March 05, 2010
“Unsnarling this bottleneck will stop trains from idling and start moving train traffic more quickly and safely. But this project is not just about saving time, money and cleaning our air. It’s about jobs.
“The rail industry is already a big employer in Illinois. More than 16,000 freight railroad, Metra and Amtrak employees live in Illinois, bringing in more than $1 billion in wages. These are good-paying jobs that support families and send children to college and they are jobs that can’t be outsourced. Investing another $133 million for this CREATE project right here on the Southside is going to mean more jobs – jobs for today and jobs for the future.
“When you want a return on public investment, your best bet is transportation – especially rail transportation. For every dollar we spend on investments in our nation’s railroads — tracks, equipment, locomotives, bridges — we see $3 in economic output. That means people working here on this CREATE project and spending their money back in the community, spurring business and creating more jobs.
“With the funding for this project we move closer to building a Midwest high speed rail network and become the first state to link major metropolitan areas to universities, the state capital and job centers faster and quicker than any other state in the union.
“Chicago has been the major rail hub in the nation and soon, thanks to projects like this one, we will be recognized as the major high speed rail hub of the nation.”
Durbin: Recovery Act Investment in CREATE Project Means More Jobs for Illinois
[CHICAGO, IL] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin issued the following statement regarding the $133 million CREATE Englewood Flyover Project, funded through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act:“Unsnarling this bottleneck will stop trains from idling and start moving train traffic more quickly and safely. But this project is not just about saving time, money and cleaning our air. It’s about jobs.
“The rail industry is already a big employer in Illinois. More than 16,000 freight railroad, Metra and Amtrak employees live in Illinois, bringing in more than $1 billion in wages. These are good-paying jobs that support families and send children to college and they are jobs that can’t be outsourced. Investing another $133 million for this CREATE project right here on the Southside is going to mean more jobs – jobs for today and jobs for the future.
“When you want a return on public investment, your best bet is transportation – especially rail transportation. For every dollar we spend on investments in our nation’s railroads — tracks, equipment, locomotives, bridges — we see $3 in economic output. That means people working here on this CREATE project and spending their money back in the community, spurring business and creating more jobs.
“With the funding for this project we move closer to building a Midwest high speed rail network and become the first state to link major metropolitan areas to universities, the state capital and job centers faster and quicker than any other state in the union.
“Chicago has been the major rail hub in the nation and soon, thanks to projects like this one, we will be recognized as the major high speed rail hub of the nation.”