Important Repairs and New Bike-Ped Bridges at Risk Due to Rauner

"Why Rauner’s Witholding of Funding for Bike-Ped Bridges Totally SOCCs"

Claffey said the new IDOT policy is impacting projects that are already under construction, as well as those that are being designed or are supposed to start construction soon. This includes repaving of main streets, bridge inspection and maintenance, road bridge and viaduct replacements, and new bike and pedestrian bridges. In addition to the 41st Street bridge, the latter category includes the Riverview Bridge on the Chicago River near Addison, and the reconstruction of Lake Shore Drive’s bridge over the main branch of the Chicago River as part of the Navy Pier Flyover project.

Claffey said CDOT is concerned that the state has been withholding the SOCC funding for political reasons. In recent months Rauner has been sparring with Mayor Emanuel over the Chicago Public Schools budget and other funding issues.

The state’s refusal to release SOCC funds for the 41st Street bridge and other initiatives is completely counterproductive because it could result in overall higher construction costs, since the delay may require these projects to be rebid. As Davis and Quigley wrote in their letter, “Witholding these funds from Chicago, delaying project starts, and putting other projects at risk is not in the best interests of the residents and visitors to Chicago and will hurt the economy of the city, the region, and the state.

Full Article:

http://chi.streetsblog.org/2017/03/13/why-rauners-witholding-of-fun...

Views: 561

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Adam C. on March 16, 2017 at 6:27pm

Nah, that's just what our previous governor would want you to believe. There were (and still are) plenty of conservative, Christian Republicans who didn't agree with his religious "freedom" bill, so don't believe the (overblown) hype.

Permalink Reply by Carter O'Brien on March 15, 2017 at 1:56pm
I know this may come as a shock, but it is very, very possible to look at the mess in Springfield and not be happy with any of the major players. GOP governors and Madigan have ALL been kicking the pension can down the road, we need a housecleaning like Wisconsin had in the early 20th century.
Permalink Reply by Bob Kastigar on March 15, 2017 at 2:08pm

I don't think Rauner can be included in the list of GOP governors who've been kicking the can down the road. 

He has a two-part job:

Part 1 is to stop this process from continuing.  That may not be easy.

Part 2 is to make up and pay back the costs incurred in the past.  That may cause him political suicide.  He may need to curtail spending on many projects  (including bike-ped bridge building) or even (gasp!) raise taxes. 

I hope he keeps it up; he may restore Illinois to normalcy.

Permalink Reply by Carter O'Brien on March 15, 2017 at 3:08pm
You're backpedaling. This is literally a problem four decades in the making, by both parties, don't even pretend this is a Democrat only thing, I have a friend who audits the state books, they have all stunk. Rauner stinks just as bad, he isn't the king, and just refusing to his job is not actually doing his job. Leadership is the job.

And we have long needed a more realistic and progressive state income tax, no argument there. But reneging on projects like these, pfft, partisan nonsense.
Permalink Reply by Paul Lazzaro on March 16, 2017 at 9:01am

Yes, this issue goes back at least to the time of Governors Thompson and Edgar.  IIRC, Edgar's plan in the '90's was to do nothing, but commit others in the future to do something.  It's easy to see why it had bipartisan support ;-)

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/section/pensions

Permalink Reply by David Barish on March 28, 2017 at 7:41am

I am not sure if this was tongue in cheek or stated in earnest but will assume the latter.  I disagree.  There is no doubt that the Democrats share much of the blame for the deficit run by the state and for unfunded pensions. However, the Governor is responsible for holding the state hostage to his so-called Turnaround agenda. That agenda seeks to push unions out (he blames unions for being better negotiators than the State over the years) and to punish Illinois workers who get injured because of his fear that fair workers' compensation laws while drive away business. He refuses to engage with the Democrats until they cave in on this agenda. It would be easy for the Democrats to sell out workers to get a budget and praise Allah that they have not done so.  

If the Governor had the votes as Walker does north of the Cheddar Curtain  he would be entitled to hold out for his polices (which have been a  disaster for the Land 0' Cheese) . Our Governor does not have the votes but insists on taking his football home so nobody can play. Our state will remain in limbo until the hostage crisis ends. This shameful excuse for a Governor should be exorcised in  a couple years. The Democrats will then have to face the State's problems and we should be vigilant about holding them to doing their jobs. Until then, we need to be clear about the main culprit for a state budget that looks like a deraillieur after cyclocross a rainstorm. That culprit will not sign any budget, balanced or not until he can bugger workers across the magnificent miles of Illinois. 

------------

(edit a few minutes later)

ok, I am pretty sure you were tongue in cheek and I bit, took it at face value and preached to the choir. Sorry about that.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on March 28, 2017 at 8:41am

Well said. 

 

Permalink Reply by Bob Kastigar on March 28, 2017 at 2:04am

It appears like this bridge may get the green light...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-41st-street-pe...

The city plans to go ahead with construction of a pedestrian bridge over Lake Shore Drive at 41st Street after the state balked at contributing an extra $2 million to the $34 million cost.

Transportation commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld said on Monday after a speech at the City Club of Chicago that the city planned to go with "alternative sources" of funding to make up for the lack of state money.

"We've had to defer some other bridge maintenance work we would otherwise be doing," Scheinfeld said. "This is too important an investment, and the mayor's following through on his commitment to improve crossings to the lakefront for the Near South Side, Midsouth, and Bronzeville."

RSS

Groups

© 2008-2016   The Chainlink Community, L.L.C.   Powered by

Disclaimer  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service