Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Transportation and Infrastructure
Durbin and Kirk Support City's Plans to Appeal FERC Decision
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) today sent at letter to the Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Jon Wellinghoff, urging him to carefully review any appeal by the City of Quincy as to the facts surrounding the decision to dismiss the permit application. "As you can imagine, FERC's sudden decision has left the City with the impression that the application was not given serious consideration on its merits. We urge your careful … Continue Reading
02.21.11
Durbin Vows to Fight for Federal Funding Promised to Peoria Warehouse District, But Taken Back by House Bill
[PEORIA, IL] - A $10 million federal grant to the City of Peoria to revitalize the city's Warehouse District is now at risk after House Republicans passed their spending bill, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today. The project's funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation's TIGER II program is immediately eliminated in the House of Representatives spending bill for the current fiscal year (FY11), which was approved by the House early Saturday morning. The bill cuts more than $6.… Continue Reading
02.21.11
Durbin Stands Against House Efforts to Take Back More Than $240 Million in Federal Funding Already Promised to Quad Cities
[MOLINE, IL] - A $230 million federal grant to build a new rail line connecting Chicago to the Quad Cities and a $10 million federal grant to the City of Moline for a new, energy efficient, multimodal station are now both at risk after House Republicans passed their spending bill, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today. Both projects' funding is immediately eliminated in the House of Representatives spending bill for the current fiscal year (FY11), which was approved by the House early Satu… Continue Reading
02.18.11
Durbin Meets with Metra CEO to Discuss Impact of Drastic Federal Spending Cuts
[CHICAGO] -U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with newly appointed Metra CEO Alex Clifford to discuss Metra's ongoing review of diesel locomotive emissions and federal spending cuts proposed by the House Republicans which would eliminate the $341,000 in federal funding Metra is using to reduce CO2 emissions by installing automatic shut-down and start-up systems in its fleet. In November, Durbin asked several federal agencies to work with Metra looking into the results of a Chicago Tribune… Continue Reading
02.16.11
Durbin Asks DOT to Send Unused Federal Rail Money to Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to the Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, asking him to consider the Chicago Hub Network if he chooses to redistribute the high speed rail funding that the Governor of Florida rejected earlier today. Durbin wrote: "Almost one year ago, the entire Illinois Congressional delegation wrote to you communicating our belief that Illinois provides the best opportunity to invest in high speed rail. Since then, the Depar… Continue Reading
02.16.11
Durbin, Kirk, Costello, Shimkus Urge President to Include Levees in Efforts to Improve National Infrastructure
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Congressmen Jerry Costello (D-IL) and John Shimkus (R-IL) sent a letter to President Obama urging him to include levees and water infrastructure improvements in efforts to improve the nation's infrastructure. Noting the President's recent emphasis on infrastructure development as a key component in economic growth, they reinforced the need to include repairing and improving America's levees as a part of this pr… Continue Reading
02.15.11
Durbin Expresses Support For Cape Air
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today expressed his support for Cape Air's application to provide long-term service at Quincy Regional Airport that would likely lead to the airline moving maintenance and other associated work to the region - a prospect that could add good paying jobs to Western Illinois. Late last week, the City of Quincy Aeronautics Committee voted unanimously to support Cape Air's proposal and the Mayor of Quincy, John Spring, relayed that support i… Continue Reading
02.10.11
Durbin and Kirk Statement on Five-Day Delay of O'Hare Lawsuit
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk (R-IL) today released a statement following an announcement that a five-day delay has been approved in the lawsuit that United Airlines and American Airlines against the City of Chicago. The agreement to ask for a delay was reached during meetings between representatives of the airlines and city officials. "Today's agreement on a temporary delay of the lawsuit is a positive development in the negotiations between the City of … Continue Reading
02.09.11
Durbin and Kirk Statement on the O'Hare Modernization Program Meeting in Washington
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk (R-IL) today released a statement following a meeting between United Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek, American Airlines CEO Gerard Arpey, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "After meeting with the CEOs of United Airlines and American Airlines two weeks ago, we felt confident that there was room for common ground in the dispute over the O'Hare Modernization Program. We asked the airli… Continue Reading
02.07.11
Durbin, Kirk to DOT Secretary: Compromise on O'Hare Modernization is Essential
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - After learning that the Department of Transportation is planning to host a meeting this week in Washington between the City of Chicago and both United Airlines and American Airlines, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) today sent a letter to the Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT), Ray LaHood, to stress the importance of finding a compromise on the O'Hare Modernization Program. "Secretary LaHood shares our commitment to moving for… Continue Reading
02.06.11
Durbin and Kirk Ask Federal Officials to Examine Opportunities to Strengthen Protections Along Lake Michigan Shoreline
