Illinois Democrats vow to fight for CREATE funding

Congressman Dan Lipinski (IL-03) and Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin vowed to fight to preserve $133 million in federal funding for the Englewood Flyover, a linchpin of the CREATE rail modernization program that will reduce Metra delays, create 1,450 jobs and boost long-term economic growth. The project's funding would be immediately eliminated in the spending bill for the current fiscal year that the House approved and Congressman Lipinski opposed. The legislation now heads to the Senate for consideration. "As my record reflects, I believe that the national debt is a threat to America's long-term economic health and that we need to cut unnecessary spending to assure our future prosperity," Lipinski said. "But we can't cut with our eyes closed; we must continue to make investments that are critical for the future of our nation, especially our middle class. The Englewood Flyover provides a tremendous bang for the buck, and cutting it now would be incredibly shortsighted. It will create 1,450 jobs at a time when there aren't nearly enough middle class jobs available. It will reduce delays on Metra's Rock Island District line and is the critical first step toward eliminating delays on the Southwest Service line, benefiting 40,000 riders every weekday. As a linchpin of the CREATE rail modernization program, it will boost economic growth for years to come. It's vital we continue to move the program forward." "Yes, we need to cut spending, but we need to do so in a responsible manner," Durbin said. "We shouldn't abandon our commitments to creating jobs and economic development in the midst of this recession." The Englewood Flyover will build a bridge to carry Metra's Rock Island line over the Norfolk Southern/Amtrak tracks at 63rd Street in Chicago, ending delays that occur when trains must wait for other trains to cross at the rail-rail intersection before proceeding. Failure to increase freight rail capacity through CREATE would mean missing out on 17,000 jobs and $2 billion in annual economic production in the Chicago metropolitan area.