Politics

Accountability Aim of Illinois Transportation Bill

By Pamela Dittmer McKuen

Any discussion about capital investment in Illinois these days—and there is much—follows one of two tracks:

The first is the dire need for massive infrastructure improvements and expansion, an undertaking that could partially be funded by increasing the state motor fuel tax. The second is the long-overdue need for accountability and ethics in how taxpayer dollars are spent.

Kathy Ryg

Rep. Kathleen Ryg, D-Vernon Hills, has introduced legislation that addresses both concerns. The Transportation Investment and Accountability Act, officially known as HB-2359, fundamentally changes the way transportation projects are chosen, with transparency and equal opportunity built into the process.

“It is important that if we ask taxpayers to fund improvements, we should offer some reassurance that they are getting a real return on their investment,” Ryg says.

The TIAA forms a new Illinois Transportation Policy Committee made up of appointed representatives from metropolitan planning organizations around the state, plus ex-officio members from the Legislature, Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois Toll Highway Authority.

Its role would be to advise IDOT in setting goals and recommending projects for funding. The committee would adopt a slate of criteria that include maintenance, safety, economic development, reduced travel times and traffic congestion, reduced emissions, life-cycle cost, population impact and return on investment. The bill would offer periodic review of IDOT plans and increased public comment.

Measuring Transportation Performance

Currently, transportation master planning does not require needs assessment or performance measurement. Highway funds are allocated geographically according to fixed percentages.

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“We cannot afford to fund projects that do little to relieve congestion, spur economic development or improve safety on the roads and rails,” Ryg says.

The TIAA is gaining traction with no major opposition. Since Ryg filed it on Feb.18, the bill has attracted a dozen bipartisan co-sponsors as well as endorsements from the Daily Herald newspaper.

“I like the premise that the MPOs should be more engaged with IDOT,” says co-sponsor Rep. Dave Winters, R-Rockford. “These are people with local input, who work closely with the mayors and who know what their communities need.”

Another supporter is the Chicago-based Metropolitan Planning Council, a nonprofit advocacy group for regional land-use policies.

Dave Winters

“It’s a popular bill, in a good way, for a couple of reasons,” says Peter Skosey, MPC vice president. “Legislators realize they can’t vote for a tax increase unless public dollars are spent differently.”

As one example of wasteful spending, he points to the infamous Hillside Strangler bottleneck along Interstate 290 west of Chicago. A $100 million overhaul in the early 2000s only moved the crawling traffic a few miles down the road. It did nothing in terms of economic development, jobs creation or cleaning the environment.

The joke is that the Hillside Strangler became the Mannheim Strangler, he says.

“We need to think more holistically about how to spend transportation dollars, not just alleviate congestion,” Skosey says. “That’s what Kathy’s bill does.”

The MPC also supports HB-1, which raises the motor fuel tax, if it is coupled with accountability measures that ensure smart spending, he says.

Gone from the table is Illinois Works, a massive capital spending plan that disappeared along with its creator, former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was impeached and removed from office in January.

Springtime for Bill

Supporters are hopeful the TIAA will pass during the spring legislative session. But it will be too late to impact the $1.6-billion infrastructure boost from federal stimulus funds. That money is earmarked for enhancements to existing roads, not building new ones, and the contracts are let.

“I think the fact that the bill (TIAA) is out there gives people the pause we need to put priority on projects that will get us the biggest bang for the buck,” Ryg says.

Acting IDOT Secretary Gary Hannig weighed in via e-mail: “We are currently reviewing the bill and will continue to work with the sponsors and supporters of the proposed legislation to come up with a solution that is best for the agency and the citizens of Illinois.”

The TIAA, or its spirit, are not without precedent. Seventeen other states have some sort of rating system for transportation projects, including Michigan and Wisconsin. The federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality improvement program funds such projects as transit expansion, emissions inspections and bicycle paths.

Closer to home, Ryg has joined forces with the Lake County Transportation Alliance, which has prioritized capital projects since 2005. Part of the county is in her district.

“The legislators in that area told the alliance, ‘Tell us what you need, and we’ll collectively agree to this for our region,’” she says. “We have a list of projects. We know that when there is a capital spending bill, we can look at this list and know what’s next. That’s what I’m thinking we can do on a statewide basis.”