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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning is 
3currently updating its GOTO2040 master plan as part of a 
4federally-required mid-decade update; and
  
 
5    WHEREAS, A new initiative for first-class passenger rail 
6service called Crossrail Chicago has emerged which would, for 
7the first time, connect Metra route lines together, knitting 
8together the Chicagoland region; and
  
 
9    WHEREAS, Metra currently runs 11 separate lines, each of 
10which terminates in downtown Chicago; these lines do not travel 
11through downtown Chicago, a route which would be far more 
12efficient; and
  
 
13    WHEREAS, Northeast Illinois has long suffered from a 
14jobs-housing mismatch, where tens of thousands of entry-level 
15jobs in and around O'Hare airport and the northwest suburbs 
16struggle to be filled, while tens of thousands of residents of 
17the south side and south suburbs struggle to find employment; 
18and
  
 
19    WHEREAS, Current public transportation between the south 
20suburbs and the south side of Chicago and the northwest suburbs 
21is a long, laborious journey involving transfers between buses 
 
 
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1and rail, creating a greater barrier to full employment in the 
2region; and
  
 
3    WHEREAS, This initiative is consistent with the long-term 
4vision for northeastern Illinois set forth by the Chicago 
5Metropolitan Agency for Planning; and
  
 
6    WHEREAS, Crossrail Chicago could connect Rockford, Elgin, 
7Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, and O'Hare 
8through Union Station to McCormick Place, Hyde Park, Homewood, 
9University Park, the south suburban airport, Kankakee, and 
10Champaign-Urbana in one electrified track; and
  
 
11    WHEREAS, The new electrified line of Crossrail Chicago 
12would be located largely on publicly-owned rights-of-way and 
13could bring tremendous economic benefits to the region and 
14State; and
  
 
15    WHEREAS, Metra service along the Metro Electric Line from 
16University Park to McCormick Place could be significantly 
17improved through the Crossrail Chicago initiative; and
  
 
18    WHEREAS, Crossrail Chicago can also serve as the trunk of a 
19Midwest high-speed rail network, which would bring millions of 
20people together into one stronger economic unit; therefore, be 
21it
  
 
 
 
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1    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
2NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
3we urge the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning to include 
4Crossrail Chicago in its list of fiscally unconstrained 
5projects as consistent with the GOTO2040 vision, making the 
6projects of Crossrail Chicago eligible for federal funds; and 
7be it further
  
 
8    RESOLVED, That we urge the Illinois Department of 
9Transportation, Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority, and the 
10Chicago Department of Aviation to support the inclusion of 
11Crossrail Chicago as part of GOTO2040's mid-decade update as a 
12project on the fiscally unconstrained list as consistent with 
13the long-term plans of those agencies; and be it further
 
14    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
15delivered to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, the 
16Illinois Department of Transportation, Metra, the Chicago 
17Transit Authority, and the Chicago Department of Aviation.