Public Act 093-1004
 		





HB2587 Enrolled
LRB093 06483 JAM 06608 b






    AN ACT concerning the Department of Transportation. 

 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 
represented in the General Assembly: 


 
    Section 5. The Department of Transportation Law of the

Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by adding 
Section 2705-321 as
follows:


 
    (20 ILCS 2705/2705-321 new)

    Sec. 2705-321. Illinois Transit Ridership and Economic 
Development (TRED)
Pilot Project Program; new facilities and 
service.

    (a) Subject to appropriation, the Department of 
Transportation shall establish the Illinois Transit
Ridership 
and Economic Development (TRED) Pilot Project Program to build

transit systems that more effectively address the needs of 
Illinois workers,
families, and businesses. The Illinois TRED 
Pilot Project Program shall provide
for new or expanded mass 
transportation service and facilities, including rapid

transit,
rail, bus, and other equipment used in connection with 
mass transit, by the
State, a public
entity, or 2 or more of 
these entities authorized to provide and promote public

transportation in order to increase the level of service 
available in local
communities, as well as improve the quality 
of life and economic viability of
the State of Illinois.

    The Illinois TRED Pilot Project Program expenditures for 
mass transportation
service and facilities within the State 
must:

        (1) Improve the economic viability of Illinois by 
    facilitating the
transportation of Illinois residents to 
    places of employment, to educational
facilities, and to 
    commercial, medical, and shopping districts.

        (2) Increase the frequency and reliability of public 
    transit service.

        (3) Facilitate the movement of all persons, including 
    those persons who,
because of age, economic circumstance, 
    or physical infirmity, are unable to
drive.

        (4) Contribute to an improved environment through the 
    reduction of air,
water, and noise pollution.

    (b) Under the Illinois TRED Pilot Project Program, subject 
to appropriation, the Department shall fund
each fiscal year, 
in coordination and consultation with other government

agencies that provide or fund transportation
services, the 
Illinois Public Transportation Association, and transit

advocates,
projects as specified in subsection (c). Total 
funding for each project shall
not
exceed $500,000 and the 
funding for all projects shall not exceed $4,500,000.
The

Department shall submit annual reports to the General Assembly 
by March 1 of
each
fiscal year regarding the status of these 
projects, including service to
constituents
including local 
businesses, seniors, and people with disabilities, costs, and

other
appropriate measures of impact.

    (c) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall make 
grants to any of the following in order to create:

        (1) Two demonstration projects for the Chicago Transit 
    Authority to increase services to currently underserved 
    communities and neighborhoods, such as, but not limited to,   
    Altgeld Gardens, Pilsen, and Lawndale.

        (2) (Blank.)

        (3) The Intertownship Transportation Program for 
    Northwest
Suburban Cook County, which shall complement 
    existing Pace service and involve
cooperation of several 
    townships to provide transportation services for senior

    and disabled
residents across village and township 
    boundaries that is currently not provided
by Pace
and by 
    individual townships and municipalities.

        (4) RIDES transit services to Richland and
Lawrence 
    Counties to extend transit services into Richland and 
    Lawrence
Counties and enhance service in Wayne, Edwards, 
    and Wabash Counties that
share common travel patterns and 
    needs with Lawrence and Richland
counties. Funding shall be 
    used to develop a route structure that
shall coordinate 
    social service and general public requirements and
obtain 
    vehicles to support the additional service.

        (5) Peoria Regional Transportation Initiative, which

    shall fund the development of a plan to create a regional

    transportation service in the Peoria-Pekin MSA that 
    integrates and
expands the existing services and that would 
    allow local leaders to
develop a funding plan and a 
    timetable to secure final political
approval. The plan is 
    intended to facilitate regional economic development and

    provide greater mobility to workers, senior citizens, and 
    people with
disabilities.

        (6) Rock Island MetroLINK/Black Hawk College 
    Coordination Project, which shall increase mobility for 
    lower income students to access educational services and 
    job training on the metropolitan bus system, which will 
    better link community college students with transportation 
    alternatives.
        (7) The West Central Transit District to serve Scott 
    and Morgan Counties.  Funding shall be used to develop a 
    route structure that shall coordinate social service and 
    general public requirements and obtain vehicles to support 
    the service.


        (8) Additional community college coordination 
    projects, which shall increase mobility for lower income 
    students to access educational services and job training on 
    any Champaign-Urbana MTD and Danville Mass Transit bus 
    routes, which will better link community college students 
    with transportation alternatives.


 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
becoming law.