Budget plan would accelerate local road projects

[JULY 24, 2004]  SPRINGFIELD -- The proposed state budget agreement would free up $283 million to accelerate more than 100 road projects to fiscal 2005, including $10.4 million for local projects, according to state Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington.

The funding was freed up after Senate Republicans demanded major reforms in the way transportation dollars were allocated, including an end to the governor's raids of the Road Fund to pay for the day-to-day operations of state government and a cut in administrative costs at the Illinois Department of Transportation.

"The governor has been systematically bleeding the Road Fund since he took office 19 months ago," Brady said. "If he would stop raiding the Road Fund, he would not have to ask Illinois citizens to take on more debt."

The accelerated project list includes:

• $8,180,000 for resurfacing, bridge deck overlay, roadside safety and bridge deck repairs on I-72, U.S. 51, U.S. 36, from east of Harristown to west of U.S. 51.
• $1,856,000 for resurfacing Illinois 54, from the Logan County line to 0.3 mile west of U.S. 51 at Clinton.

• $375,000 for culvert replacement on Illinois 48 at Buckhart Creek on the northeast edge of Stonington.

These projects are in addition to the fiscal 2005 road projects announced in April.

Senate Republicans have protected the Road Fund by:

• Ending a $140 million diversion of Road Fund dollars into general state operations.
• Identifying $80 million in unspent Department of Transportation funds that can be freed up to accelerate projects.

• Assuring that $20 million in savings from increased administrative efficiencies goes back into the Road Fund to pay for construction.
• Guaranteeing that the Department of Transportation's share of a 4 percent across-the-board cut in overall state operations is returned to the Road Fund, resulting in another $23 million available for projects.

• Reallocating $10 million in funds that were authorized but never allocated for construction projects.

In addition Senate Republicans successfully argued to receive an additional $10 million in a statewide construction allocation to be earmarked for projects in their districts. An earlier analysis of the state's seven-year road plan showed that 80 percent of the road funding was for projects in districts with Democratic senators and 20 percent of the funding was for projects in districts with Republican senators. Brady says negotiations resulted in a more equitable, less partisan allocation of Road Fund dollars.

The accelerated funding for road projects is contingent on the passage of the proposed budget agreement. Lawmakers returned to Springfield on Friday and are expected to vote on the budget within three to four days.

[Illinois Senate Republican Caucus
news release]

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