Clock Ticking For Illinois On Stimulus Cash For Transit

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Mar 4, 2009 6:20PM

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has issued a heads up to his former legislative home state of Illinois, warning the state that time is running out for them to submit their transit project list in order to receive money from the recently passed stimulus bill. Said LaHood, "The law requires us to get the money out the door very quickly...we have not received a list from the state or from Chicago." Illinois is in line to receive $935 million from the stimulus package with $429 million of that designated for transit projects. As outlined in the stimulus legislation, the deadline for applying for bridge, highway, and transit funding is Tuesday, March 10.

Illinois would not be eligible to receive any money until the General Assembly approves a special appropriation totaling $693 million to cover contracts for the first round of stimulus projects in the spring, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. Once the money is spent, the federal government would reimburse the state...

The transit projects must first be approved by the transportation committee of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, which plans to vote on the projects Friday, said Diane Palmer, spokeswoman for the Regional Transportation Authority. Then, the CTA, Metra and Pace must file applications to the Federal Transit Administration, she said.

IDOT spokeswoman Marisa Kollias said the department's list would be sent, "after our public comment period closes at the end of business [Tuesday]." Mayor Daley remains mum on what he wants for Chicago, but we're sure the word "Olympics" is in there somewhere.