[CHICAGO, IL] - Following one of the heaviest snowfalls in Chicago's history, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) are asking federal and local officials to determine whether all areas of the Lake Michigan shoreline adequately protect Lake Shore Drive and the City of Chicago. In a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers and the Secretary of Transportation, Durbin and Kirk have requested that they consider the impact waves could have had along the shore if Lak… Continue Reading
02.03.11
Durbin Asks FEMA to Acknowledge Existence of Metro East Levees in Flood Mapping Process
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin helped organize a bipartisan group of Senators that asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to stop using it's 'without levee' designation and acknowledge the existence of the Metro East and other levees when mapping flood plains. Last year Durbin announced that, through his efforts, FEMA chose to delay the implementation of the new flood maps for the St. Louis region until December 2011 and stressed the importance of the delay i… Continue Reading
02.02.11
Durbin Provision to Encourage Sustainable Airport Design Included in FAA Bill
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - A provision, authored by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), that would help the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) create a standardized, voluntary set of best practices to help airports operate and build sustainable facilities was included in the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act which is currently being debated by the U.S. Senate. The provision would establish a working group to develop these standards and help create a voluntary rating syst… Continue Reading
02.02.11
Durbin Provision to Study Partnerships Between Air and Rail Travel Included in FAA Bill
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - A provision, authored by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), requiring the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study ways to increase coordination between air and passenger rail travel is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act which is currently being debated by the U.S. Senate. The provision specifically identifies codeshare agreements as one way that airlines and passenger rail providers can bet… Continue Reading
01.11.11
Durbin: Illinois Commerce Commission Will Post CN Agreements With Illinois Communities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that, in response to his request to bring more oversight and transparency to Canadian National (CN)'s acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway (EJ&E), the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has agreed to make public the voluntary mitigation agreements CN has with 26 of the 33 affected communities in Illinois and Northwest Indiana. Currently, neither CN nor the Surface Board of Transportation has made any of thes… Continue Reading
12.21.10
Durbin Asks for Increased Transparency in Light of Unprecedented $250,000 Fine Issued Against CN for Violations
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - After learning that the Surface Transportation Board issued an unprecedented $250,000 fine against Canadian National (CN) for violations along the recently acquired Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway (EJ&E), U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today asked the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) to bring more oversight and transparency to the voluntary agreements CN has with 26 of the 33 affected communities in Illinois and Northwest Indiana. Currently, neither CN nor the Surfa… Continue Reading
12.21.10
Durbin: CTA to Receive $1.6 Million for Chicago Western Corridor Rapid Transit Bus Network Project
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) ) today announced that the Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration has awarded a $1,600,000 grant to the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to help plan for a bus rapid transit system deployment along the CTA's Western Corridor that will enhance public transportation access and choices for roughly 250,000 residents. "Today's funding will help decrease travel times, improve reliability, and expand public… Continue Reading
12.09.10
Durbin Announces $42.3 Million in Additional High Speed Rail Funding for Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $42.3 million in additional high speed rail funding to finance track and other improvements on the Chicago to St. Louis corridor. Earlier today the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, Ray LaHood, reprogrammed a total of $1.2 billion in funding that was rejected by the incoming governors of Ohio and Wisconsin. "Illinois will be able to use this funding to break ground on projects that we… Continue Reading
11.15.10
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Announces Funding Commitment for New O'Hare South Air Traffic Control Tower
[CHICAGO - U.S.] Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that the Federal Aviation Administration will fund the design and construction of a new South Air Traffic Control Tower at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, scheduled to be built as part of the O'Hare Modernization Program (OMP). The agreement will allow Chicago to complete the construction of the tower in time for the successful commissioning of the new runway 10R/28L, which is scheduled for completion in early 2015. "O'Hare i… Continue Reading
11.12.10
Durbin: Success of Cape Air in Downstate Communities Creates Opportunity for Continued Essential Air Service
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Transportation will begin soliciting proposals from air carriers interested in providing service starting December 1, 2011 in the communities of Quincy and Marion/Herrin. The current provider Cape Air - whose contract with the Department is schedule to expire on November 30, 2011 - has dramatically increased ridership on flights to and from both communities. "The success of Cape Air… Continue Reading