Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Transportation and Infrastructure
Durbin, Duckworth, Lightfoot Announce $3 Million FRA Grant For Chicago Union Station
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot today announced that Chicago Union Station will receive $3,000,000 in federal funding, awarded by the Federal Railroad Administration, to complete the design process for planned renovations to the train station's concourse level, which serves Amtrak and Metra passengers. "Chicago Union Station has been a central transportation hub in the Midwest since its original construction in 1925. Bu… Continue Reading
08.12.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $71 Million In Funding For Illinois Transit Systems From Department Of Transportation's Low-No And Buses And Bus Facilities Grant Programs
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $71,009,648 in grant funding awarded to Illinois transit systems by the Department of Transportation (DOT) through the Low-No and Buses and Bus Facilities Grant Programs. The Low-No Program will support the transition of the nation's transit fleet to the lowest polluting and most energy efficient transit vehicles by providing funding to state and local governmental authorities for the purchase or lease of zero… Continue Reading
08.10.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $83.5 Million In Funding For Illinois From Department Of Transportation's RAISE Grant Program
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $83,500,000 in grant funding awarded to Illinois communities by the Department of Transportation (DOT) through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program to help communities around the country carry out infrastructure and transportation projects with significant local or regional impact. "Investments in rebuilding and modernizing Illinois' infrastr… Continue Reading
07.28.22
Durbin Secures Key Illinois Priorities In Water Resources Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, secured several Illinois provisions in the Senate-passed Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). These provisions include an increase in the federal cost share for the Brandon Road Lock and Dam Project to 90 percent that will save Illinois tens of millions in project costs. The project will construct a new engineered channel at Joliet's Brandon Road Lock, which will be used to test and dep… Continue Reading
07.28.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce Nearly $519,000 In Funding For Rural EMS Agencies
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $518,916 in funding for several rural fire and emergency medical services (EMS) agencies in Illinois. The funding, which was created through Durbin's Supporting and Improving Rural EMS Needs (SIREN) Act, will go toward supporting EMS agencies in training and recruiting staff, conducting certification courses, and purchasing equipment. "Across Illinois, rural EMS agencies are first o… Continue Reading
07.27.22
Durbin: With The CHIPS And Science Act, We Can Kick-Start A New Generation Of Discovery
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) applauded the Senate passage of the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, critical legislation for our economy and national security that provides billions to boost our domestic semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. During his speech, Durbin highlighted the need to increase domestic microchip production, as microchips are used in everything from refrigerators to smartphones to cars. In 1990, America … Continue Reading
07.27.22
Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of Bipartisan CHIPS And Science Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the U.S. Senate passed the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, critical legislation for our economy and national security that provides billions to boost our domestic semiconductor manufacturing and scientific research capabilities: "America needs to be at the forefront of innovation and scientific research once again. This once-in-a-generation, bipartisan bill makes strategic investments to boost … Continue Reading
07.25.22
Durbin, Duckworth, Krishnamoorthi, Newman Urge Surface Transportation Board To Oppose Canadian Pacific And Kansas City Southern Rail Merger
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-8) and Marie Newman (D-IL-3) today sent a letter to Surface Transportation Board (STB) Chairman Martin Oberman urging the STB to oppose the Canadian Pacific (CP) and Kansas City Southern (KCS) railroad merger as proposed because of concerns about noise pollution, blocked crossings, safety conditions, and commuter rail delays. "We write to express our… Continue Reading
07.22.22
Durbin Announces $1 Million For Chicago River Habitat Restoration And Conservation Efforts
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined officials from the Shedd Aquarium and Chicago Park District to announce $1 million in new federal funding he secured in the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Omnibus appropriations bill to address habitat restoration and conservation needs in the polluted ecosystem on the South Branch of the Chicago River-commonly known as "Bubbly Creek." "For more than 100 years, this area was a dumping ground for animal waste, industrial waste, and sewage from the … Continue Reading
07.21.22
Durbin, Duckworth, Newman, Quigley Urge FRA To Consider Illinois For Location Of Future University Rail Research And Development Center Of Excellence
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representatives Marie Newman (D-IL-3) and Mike Quigley (D-IL-5) today sent a letter to Federal Railroad Administrator (FRA) Amit Bose urging him to consider Illinois as a home for the future University Rail Research and Development Center of Excellence. The Members authored language in the historic bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requiring FRA to establish the rail research … Continue Reading
