Tier 1 EIS Decision Expected in December on Historic Transportation Project

SPRINGFIELD -November 15, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today announced that the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) have signed and issued the Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the full build-out of the Chicago-St. Louis high-speed rail corridor. The EIS advances the identification of preferred alternatives, including the Rock Island Corridor as the recommended route between Joliet and Chicago and a Tier 2 project-level evaluation for the Springfield Rail Improvement Project, which recommended a consolidated train route along 10th Street through Springfield. The document will now be available to the public and a potential Record of Decision could be issued at the end of December.

"This historic achievement advances the crucial Chicago-St. Louis high-speed rail project while signifying that all environmental impacts and route alternatives have been analyzed to determine the best option," Governor Quinn said. "Today's issuance of the EIS demonstrates Illinois' steadfast diligence and partnership with the federal government, Senator Dick Durbin, communities along the route, private rail partners and other key supporters to move this project forward as quickly as possible."

The Tier 1 EIS includes IDOT's preferred Chicago-Joliet route?the Rock Island Corridor (RIC) instead of the existing route?the Heritage Corridor. The $1 billion estimated cost for upgrading the RIC is $500 million less than for the Heritage, mainly because fewer grade separations would be needed. The EIS also represents significant progress on the next stage of high-speed rail after upgrades to the Dwight-Alton portion of the corridor (expected as early as 2015) and the Dwight-Joliet section (anticipated to be complete in 2017) are finished.

"We are one step closer to the Tenth Street corridor in Springfield," U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said.  "Our community-wide efforts and the Springfield meeting we arranged with federal, state and local officials last year put us on the 'right track': Tenth Street."

"I was thrilled to sign this historic document, which represents thousands of hours spent by our staff and contractors researching and using environmental, scientific and engineering evidence along with public input to determine the most logical and effective routes for Chicago-St. Louis high-speed rail passenger service," Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann L. Schneider said. "Today marks a major milestone in our pursuit to advance the project, and we hope it results with a Record of Decision from the federal government in the next couple of months."

The Tier 1 EIS focuses on double-tracking the entire line, while the Tier 2 EIS pinpoints two alternatives along the existing 10^th Street rail corridor as finalists to carry the high-speed trains through Springfield. A series of statewide public hearings were held by IDOT and the FRA this year to seek comments on the Draft EIS. To view a copy of the EIS online, please visit idothsr.org.

"The approval from IDOT represents a major step forward for the project and indicates we will receive a favorable Record of Decision in December," Springfield Mayor Mike Houston said.

EIS approval is a process required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for federal projects that might significantly impact the environment. The EIS is required to complete the full build-out of the project, including double-tracking and route improvements between Joliet and Chicago and through the city of Springfield.

"This is welcome news that IDOT and the FRA have approved the final Tier I EIS, which reflects the selection of 10^th Street Corridor for high-speed rail through Springfield," Sangamon County Board Chairman Andy Van Meter said. "We are excited about the opportunities this will bring to our community and wish to thank Senator Durbin, Governor Quinn and Secretary Schneider for their vision and continued support in moving this forward as rapidly as they have.  We look forward to the Record of Decision in December when, with IDOT's help, we can start the design phase of the project."

Under the leadership of Governor Quinn, Illinois has received more than $1.4 billion in federal funding to develop high-speed service between Chicago and St. Louis, which is expected to significantly reduce travel times between the two cities and create about 6,200 direct and indirect jobs. The Governor's Illinois Jobs Now! capital program has contributed $42 million toward construction. The first trains traveling at 110 mph made their successful debut between Dwight and Pontiac during a demonstration run in October.

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State's $1 Million Seed Investment Will Connect Education, Business, Healthcare Communities to Aurora's Fiber Optic Network; Help Create 2,500 Jobs Over Five Years

AURORA - October 16, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today announced that OnLight Aurora is a recipient of an Illinois Gigabit Communities Challenge award, a statewide competition to establish ultra-high speed broadband networks across Illinois. The state is awarding $1 million in Illinois Jobs Now! capital funding to OnLight Aurora to help connect the city of Aurora's fiber optic network to its education, business, and healthcare communities and accelerate economic growth and job creation.

