed by the Department pursuant to Section 2705-200 of the Civil Administrative Code. The comprehensive project prioritization plan shall serve as the basis for the Department's draft and final STIP. The draft and final STIP may not include any projects that were not included in the most recent comprehensive project prioritization plan. The Department's master plan and 5-year project programs published and delivered to the Governor and General Assembly in accordance with subsection (a) of Section 2705-200 of the Civil Administrative Code shall include an analysis of the 3 most recent comprehensive project prioritization plans, and shall identify priority transportation subsystems and critical system components based upon the prioritization and funding recommendations contained in the 3 most recent comprehensive project prioritization plans.