07.19.22
Durbin Urges His Colleagues To Pass the CHIPS Act Without Delay
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) urged his colleagues to pass the CHIPS Act of 2022, critical legislation for our economy and national security that provides billions to boost our domestic semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. In 1990, the U.S. produced 37 percent of the world's semiconductors. Today, just 12 percent of semiconductors are manufactured in the United States. Durbin began his speech by highlighting the impacts thi… Continue Reading
07.18.22
Durbin, Duckworth, Casten, Quigley, Newman Urge Postmaster General DeJoy To Protect Letter Carriers After Uptick In Mail Carrier Robberies
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representatives Sean Casten (D-IL-6), Mike Quigley (D-IL-5), and Marie Newman (D-IL-3) today sent a letter to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy urging him to take action to protect letter carriers after crimes against U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees tripled since 2018. In their letter, the lawmakers call on Postmaster General DeJoy to implement an alerting policy to ensure that all USP… Continue Reading
06.17.22
Durbin, Schakowsky, Chicago Delegation Urge EPA To Expand Eligibility Guidelines For Clean School Bus Program
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-9) today led 12 of their Illinois colleagues in sending a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan urging him to expand eligibility for the new EPA Clean School Bus Program (CSBP) to improve its accessibility to Chicago-area schools and correct additional oversights in the implementation process. The program, a $5 billion effort established under the bipartisan I… Continue Reading
06.16.22
Durbin, Illinois Congressional Delegation Meet With Census Bureau Director On Illinois Count
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation today met virtually with U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert L. Santos about the results of the 2020 Decennial Census after Illinois was found to likely have been undercounted at a rate of 1.97 percent. During their meeting, Durbin pressed Director Santos to correct the undercount by incorporating the Census Bureau's Post-Enumeration Survey (PES) data into the Bureau's annual Population … Continue Reading
06.13.22
Durbin, Duckworth Urge Illinois School District To Apply For EPA Clean School Bus Program
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today sent a letter to more than 300 Illinois school district administrators to inform them that their districts are eligible to participate in the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean School Bus Program (CSBP). The program, a $5 billion effort established under the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, aims to convert the nation's school bus fleets to low- and zero-emission ve… Continue Reading
06.13.22
Durbin, Duckworth Meet With Boeing CEO Following Decision To Move Headquarters From Chicago
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun to discuss Boeing's recent decision to move its global headquarters from Chicago to Arlington, Virginia. The Senators wrote a letter urging Calhoun to maintain a strong presence in Chicago after the May 5th announcement. In the letter, the Senators emphasized the impact Boeing's relocation would have on Illinois' economy. Currently, Boeing's head… Continue Reading
06.03.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $6 Million For Runway Improvements At Springfield Airport
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $6,020,767 in federal funding awarded to Abraham Lincoln Capitol Airport in Springfield from the U.S. Department of Transportation to support the airport's reconstruction of taxiway lighting and runway updates. "Today's funding is a significant federal investment in the service and safety of those who fly in and out of Springfield's airport, which is a critical element of Illinois e… Continue Reading
06.02.22
Durbin, Duckworth, Chicago Delegation Announce $12 Million In Funding For MWRD
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and members of the Chicago delegation today announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Fiscal Year 22 Work Plan included $12 million in funding for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). While the funding was awarded to reimburse MWRD for its work on the design and construction of Thornton Composite Reservoir, MWRD plans to use the reimbursed funds toward a ne… Continue Reading
06.01.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $500,000 In American Rescue Plan Funds For Metra
CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $500,000 in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding awarded to Metra by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) through the Route Planning Restoration Program to help the transit agency continue to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. "Illinoisans in the Chicago area have relied on Metra's services to get to work and visit the city. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, public transit agencies were hit e… Continue Reading
05.27.22
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $1.7 Million Grant To Rebuild Rail Bridges In Quincy
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $1,769,767 in funding through the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program. This funding will be used to replace two bridge spans on the Burlington Junction Railroad in Quincy, Illinois. Both the Curtis Creek and Ghost Hollow Creek bridges are now more than 100 years old and pose a safety concern that would h… Continue Reading