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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning is | ||||||
3 | currently updating its GOTO2040 master plan as part of a | ||||||
4 | federally-required mid-decade update; and
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5 | WHEREAS, A new initiative for first-class passenger rail | ||||||
6 | service called Crossrail Chicago has emerged which would, for | ||||||
7 | the first time, connect Metra route lines together, knitting | ||||||
8 | together the Chicagoland region; and
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9 | WHEREAS, Crossrail Chicago would allow for downstate | ||||||
10 | Amtrak service to connect directly with O'Hare International | ||||||
11 | Airport; and | ||||||
12 | WHEREAS, Metra currently runs 11 separate lines, each of | ||||||
13 | which terminates in downtown Chicago; these lines do not travel | ||||||
14 | through downtown Chicago, which would be far more efficient; | ||||||
15 | and
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16 | WHEREAS, Union Station has 2 tracks that travel through the | ||||||
17 | station that are not currently used, but could be used for | ||||||
18 | Metra or Amtrak service; and | ||||||
19 | WHEREAS, Northeast Illinois has long suffered from a | ||||||
20 | jobs-housing mismatch, where tens of thousands of entry-level |
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1 | jobs in and around O'Hare airport and the northwest suburbs | ||||||
2 | struggle to be filled, while tens of thousands of residents of | ||||||
3 | the south side and south suburbs struggle to find employment; | ||||||
4 | and
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5 | WHEREAS, Current public transportation between the south | ||||||
6 | suburbs and the south side of Chicago and the northwest suburbs | ||||||
7 | is a long, laborious journey involving transfers between buses | ||||||
8 | and rail, creating a greater barrier to full employment in the | ||||||
9 | region; and
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10 | WHEREAS, This initiative is consistent with the long-term | ||||||
11 | vision for northeastern Illinois set forth by the Chicago | ||||||
12 | Metropolitan Agency for Planning; and
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13 | WHEREAS, Crossrail Chicago could connect Rockford, Elgin, | ||||||
14 | Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, and O'Hare | ||||||
15 | through Union Station to McCormick Place, Hyde Park, Homewood, | ||||||
16 | University Park, the south suburban airport, Kankakee, and | ||||||
17 | Champaign-Urbana in one electrified track; and
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18 | WHEREAS, There is an opportunity to build a new train | ||||||
19 | station at O'Hare Airport as part of the consolidated rental | ||||||
20 | car facility currently out for bid that can connect to the | ||||||
21 | extended people-mover and existing Metra service on the North | ||||||
22 | Central District line; and |
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1 | WHEREAS, The new electrified line of Crossrail Chicago | ||||||
2 | would be located largely on publicly-owned rights-of-way and | ||||||
3 | could bring tremendous economic benefits to the region and | ||||||
4 | State; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Crossrail Chicago would allow for a direct train | ||||||
6 | ride between O'Hare Airport and McCormick Place, the | ||||||
7 | continent's largest convention facility; and | ||||||
8 | WHEREAS, Metra service along the Metra Electric line from | ||||||
9 | University Park to McCormick Place could be significantly | ||||||
10 | improved through the Crossrail Chicago initiative; and
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11 | WHEREAS, Using existing elevated tracks along 16th Street | ||||||
12 | could connect Metra Electric tracks, Metra Rock Island tracks, | ||||||
13 | and Union Station; and | ||||||
14 | WHEREAS, Crossrail Chicago can also serve as the trunk of a | ||||||
15 | Midwest high-speed rail network, which would bring millions of | ||||||
16 | people together into one stronger economic unit; therefore, be | ||||||
17 | it
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18 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
19 | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
20 | we urge the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning to include |
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1 | Crossrail Chicago in its list of fiscally unconstrained | ||||||
2 | projects as consistent with the GOTO2040 vision; and be it | ||||||
3 | further
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4 | RESOLVED, That we urge the Illinois Department of | ||||||
5 | Transportation, Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority, and the | ||||||
6 | Chicago Department of Aviation to support the inclusion of | ||||||
7 | Crossrail Chicago as part of GOTO2040's mid-decade update as a | ||||||
8 | project on the fiscally unconstrained list as consistent with | ||||||
9 | the long-term plans of those agencies; and be it further | ||||||
10 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
11 | delivered to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, the | ||||||
12 | Illinois Department of Transportation, Metra, the Chicago | ||||||
13 | Transit Authority, and the Chicago Department of Aviation.
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