Regional Interview: U.S. Representative William O. Lipinski (D-Ill.)

• January 8, 2003

Rep. Lipinski, a lifelong resident of Chicago, is now serving Illinois’ 3rd District in his10th term. Since the beginning of his legislative career, he has served on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, where he has effectively focused attention on the transportation needs of the Chicago region. Beyond his current work to establish a Rail Trust Fund and previous advocacy on behalf of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), he has been instrumental in establishing Passenger Facility Charges at O’Hare International and Midway airports to finance infrastructure improvement projects, and in developing the Chicago Transit Authority’s Orange Line, serving Chicago’s Southwest Side — the only part of the city that was not previously served by rapid transit. 

Chairing the transportation committee for Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s transition into office, Rep. Lipinski spent considerable time in his home district in December. Regional Connection caught up with him to get his thoughts on the future of transportation in northeastern Illinois:

RC: What are the leading issues going into reauthorization of TEA-21?

Investments in our transportation and infrastructure are investments in our economy, in our communities and in our quality of life. 

Our nation’s infrastructure needs are tremendous … and they’re growing. The Federal Highway Administration estimated that we will need $50 billion just to maintain the Interstate highway system. The federal government only allocated $32 billion last year for those needs. But beyond highways and roads, we need more money for mass transit, intercity passenger rail and freight rail. We have a long way to go to bridge the funding gaps.
 
I believe the overarching issue is the goal to enhance funding levels for the various surface transportation programs, so we can adequately fund our nation’s needs and Illinois’ needs. As the senior Illinois member on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I am committed to working with Speaker Hastert and the other members of the Illinois congressional delegation to do all that I can to ensure that Illinois’ funding needs are adequately met in the reauthorization of TEA-21.

RC: Why do you feel so strongly that freight should be a component of this next bill?

Freight mobility and movement, while not a “sexy” policy issue, is a highly important one.  Capacity constraints and congestion on our nation’s freight rail system create many problems. In today’s business economy, where just-in-time deliveries are the norm, the inefficient flow of freight traffic results in real economic losses.

Communities and neighborhoods are also affected. Idling trains, traffic backups, grade crossing accidents and other safety issues all affect the quality of life in our neighborhoods. Passengers on Amtrak and commuter trains that share freight tracks also suffer delays and unreliable service in an inefficient and congested system.

Just as we have an Aviation Trust fund and a Highway Trust Fund, we need to create a Rail Trust Fund — a dedicated and substantial pool of funds to invest in our nation’s rail infrastructure.

RC: How can MPC and its membership be most effective in securing the funds Illinois needs?

Speak up! We live in a democracy, and as we all learned in our high school civics classes, we all need to make sure our voices are heard and our opinions are known. Organizations such as MPC provide a valuable role in our democratic process by giving an organized voice to issues such as this.

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