Underwood, Bustos Lead Illinois Democratic Delegation in Urging Governor Pritzker, Illinois Department of Transportation to Prioritize Funding from Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for Critical District Projects
WASHINGTON— Today, Representatives Lauren Underwood (IL-14) and Cheri Bustos (IL-17) led the entire Illinois Democratic Congressional delegation in urging Governor Pritzker to prioritize Illinois Member Directed Projects (MDPs) for historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding.
The letter follows an effort by Rep. Underwood to secure federal funding for eight transportation and infrastructure projects in the 14th District of Illinois. $19.4 million in funding for these projects was advanced in the House-passed INVEST America Act in June 2021, and these projects are eligible for funding allocated in the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Members sent the letter to further advocate that federal funds that pass through the state be allocated to these projects.
"As we celebrate the enactment of the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), we urge you to prioritize our MDPs for IIJA funding to the maximum extent possible. The MDPs we selected represent the best of Illinois and meet many of our communities' most urgent transportation needs, from Galena to Naperville. Completion of these projects will make our state safer, stronger, greener, and more accessible. Local leaders have gone above and beyond to demonstrate deep and wide-ranging community support for these projects, and to ensure they are technically sound and integrated with long-term state and regional planning," Members wrote to Governor Pritzker.
A full copy of the letter can be found here and below. A list of the nine projects can be found here and below.
Below is the list of projects for which Rep. Underwood successfully secured funding:
PROJECT NAME: Algonquin Road (Various Intersections) and Wilmot Road at Main Street Intersection Improvements
LOCATION: Algonquin Road (Huntley, Lake in the Hills, Algonquin) and intersection of Wilmot & Main in Spring Grove, Illinois
PROJECT SPONSOR: McHenry County Division of Transportation
AMOUNT SECURED: $2,400,000
PROJECT NAME: Bliss Rd/Fabyan from Fabyan to Bliss Rd
LOCATION: Fabyan Parkway at Main Street, Geneva, Illinois 60134
PROJECT SPONSOR: Kane County
AMOUNT SECURED: $7,000,000
PROJECT NAME: DeKalb Traffic Signal Upgrades
LOCATION: City of DeKalb, Illinois 60115
PROJECT SPONSOR: City of DeKalb
AMOUNT SECURED: $570,000
PROJECT NAME: Fox River Regional Trail: Hoover Forest Preserve-Fox River Bluffs Connecting Trail Segment
LOCATION: Kendall County Forest Preserve District, Hoover and Fox River Bluffs Forest Preserves; Yorkville, Illinois 60560
PROJECT SPONSOR: Kendall County Forest Preserve District
AMOUNT SECURED: $240,000
PROJECT NAME: Main Street Reconstruction from Randall Road to Van Nortwick Avenue
LOCATION: Main Street, Batavia, Illinois 60510
PROJECT SPONSOR: City of Batavia
AMOUNT SECURED: $600,000
PROJECT NAME: US Route 20 and Reinking Road Roundabout
LOCATION: Northwest Elgin, Illinois at the municipal boundary between the City of Elgin and the Village of Pingree Grove, at the intersection of US Route 20/Oak Street and Reinking Road.
PROJECT SPONSOR: City of Elgin
AMOUNT SECURED: $1,200,000
PROJECT NAME: Wolfs Crossing Road from US 34 Chicago Road to Eola Road – Douglas Road Intersection
LOCATION: Wolfs Crossing at Douglas Road, Oswego, Illinois 60543
PROJECT SPONSOR: Village of Oswego, Illinois
AMOUNT SECURED: $1,205,500
PROJECT NAME: Woodstock Railyard Relocation & Expansion
LOCATION: Lamb Road at UPRR, Woodstock, Illinois 60098
PROJECT SPONSOR: County of McHenry, Illinois
AMOUNT SECURED: $4,000,000
PROJECT NAME: 143rd St from IL 59 to IL 126
LOCATION: 143rd St in Plainfield, Illinois 60544
PROJECT SPONSOR: Village of Plainfield, Illinois
AMOUNT SECURED: $2,500,000
Additional information on Underwood-sponsored projects in the 14th District can be found here.
In addition to Underwood and Bustos, the letter was signed by Representatives Bobby Rush (IL-01), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Marie Newman (IL-03), Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Sean Casten (IL-06), Danny Davis (IL-07), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Brad Schneider (IL-10), and Bill Foster (IL-11).
November 18, 2021
The Honorable J.B. Pritzker
Governor of Illinois
207 State House
Springfield, IL 62706
Dear Governor Pritzker,
Thank you to you and your staff for your assistance to our offices this year in helping identify outstanding Illinois Member Designated Projects (MDPs) through the House surface transportation reauthorization process. We are grateful for your leadership on infrastructure in Illinois through the Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan. Illinois is already investing in its infrastructure at historic levels and is now well-positioned to expand those investments with new federal funding. As we celebrate the enactment of the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), we urge you to prioritize our MDPs for IIJA funding to the maximum extent possible.
The MDPs we selected represent the best of Illinois and meet many of our communities' most urgent transportation needs, from Galena to Naperville. Completion of these projects will make our state safer, stronger, greener, and more accessible. Local leaders have gone above and beyond to demonstrate deep and wide-ranging community support for these projects, and to ensure they are technically sound and integrated with long-term state and regional planning. Our MDPs have also secured the backing of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the full House of Representatives, which voted to approve them on July 1, 2021.
As you know, decades of state and federal underinvestment have left Illinois's infrastructure in disrepair, undermining our ability to compete economically on the world stage. Your administration has tackled this issue straight on with the Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan, establishing Illinois as a leader on infrastructure revitalization. Now, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will bring nearly $17 billion to Illinois to improve our roads, bridges, highways, public transit, airports, broadband, and more. With the passage of IIJA, we can fast-track the priorities of the Rebuild Illinois Plan by directing this generational federal investment to best meet our state's infrastructure needs.
We believe that goal is best achieved by swift completion of our MDPs, and respectfully urge your prioritization of projects eligible for federal funding from IIJA to the maximum extent possible. Please let us know if your Administration needs any additional federal resources or authorities to help advance this goal. Thank you for your continued partnership as we work together on behalf of Illinois families.
Sincerely,
Rep. Lauren Underwood Rep. Cheri Bustos Rep. Mike Quigley
Rep. Danny K. Davis Rep. Bobby L. Rush Rep. Bill Foster
Rep. Robin L. Kelly Rep. Marie Newman Rep. Sean Casten
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi Rep. Bradley S. Schneider Rep. Jan Schakowsky
Rep. Jesús G. "Chuy" García