Bill Text: IL HR0679 | 2013-2014 | 98th General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Urges the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, the Illinois Department of Transportation, Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority and the Chicago Department of Aviation to include Crossrail Chicago in its list of fiscally unconstrained projects as consistent with the GOTO2040 vision, making the projects of Crossrail Chicago eligible for federal funds.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2014-12-03 - Session Sine Die [HR0679 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2013-HR0679-Introduced.html

---

HR0679 LRB098 14555 GRL 49328 r
HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning is
currently updating its GOTO2040 master plan as part of a
federally-required mid-decade update; and
WHEREAS, A new initiative for first-class passenger rail
service called Crossrail Chicago has emerged which would, for
the first time, connect Metra route lines together, knitting
together the Chicagoland region; and
WHEREAS, Metra currently runs 11 separate lines, each of
which terminates in downtown Chicago; these lines do not travel
through downtown Chicago, a route which would be far more
efficient; and
WHEREAS, Northeast Illinois has long suffered from a
jobs-housing mismatch, where tens of thousands of entry-level
jobs in and around O'Hare airport and the northwest suburbs
struggle to be filled, while tens of thousands of residents of
the south side and south suburbs struggle to find employment;
and
WHEREAS, Current public transportation between the south
suburbs and the south side of Chicago and the northwest suburbs
is a long, laborious journey involving transfers between buses

HR0679 - 2 - LRB098 14555 GRL 49328 r
and rail, creating a greater barrier to full employment in the
region; and
WHEREAS, This initiative is consistent with the long-term
vision for northeastern Illinois set forth by the Chicago
Metropolitan Agency for Planning; and
WHEREAS, Crossrail Chicago could connect Rockford, Elgin,
Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, and O'Hare
through Union Station to McCormick Place, Hyde Park, Homewood,
University Park, the south suburban airport, Kankakee, and
Champaign-Urbana in one electrified track; and
WHEREAS, The new electrified line of Crossrail Chicago
would be located largely on publicly-owned rights-of-way and
could bring tremendous economic benefits to the region and
State; and
WHEREAS, Metra service along the Metro Electric Line from
University Park to McCormick Place could be significantly
improved through the Crossrail Chicago initiative; and
WHEREAS, Crossrail Chicago can also serve as the trunk of a
Midwest high-speed rail network, which would bring millions of
people together into one stronger economic unit; therefore, be
it

HR0679 - 3 - LRB098 14555 GRL 49328 r
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
we urge the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning to include
Crossrail Chicago in its list of fiscally unconstrained
projects as consistent with the GOTO2040 vision, making the
projects of Crossrail Chicago eligible for federal funds; and
be it further
RESOLVED, That we urge the Illinois Department of
Transportation, Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority, and the
Chicago Department of Aviation to support the inclusion of
Crossrail Chicago as part of GOTO2040's mid-decade update as a
project on the fiscally unconstrained list as consistent with
the long-term plans of those agencies; and be it further
RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
delivered to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, the
Illinois Department of Transportation, Metra, the Chicago
Transit Authority, and the Chicago Department of Aviation.