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Transportation
Congressman Lipinski is the most senior Chicago-area member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and has helped secure hundreds of millions of dollars for critical transportation projects in the Third District and the surrounding area. He recently worked successfully to obtain a $100 million federal grant that will eliminate delays for motorists and freight trains on 71st Street in Bridgeview near Toyota Park; reduce the time motorists in La Grange, La Grange Park, and nearby areas spend waiting for trains to pass on the Indiana Harbor Belt Railway line; and reconstruct the crumbling railroad viaduct at 29th Street and Stewart Avenue in Bridgeport. All of these projects are part of the CREATE Rail Modernization Program, for which Congressman Lipinski is a leading advocate. He is also leading the effort to build the Central Avenue Bypass, having worked with state leaders to secure $60 million for the project, bringing the total amount of funding that has been set aside to $170 million. Congressman Lipinski helped obtain $133 million in federal funding for the Englewood Flyover, which will immediately reduce delays on Metra's Rock Island line, is key to reducing delays on the Southwest Service line, and will also reduce freight delays. The Congressman played a key role in establishing two long-awaited railroad quiet zones to stop trains from sounding their horns at all hours while preserving pedestrian and motorist safety. Quiet zones now cover the Canadian National tracks in Riverside, North Riverside, and Berwyn, as well as the Cicero Avenue and 95th Street crossings on Metra's Southwest Service line in Oak Lawn. By working with Metra, Congressman Lipinski was recently able to add weekend service to the Southwest line. He has repeatedly called for quick passage of a new multi-year transportation bill to fund vital infrastructure projects and create jobs. As a member of the Transportation Committee's Aviation Subcommittee, Congressman Lipinski has pushed to require airlines to reimburse checked-baggage fees when luggage is delayed or lost, called for tougher regulations to prevent lengthy tarmac delays, and helped secure over $16 million for runway improvements at Midway Airport – which is part of the Third District – to enhance the safety of passengers and area residents. He recently brought the head of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airports Division to Lewis University Airport to meet with local officials and discuss plans for the airport’s future and how it can stimulate further economic growth and job creation in nearby communities.
For more information on Congressman Lipinski's work to improve improve our transportation system, please see the following press releases.
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Lipinski Applauds House GOP's Decision to Reverse Course and Maintain Dedicated Funding for Public Transportation (February 23, 2012)
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Representatives Lipinski, Dold, and Biggert Advocate For Common Sense Amendments to Transportation Bill (February 21, 2012)
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Lipinski, Dold, Transportation, Business, and Labor Leaders Issue Bipartisan Call to House Republican Leaders: "It's Not Too Late to Fix the Transportation Bill!" (February 13, 2012)
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Lipinski Opposes House GOP's Partisan Transportation Bill that Hurts Northeastern Illinois and the State; Urges a Bipartisan Approach (February 2, 2012)
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Lipinski: House GOP Plan is Bad News for Chicago-Area Mass Transit (February 3, 2012)
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Lipinski Hails Passage of Aviation Reauthorization That Will Create Jobs and Reduce Delays Locally and Nationally (February 3, 2012)
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Lipinski Urges Passage of Aviation Reauthorization that Will Create Jobs and Reduce Delays Locally and Nationally (February 1, 2011)
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Ahead of the State of the Union, Lipinski and Hultgren Urge President to Support Passage of a Transportation Reauthorization Bill to Create Jobs (January 24, 2012)
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Lipinski Helps Introduce Bill to Stop the Offshoring of Infrastructure Jobs (December 1, 2011)
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Lipinski Brings FAA Airport Chief to Lewis University Airport to Meet with Local Officials and Discuss the Airport's Future as an Economic Engine for Job Growth (November 10, 2011)
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Lipinski: Congress Must Seize on Opportunity Created by Speaker Boehner's Announcement, Senate Vote to Forge a Bipartisan Transportation Reauthorization Bill (November 3, 2011)
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Lipinski Announces Englewood Flyover Groundbreaking (October 10, 2011)
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Lipinski Praises Decision Not to Cut Trains on Metra's Southwest Service (September 19, 2011)
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Lipinski, Kirk, Hultgren Issue Bipartisan Call to Extend Surface Transportation Legislation and Avoid a Shutdown, then Pass Overdue Long-Term Reauthorization (September 12, 2011)
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Lipinski Urges Congress and the President to Pass a Long-Overdue Transportation Bill that Will Create Jobs, Ease Traffic Congestion, and Spur Economic Growth (August 26, 2011)
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Lipinski Releases Statement on Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Mica's Six-Year Surface Transportation Reauthorization Proposal (July 7, 2011)
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Lipinski Releases Five-Point Plan to Get Americans Back to Work (June 24, 2011)
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Lipinski, Madigan, Landek, and CREATE Partners Break Ground on Bridgeview Grade Separation that Will Create Almost 300 Jobs, Reduce Congestion, and Enhance Safety (June 20, 2011)
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Lipinski Announces Major Step Toward Increasing Heritage Corridor Metra Service: IDOT will Pay for Capacity Study (April 4, 2011)
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Lipinski Pledges to Fight Effort to Take Away Funding for Rail Project That Will Create Jobs, Ease Metra Congestion (February 24, 2011)
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Lipinski Announces Central Avenue Bypass is Moving Forward with IDOT Public Meeting Marking Next Step Toward Construction and Jobs (February 4, 2011)
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