Post by Mira on Feb 2, 2010 0:22:03 GMT -5
I just got this email from Rep. Halvorson!
I am soooo excited! I have been waiting for this ever since Obama was elected. Chicago has awful pollution and the commuter highways get oh so congested. The train alone will be a wonderful attraction, and hopefully this area will become a lot more livable.
Yes, this train is the most exciting thing to happen to me in months, shush.
Last week we heard the good news that families and businesses across Illinois and the Midwest will have a chance to benefit from a strong high-speed rail system, made possible by an initial investment of over $1.2 billion under the the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The line will stretch from Chicago to St. Louis and will include two stops in the 11th District—Joliet and Bloomington-Normal—and bring new economic opportunities to the region. Dramatic improvements in Amtrak service throughout the Midwest as well as job opportunities will be seen in the coming years due to this investment.
I fought hard to include $8 billion in the stimulus bill for high-speed rail because I believe we must have a forward looking approach to transportation in this county and I believe Illinois should lead that effort. In August and September, I hosted meetings in Joliet and Bloomington-Normal to ensure Illinois put forward the best application possible. I’m proud of how we worked together to ensure that Illinois and the 11th District will be one of the first regions in the county to offer high-speed rail service—infrastructure that will benefit our families for decades to come.
At a time when we can’t afford to leave any opportunity unexplored in the fight to put our economy back on track, high-speed rail means jobs and economic opportunity. High-speed rail will bring small businesses closer to customers, families closer to friends, and tourists closer to attractions.
I look forward to working with my neighbors and colleagues across our district to bring more funding, more investment, and more jobs to the 11th District through projects like high-speed rail.
I am soooo excited! I have been waiting for this ever since Obama was elected. Chicago has awful pollution and the commuter highways get oh so congested. The train alone will be a wonderful attraction, and hopefully this area will become a lot more livable.
Yes, this train is the most exciting thing to happen to me in months, shush.
