Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Transportation and Infrastructure
Durbin Announces Senate Approval of His Legislation to Improve Mississippi River Management and Extreme Weather Response
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that his legislation to bolster efforts to maintain commercial river traffic during droughts and floods was approved by the U.S. Senate as part of the Water Resources Development Act of 2013. Specifically, the legislation would authorize a study of the entire Mississippi River Basin, for the first time ever, in order to help better understand how the Basin functions as a system and how it can best be managed in order to mainta… Continue Reading
05.15.13
Durbin: Senate Passes WRDA Bill That Invests in Illinois Priorities and Will Make Us Better Prepared for Droughts, Floods
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today said that the Water Resources Development Act of 2013 that the U.S. Senate passed earlier today by a strong bipartisan vote of 83-14 invests in Illinois priorities and will make Illinois and the Midwest better prepared for extreme weather events like droughts and floods. "This legislation is important to the commerce that moves on the Mississippi River, the Illinois River and other Illinois waterways; to those communities and towns … Continue Reading
05.10.13
Durbin Announces Illinois Control Towers Previously Slated for Closure Will Remain Open
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has confirmed to him that control towers at five Illinois airports - St. Louis Regional Airport, Central Illinois Regional Airport, Decatur Airport, Southern Illinois Airport and Waukegan Regional Airport - will remain open. The control towers were previously scheduled to close on June 15, 2013 due to the impact of mandatory spending cuts, known as sequestration. Last month, Co… Continue Reading
05.07.13
Durbin Meets with Champaign County Officials to Discuss Local Priorities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with leaders from Champaign County First who were in Washington, D.C. for their annual fly-in to discuss local economic development and transportation priorities, including job-creating high speed rail and road construction projects. A photo from today's meeting is available here. Attendees at today's meeting included: Champaign Mayor Don Gerard, Champaign County Board President Alan Kurtz, Champaign Councilman Tom Bruno, Village … Continue Reading
05.02.13
Durbin: Court Ruling Will Clear the Air for Amtrak and Metra Passengers at Union Station
[CHICAGO] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today applauded U.S. Federal Court Judge Harry Leinenweber's approval of a Consent Decree that requires the owner of the former main Chicago Post Office, International Property Developers (IPD), to operate all the exhaust fans "seven (7) days a week, twenty-four (24) hours a day" to provide ventilation for the tracks at Union Station in Chicago. The Consent Decree also allows regular inspections by Amtrak, which owns the station through its Chicago Un… Continue Reading
03.29.13
Durbin, Schneider Announce Nearly One Million in Funding for Waukegan Harbor Dredging
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (IL-10) today announced that the Army Corps of Engineers has awarded $990,000 in funding for dredging in Waukegan Harbor to clean up shoaling caused by Hurricane Sandy and allow the Harbor to reopen to navigation. The funding was awarded as part of the $821 million approved for the Army Corps of Engineers in the supplemental appropriations bill to aid victims of Hurricane Sandy and to rebuild the areas t… Continue Reading
03.22.13
Durbin Statement on FAA Announcement of Illinois Air Control Tower Closings Decision
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today issued the following statement in reaction to the Federal Aviation Administration's announcement that air traffic control towers at five Illinois airports - St. Louis Regional Airport, Central Illinois Regional Airport, Decatur Airport, Southern Illinois Airport and Waukegan Regional Airport - will close starting April 7, 2013. "There are many in Congress still arguing that the spending cuts due to sequestration won't make a differen… Continue Reading
03.19.13
Durbin Meets with Illinois Corn Growers to Discuss Mississippi River Navigation and Other Agricultural Priorities
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with members of the Illinois Corn Growers Association (ICGA) to discuss bipartisan, bicameral legislation he introduced last week that would help the Army Corps of Engineers better maintain navigation on the Mississippi River during extreme weather and improve the nation's water infrastructure through public-private partnerships. Both bills were endorsed by the ICGA earlier today. At a speech today to members of the national Waterways … Continue Reading
03.14.13
Durbin, Enyart, Davis Introduce Bill to Protect Jobs by Improving Mississippi River Management and Responsiveness to Extreme Weather
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Responding to the recent record low water levels along the Mississippi River that threatened navigation and Southern Illinois commerce, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Representative Bill Enyart (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Rodney Davis (R-IL) today introduced bipartisan legislation that would bolster efforts to maintain commercial river traffic during droughts and floods while minimizing the economic toll on Southern Illinois. "We came close to economic catastro… Continue Reading
03.13.13
Durbin Meets with Chatham Mayor to Discuss Local Transportation Priorities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) met today with Chatham Mayor Tom Gray and City Manager Del McCord to discuss local transportation and infrastructure priorities. "I was pleased to welcome Chatham's mayor Tom Gray and city manager Del McCord to Washington today to discuss the village's transportation priorities, including rail," Durbin said.… Continue Reading
