HR1496

LRB094 21854 DRH 60285 r






1

HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
2
    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is the primary governmental 
3
entity responsible for the public safety and welfare of its 
4
citizenry; and

 
5
    WHEREAS, The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the 
6
U.S. prompted the nation to take additional actions to protect 
7
our key public facilities, infrastructure, and private assets; 
8
and

 
9
    WHEREAS, The United States Congress created the Homeland 
10
Security Department in order to better coordinate the nation's 
11
response to terrorism and natural disasters, and this federal 
12
department allocates funds annually under the United States 
13
Homeland Security Act of 2002; and

 
14
    WHEREAS, The Governor of the State of Illinois has 
15
allocated in fiscal year 2006 funds for various transit 
16
agencies and local governments to enhance homeland security; 
17
and

 
18
    WHEREAS, Terrorists around the globe have targeted major 
19
urban public transit systems as strategic targets for their 
20
attacks; and

 
21
    WHEREAS, The CTA operates the nation's second largest 
22
public transportation system, serving the city of Chicago and 
23
40 surrounding suburbs, with nearly 1.5 million rides taken by 
24
the public on the CTA on an average weekday; and

 
25
    WHEREAS, The CTA has approximately 2,000 buses that operate 
26
over 153 routes and 2,273 route miles, providing about 1 
27
million passenger trips a day and serving more than 12,000 
28
posted bus stops; while CTA's 1,190 rapid transit cars operate 
29
over eight routes and 222 miles of track, providing 
 


 






HR1496
- 2 -
LRB094 21854 DRH 60285 r




1
approximately 500,000 customer trips each day at 144 stations; 
2
and

 
3
    WHEREAS, Chicago is one of the few cities in the world that 
4
provide rapid transit service to two major airports; and

 
5
    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois, the County of Cook, and the 
6
City of Chicago recognize the CTA as one of the city's and the 
7
region's major public assets and a high priority for enhanced 
8
protection as part of the city's homeland security, disaster, 
9
and terrorist response planning; and

 
10
    WHEREAS, Two recent derailments of CTA rapid transit 
11
trains, along with the 2006 Metra Electric derailment, 
12
underscored the potential vulnerability of transit riders and 
13
our public transportation system to disasters; therefore, be it

 
14
    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
15
NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
16
we support the call for disaster relief and the restoration of 
17
conductors along key portions of the CTA's Rapid Transit 
18
Systems for the purpose of securing public transportation as a 
19
vital public asset; and be it further

 
20
    RESOLVED, That a separate comprehensive system shall be 
21
established to provide security for mass transit systems 
22
statewide; and be it further

 
23
    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
24
delivered to the Governor, the President of the Cook County 
25
Board, and the Mayor of Chicago.