Final in 2003 series to discuss transportation issues vital to area businesses
DuPage County has a healthy reputation as a place to do
business, and its transportation network is a vital ingredient. As congressional
leaders work to find consensus on funding for the next federal transportation
bill, Business Leaders for Transportation is bringing together members of the
Illinois delegation and area business leaders to rally around investment
priorities for the region.
On Thursday, Dec. 18, at
CenterPoint Properties in Oak Brook, U.S.
Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Addison), U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Clarendon
Hills), and DuPage County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom will be the
featured speakers at the fifth and final public forum of 2003
with members of Congress to address transportation issues important
to the local business
community.
Co-sponsors of the forum are Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., CenterPoint
Properties, DuPage County, DuPage Mayors & Managers Conference, Elmhurst
Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association,
Lemont Area Chamber of Commerce, Lisle Area Chamber of Commerce, Naperville Area
Chamber of Commerce, Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce, Plainfield Chamber of
Commerce, Transportation For Illinois Coalition, and Union Pacific Railroad .
"For business to operate efficiently, people need to be
able reach their destinations in a timely fashion and goods should arrive on
schedule. Northeastern Illinois
is
seeking a strong federal commitment to improvements in our transportation system. This
requires all of us to work together strategically on our request both
to the elected officials in Washington, D.C. and the department staff
that
will implement new programs," said Ed
King, director of Government & Community Relations for Walgreens, co-chair of the
Transportation Committee of the Metropolitan Planning Council, and board member of the
Metropolitan Planning Council, which co-leads Business Leaders for Transportation with Chicago
Metropolis 2020 and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.
Business Leaders for
Transportation, a coalition of 180 members representing more than 12,000
regional employers, provides a collective voice for Chicago-area businesses on
surface transportation issues. Of central importance to the coalition is
increased state and federal transportation funding for northeastern Illinois,
supported by coordinated planning to achieve the most efficient and desirable
return on transportation system investments.
__________________________________________
WHAT
Public forum on federal transportation funding
WHEN
Thursday, Dec. 18, 2003, 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
WHERE
CenterPoint Properties, 1808 Swift Drive, Oak Brook
WHO
- U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Addison)
- U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Clarendon Hills)
- Robert Schillerstrom, Chair, DuPage County Board of
Commissioners
- Michael Fergus, President, SIRVA Moving Services
- Ed King, Director, Government and Community Relations, Walgreens and
Co-Chair, Metropolitan Planning Council Transportation Committee (moderator)