01.29.13
Durbin Urges Care in Midway Privatization
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In a letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged care in evaluating and approving any existing or future airport privatization agreements. Two airports are currently moving toward privatization through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)'s Airport Privatization Pilot Program - Midway International Airport in Chicago, Illinois and Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. While Puerto Rico is clos… Continue Reading
12.18.12
Durbin Meets with Rockford Airport Director to Discuss Support for Regional Transportation Priorities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Mike Dunn, Director of Chicago Rockford International Airport, to discuss regional transportation and infrastructure priorities. A photo of today's meeting is available here. Dunn has served as the airport director since January 2012. He previously served as an airport board member and board chairman. "As one of the busiest air cargo airports not just in Illinois, but in the entire country, Chicago Rockford International Airp… Continue Reading
12.12.12
Durbin: Demolition of Rock Pinnacles Could Begin Next Week
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today praised the news that a contract has been awarded for the demolition of rock pinnacles in the Mississippi River and the work could begin as early as next week. In a November 29 meeting with Durbin and five other Midwest Senators, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Jo-Ellen Darcy, agreed to expedite the demolition process in order to help navigation on the Mississippi River. "The Army Corps of Engineers has wasted no ti… Continue Reading
12.07.12
Durbin: Army Corps Believes Their Efforts Will Maintain Traffic Along the Mississippi River Despite Low Water Levels
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that he will convene a meeting of stakeholders - including Senators from states bordering the Mississippi River, state and local officials and representatives from industries such as agriculture and shipping - for a briefing from the Army Corps of Engineers to discuss navigation on the Mississippi River through means other than releasing additional water from the Missouri River. Durbin also announced that the Army Corps ex… Continue Reading
09.25.12
Senators Work to Improve Lock and Dam Infrastructure Along Mississippi River
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) sent a letter to the Environment and Public Works Committee which just began work on a new Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) bill, to include funding and legislative language that would establish a long-term strategy to expedite construction and operation of critical lock and dam projects along the Mississippi River. "The system… Continue Reading
09.21.12
Durbin: Next WRDA Bill Should Include Streamlined Levee Approval Process
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today asked the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which just began work on a new Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) bill, to include legislative language to streamline the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 408 approval process for communities making improvements to flood control infrastructure. According to Durbin, this change will recognize that communities willing to raise the funds to make repairs should be able to obta… Continue Reading
09.19.12
Durbin, Emanuel Announces $1.5 Million DOT Investment in Chicago Transit
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced that the Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded $1,500,000 in funding for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to continue work on a new bus service along the Western Avenue and Ashland Avenue. The Western and Ashland Corridors Bus Rapid Transit Project is expected to strengthen connections to CTA's and Metra's rail network while improving reliability, speed and convenience for commuters. … Continue Reading
09.17.12
Durbin Announces More Than $356,000 Award to Village of Palatine
[CHICAGO, IL] U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently awarded a Community Development Block Grant (CDGB) totaling $356,796 to the Village of Palatine. The grant will support efforts by non-profits and local government entities to provide support service, affordable housing and infrastructure projects in the Palatine area. "From counseling for abused children to rental housing assistance for seniors, this grant will h… Continue Reading
09.13.12
Durbin, City Announce a $12 Million Investment in O'Hare and Midway Airports
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation, Rosemarie S. Andolino, today announced that the Department of Transportation has awarded a total of $11,966,213 in funding to Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport. "Today's runway investment will help the City of Chicago reduce flight delays and improve efficiency for traveling and shipping throughout the country… Continue Reading
09.12.12
Durbin: Amtrak Ridership Increase Is More Good News for Illinois Travelers and Businesses
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today said that the increase in Amtrak ridership over the last year is good news for travelers that looking for a safer, greener, more efficient transportation option and businesses that rely on the economic activity generated along the four Illinois-supported Amtrak routes. Earlier today, Amtrak announced that nationwide ridership has increased 3.4% over the first 11 months of Amtrak's fiscal year with September expected to be on pace to bre… Continue Reading