HR1278 LRB095 21038 AJO 50593 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Illinois has 140,287 miles of State and local
3 roads, making it the third largest network in the nation; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Due to a lack of construction funding, the State
5 is unable to adequately maintain its highways and bridges and
6 Illinois is now on track for reaching a record high 3,450 bad
7 miles of roads by FY2013; since FY 2003, the number of
8 structurally deficient bridges in Illinois has increased by 30%
9 and the miles of bad roads in need of maintenance have
10 increased by over 40%; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Road and bridge maintenance is essential in
12 preserving the safety of Illinois motorists; yet, according to
13 the latest National Bridge Inventory from the Federal Highway
14 Administration, 2,449 of Illinois' 29,903 bridges are rated
15 "structurally deficient"; and
 
16     WHEREAS, Chicago drivers are ranked second in the nation
17 for the longest daily commuting travel time, and each Chicago
18 motorist spends about 46 hours in traffic delays annually,
19 wasting 32 gallons of fuel; and
 
20     WHEREAS, Congestion relief projects are necessary in
21 cutting back on commute times and increasing safety; yet 59 of

 

 

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1 the 106 miles for congestion relief projects have been deferred
2 for more than 5 years; and
 
3     WHEREAS, The Regional Transportation Authority is
4 considered the second largest public transportation system in
5 North America and provides more than 2 million rides daily; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Mass transit is seen as an alternative to
7 gridlocked roadways and long drives to work; however, about
8 one-fifth of Metra's rail network are "slow zones" which
9 require trains to travel slower than usual so as not to disrupt
10 the crumbling infrastructure along the track; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Bus breakdowns and maintenance result in missed
12 routes and delays; industry standards suggest buses should be
13 renovated after 6 years and replaced after 12 years of service,
14 yet the CTA operates over 500 buses that have been in operation
15 for more than 16 years and log an average of 580,000 miles; and
 
16     WHEREAS, It has been more than 5 years since the State last
17 awarded school construction grants, and 23 schools from the
18 FY02 Entitlement List continue to wait for $150 million in
19 construction grants; and
 
20     WHEREAS, The school construction program has proven to be
21 successful in providing Illinois students with a safe learning

 

 

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1 environment while providing communities with property tax
2 relief; therefore, be it
 
3     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
4 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
5 the House of Representatives supports adoption of a capital
6 program in the 2008 session of the 95th General Assembly; and
7 be it further
 
8     RESOLVED, That in order to maintain faith with taxpayers
9 and user-fee payers, the 2009 capital program shall include
10 restoration of the integrity of the Road Fund and Highway
11 Construction Fund by assuring that revenues generated from the
12 State's motor fuel taxes and vehicle license fees shall be
13 dedicated to road and bridge construction funds; and be it
14 further
 
15     RESOLVED, That revenue produced to fund the capital program
16 shall be deposited directly into a capital infrastructure fund
17 and will not be diverted to finance any other governmental
18 expenditures; and be it further
 
19     RESOLVED, That a Statewide capital program will ensure that
20 no less than $3 billion is allocated each year for the next 5
21 years to the construction, repair, replacement and maintenance
22 of roads and bridges; and be it further
 

 

 

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1     RESOLVED, That a new Public Transportation Construction
2 Fund will be established, that such Fund shall ensure that no
3 less than $2 billion is allocated over 3 years to the
4 construction, repair, replacement and maintenance of the
5 public transportation networks, facilities and equipment, and
6 that moneys in the Fund shall not be diverted to finance other
7 governmental expenses; and be it further
 
8     RESOLVED, That an annual audit of the Road, Highway
9 Construction and Public Transportation Funds be conducted by
10 the Auditor General and a report of findings be filed with the
11 General Assembly each year; and be it further
 
12     RESOLVED, That in order to meet the facilities needs of the
13 education systems of Illinois for new or rehabilitated
14 facilities, no less than $500 million will be allocated for
15 school construction grants in each of the next 3 years so that,
16 in combination with the 50% local match, a total of $3 billion
17 will be made available to provide construction and repair of
18 buildings located on the campuses of public schools, community
19 colleges, and universities.