Duckworth & Schakowsky Host Workshop To Encourage Chicagoland Economic, Infrastructure Improvements

Press Release

In an effort to help rebuild Illinois' infrastructure and improve the Chicagoland economy, the offices of Congresswomen Tammy Duckworth (IL-08) and Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) hosted a workshop in Mount Prospect today to provide municipal officials and local leaders the resources and information necessary to more effectively compete for large federal infrastructure grants. Federal infrastructure programs like the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) very competitive TIGER and FASTLANE grants can provide large infusions of funding to local governments, enabling them to undertake major redevelopment projects that can create hundreds or even thousands of good-paying area jobs while reinvigorating local and regional economies.

"A $14 million federal TIGER grant is already helping us rebuild Elgin's Fox River Bridge--a project that will spur local economic development, create good-paying jobs in the Eighth District, improve safety and save Illinois commuters thousands of hours in wasted time each year," said Congresswoman Duckworth, who led a Congressional coalition in sending a letter of support for the project to U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. "I was proud to support the Fox River proposal as it competed for these federal funds and will do everything I can to best position our communities to win similar funding in the months and years ahead."

In addition to Congresswoman Schakowsky, Mount Prospect Mayor Arlene Juracek and Robert Mariner, the Deputy Director of DOT's Office of Infrastructure Finance and Innovation, spoke at today's workshop. The workshop was attended by officials representing PACE, IDOT and municipalities around Chicagoland including Addison, Barrington, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Schaumburg and Villa Park. Deputy Director Mariner offered attendees guidance on best practices when applying for TIGER grants and answered several questions about technical aspects of the application process.

In October, Congresswoman Duckworth and Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced a $14 million TIGER Grant to Metra to replace the existing rail bridge over the Fox River in Elgin. A new double track bridge is expected to eliminate the bottleneck between freight rail and Metra's Milwaukee District -- West Line while upgrading technology that will allow for Positive Train Control (PTC) compliance.

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