Capital plan money would fund roads, transit requests

By Thomas V. Bona

BusinessRockford.com

At least two local road resurfacing projects and a bunch of Rockford Mass Transit District needs would get funded this year if a “mini” state capital construction plan passes. Local leaders hope it could lead to even bigger projects.

The Illinois Senate passed a plan to issue $3.3 billion in bonds to fund road and mass-transit projects in the next two years. If it passes the House today, it would include three sets of projects:

About $500 million in resurfacing projects this year, including Illinois 2 between Rockford and Byron and U.S. 20 between Pecatonica Road and Freeport.

$1 billion to mass transit, some of which would go to RMTD for long-needed bus replacement, building repairs and new equipment.

The remaining $1.8 billion would be spent on engineering and/or construction of road projects listed in the Illinois Department of Transportation’s five-year plan, with local candidates such as the Morgan Street bridge, West State Street and Bypass U.S. 20 in Rockford.

The road projects are being chosen by IDOT engineers, something local lawmakers approve of.

“The good news is at least what’s implemented right now is not political at all. The Senate president has nothing at all that’s in his district,” said Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford. “It does put people to work across the state, which is good for Illinois.”

A good step
The bonds would be paid back with existing motor fuel taxes and other state revenue.

Even though there are only two projects in Winnebago County and none in Boone County in the first round of funding, Sen. Brad Burzynski said basing it on engineers’ decisions is fairer than what the previous administration did.

“It’s a step in restoring integrity to the process,” said Burzynski, R-Clare. “Even though we don’t benefit from it this year, we might next year.”

Lawmakers view this plan as a jump start to a much larger capital plan that could be worked out this summer. Gov. Pat Quinn has already proposed a $26 billion plan, but that would need some sort of tax increase or other new funding source.

‘We’ve been shortchanged’
Such a major capital plan could fund big projects such as widening U.S. 20 around Freeport; widening North and South Main streets in Rockford; and improving Illinois 173 from Machesney Park to the Boone County line. It also could fund Amtrak’s return to Rockford, school construction projects and other needs.

But Rep. Dave Winters, R-Rockford, is concerned with the trend of the Rockford region not getting much in road funding from the state.

There’s about $20 million in road projects being funded by federal stimulus money — but mostly chosen by the state — in Boone, Winnebago, Stephenson and Ogle counties, while other downstate regions got more. Winters said that trend continues with the mini capital plan, and local legislators need to make sure the balance is shifted when a larger plan is passed.

“We didn’t get much out of it at all,” he said. “We’ve been shortchanged.”

Waiting for money
RMTD is awaiting word on how much money it would get from the mini capital plan. Only $100 million is going to mass-transit providers outside Chicagoland, and RMTD alone has $14 million in needs, spokeswoman Lisa Brown said. The district can use the money only for things such as buses, building projects and equipment, not bus service or other operating costs.

“These are our capital needs that have been accumulating for the last 10 years,” Brown said. “The minute that check clears the bank, we’ll spend it.”

Contact staff writer Thomas V. Bona at 815-987-1343 or tbona@rrstar.com.