More than $44.7B approved for Ill. roads, education, conservation

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (KFVS) - Governor JB Pritzker signed the Rebuild Illinois package Friday, June 28.

The package consists of four bills.

One of the bills, House Bill 62, appropriates more than $44.7 billion for capital projects.

According to Gov. Pritzker’s office, the funding will go towards projects and grants for transportation, education, state facilities, environment/conservation, broadband deployment, health care and human services and economic and community development.

The following is the break-down of funding and details for each of the areas approved in HB 62:

Transportation: $33.2 billion

• More than $14 billion for new roads in bridges
• Nearly $11 billion for IDOT’s Multi-Year Plan for roads and bridges
• $4.7 billion for mass transit, including the RTA (CTA, Metra and Pace)
• $1 billion for passenger rail, including Amtrak and other inter-city rail projects
• $558 million for aeronautics
• $492 million for the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE)
• $312 million for grade crossing protection
• $150 million for ports
• $679 million for other transportation projects

Education: $3.5 billion

• $2.9 billion for higher education, including deferred maintenance and new projects at public universities, private universities and community colleges
• $415 million for preK-12 school maintenance
• $111 million for early childhood education

State Facilities: $4.4 billion

• $4 billion for deferred maintenance and new projects at state facilities, such as the decrepit state crime lab
• $350 million for the State Capitol

Environment/Conservation: $1 billion

• $867 million for environmental, conservation and recreation projects, including:
• $290 million for hazardous waste
• $110 million for water revolving fund
• $100 million for unsewered communities
• $92 million for ecosystem restoration
• $75 million for park and recreational facility construction
• $40 million for well plugging
• $35 million for land acquisition
• $31 million for flood mitigation
• $29 million for Illinois green infrastructure grants
• $23 million for Open Space Land Acquisition and Development
• $22 million for dam and waterway projects
• $20 million for conservation reserve enhancement
• $140 million for renewable energy projects, including solar and energy efficiency upgrades at state facilities and transportation electrification in low-income communities

Broadband Deployment: $420 million

• $400 million for statewide broadband expansion
• $20 million for Illinois Century Network

Healthcare and Human Services: $465 million

• $200 million for affordable housing
• $200 million for hospital and healthcare transformation
• $50 million for community health centers
• $15 million for human services grant program

Economic and Community Development: $1.8 billion

• $594 million for community development
• $425 million for economic development
• $401 million for public infrastructure
• $112 million for education and scientific facilities
• $75 million for economically depressed areas
• $51 million for museums
• $50 million for libraries
• $50 million for emerging technology enterprises
• $50 million for the arts
• $25 million for an apprenticeship program
• $15 million for Minority Owned Business Program