Business Leaders get look behind transportation funding curtain
The fall quarterly member meeting of Business Leaders
for Transportation featured an insightful presentation from Linda Wheeler,
consultant with the Transportation for Illinois Coalition (TFIC), about the
state transportation budget and its implications for Illinois’ needs and
interests for the short and long-term, and provided an intimate conversation
with State Reps. Kathy Ryg
(D-Vernon
Hills)
and Mike Tryon
(
R-Crystal
Lake
)
about how to
fund and maintain a balanced, sustainable, multi-modal transportation system for
a global region.
Linda Wheeler, a retired director of planning
and programming for the Illinois Department of Transportation and now with
TFIC, candidly discussed the transportation apportionments of the recently
passed Illinois State Budget. To put the doom and gloom transportation scenario
into perspective, Wheeler compared capital and operating budget numbers from
FY03, the last full year of Illinois FIRST capital dollars, and FY08. Her
presentation
also detailed the 90 percent increase in transportation revenue
diverted to other state administrations and agencies from FY01 to FY08. Wheeler
warned
that
Illinois’ motor fuel tax, license and registration fees,
and bonds are flat and disappearing revenues that coupled with increasing
construction costs pose a real threat to growth opportunities for
Illinois
.
State
Reps. Ryg and Tryon, knowledgeable about the legislative battles in Springfield
and key players in the current transportation funding debate, offered
their perspectives on the impact of state funding for the entire
regional transportation system and provided advice on how Business Leaders
for Transportation can be a constructive force pushing for immediate
legislative action. The topic of discussion was SB 572 as a fair and equitable solution
to the mass transit funding crisis. The representatives urged Business Leaders’
members to contact their legislators and express their views about SB572 and
transportation funding.
Save the Date! Next
Business
Leaders for Transportation
member meeting: Friday, December 14, 2007, 8:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Read an
analysis
of the Illinois State Budget by the Center for Tax and Budget
Accountability.
Read more about RTA Reform: SB572 and
Amendments 1-6
Learn more about Illinois House Mass Transit
Committee .
Learn more about Moving Beyond
Congestion.
Become a
member of Business Leaders for Transportation.