093_HR0530
LRB093 14084 RAH 19505 r
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is one of the most
3 congested in the country; and
4 WHEREAS, Illinois' statewide population is projected to
5 increase 9.2% by 2020 and the State's already strained
6 transportation infrastructure cannot accommodate that
7 population and ensuing economic growth; and
8 WHEREAS, Passenger rail provides an efficient, safe, and
9 environmentally sound means of transportation for commuters
10 and for business and leisure travelers; and
11 WHEREAS, Amtrak and the State of Illinois have developed
12 a partnership that should serve as a model for similar
13 corridors in the United States; and
14 WHEREAS, Illinois' four state-supported corridors
15 operated by Amtrak (Chicago-St. Louis, Chicago-Quincy,
16 Chicago-Carbondale, Chicago-Milwaukee) each experienced
17 strong ridership gains in Fiscal Year 2003, despite a
18 weakened economy and travel market; and
19 WHEREAS, Amtrak carried more than 2,600,000 passengers a
20 year to and from Illinois; and
21 WHEREAS, Amtrak expended more than $38 million for goods
22 and services in Illinois in Fiscal Year 2002; and
23 WHEREAS, Amtrak employs nearly 2,300 Illinois residents,
24 who earned a combined total of more than $70 million in
25 calendar year 2002; and
26 WHEREAS, Amtrak, the Illinois Department of
27 Transportation, the Federal Railroad Administration, and
28 Union Pacific Railroad are jointly working to develop High
29 Speed Rail service on the Chicago-St. Louis corridor; and
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1 WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has already invested $100
2 million in the Chicago-St. Louis High Speed Rail program; and
3 WHEREAS, Congress has introduced several measures
4 intended to provide states with a dedicated source of funding
5 to develop viable, safe, and efficient passenger rail
6 networks, including the National Defense Rail Act, RIDE-21,
7 the Emergency Anti-Recession Act of 2003, and the National
8 Infrastructure Program Act of 2003; therefore, be it
9 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
10 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
11 we hereby endorse Amtrak's 2004 funding request for $1.812
12 billion and 5-year plan, as well as federal legislation that
13 provides states with a dedicated source of funding to develop
14 rail corridors; and we further urge the United States
15 Congress to pass and the President of the United States to
16 sign this legislation; and be it further
17 RESOLVED, That we urgently request that all members of
18 Congress who represent the State of Illinois cosponsor and
19 support passage of legislative measures intended to bring
20 stability to the nation's rail passenger network and provide
21 states the funding needed to develop successful rail
22 corridors; and be it further
23 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
24 presented to the President of the United States, the Vice
25 President of the United States, to the Majority Leaders of
26 the United States Senate and House of Representatives, and to
27 each member of the Illinois congressional delegation.