Announced during Governor Quinn's 2012 State of the State Address, the Illinois Gigabit Communities Challenge advances the governor's efforts to encourage world-class broadband infrastructure in every area of Illinois.

"Smart communities will foster the job engines of the future," Governor Quinn said. "To win in the information economy, we need information infrastructure that is second to none. Through the Gigabit Communities Challenge, Illinois will build stronger, smarter communities with Internet connections more than 100 times faster than they are today."

OnLight Aurora is among the first in a series of Challenge award recipients that will be announced in the coming weeks. The state's investment will help connect Aurora's robust, state-of-the-art fiber network to more than 12,000 end users, including students, nurses, business men and women, and residents.

Administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), the $1 million award represents a seed investment for OnLight Aurora's pilot project and will help leverage an additional $1 million in public and private matching funds and create 2,500 jobs over the next five years. The state's investment will help provide connectivity to Aurora's public and private K-12 schools, higher education and healthcare institutions, commercial corridors and community anchors in underserved areas, and major non-profit organizations across the city.

"This grant will help OnLight Aurora continue to close the digital divide within our city by capitalizing on our Fiber Optic Network," said Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner. "We know that technology has the potential to revolutionize our educational system and it is an absolute must for successful companies of all sizes. By developing the infrastructure of the future, we drive economic development, strengthen our tax base, and address our community's most fundamental needs: jobs, quality of life and global competitiveness."

OnLight Aurora is an independent, not-for-profit organization that was formed out of a technology task force organized by Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner in 2011 that included public and private sector volunteers. The mission of OnLight Aurora is to leverage the world-class connectivity of Aurora's Fiber Optic Network for non-municipal use.

"One of the major factors in companies locating to a city is the access to technology," said Joseph Henning, President and CEO of the Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce. "This grant will make it more cost effective to provide current businesses and those looking to make Aurora home, with the technology they need to succeed in today's global business environment while creating thousands of jobs over the next five years."

As part of the comprehensive, multi-year Illinois Jobs Now! economic development program, the Illinois Gigabit Communities Challenge sought proposals from private and public organizations to encourage promising ultra high-speed broadband deployment projects throughout Illinois. Applicants were required to provide a viable plan to connect at least 1,000 end users to an ultra high-speed broadband network. Award recipients will receive seed funding to help build or expand world-class broadband networks in Illinois.

Earlier today, Governor Quinn awarded the first Gigabit Communities Challenge grant to Gigabit Squared during an awards ceremony held in Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood. For more information on the Illinois Gigabit Communities Challenge, visit Gigabit.Illinois.gov.

A longtime advocate for improving our technology infrastructure, Governor Quinn has been a strong voice for broadband deployment in all areas of Illinois. As part of the Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program, the Broadband Deployment Fund was used in 2010 and 2011 to jumpstart more than 4,000 miles of new fiber optic cable construction and more than $300 million in private and federal investment in Illinois.

Law to Increase Access to Vaccines as Kids Head Back to School

CHICAGO - August 21, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today continued his commitment to improving the health and wellness of Illinois children by signing a new law that will make it easier for them to receive flu shots and other preventative vaccines. With the start of the new school year quickly approaching and cases of whooping coughing increasing across Illinois, the governor visited pharmacies in Chicago, Rockford, Milan and Peoria to let parents know about their new options.

"We are blessed with modern medicines that can prevent illnesses, but we must make sure children have access to them," Governor Quinn said. "This new law means more children will be getting vaccinated, which means healthier children, healthier families and fewer days away from school."

Senate Bill 3513, sponsored by Sen. Iris Martinez (D-Chicago) and Rep. Dan Burke (D-Chicago), allows pharmacists to administer influenza and TDAP (tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis) vaccines to children ages 10 to 13, with a valid prescription from a licensed physician. Previous law had allowed children only as young as 14 to receive these shots from pharmacists. With nearly 630,000 more children getting vaccinated, outbreaks of influenza and other diseases will be less widespread. The law takes effect immediately.

"Thanks to this legislation, families with younger children will no longer have to seek out and travel to medical facilities that may be far away. Now, they'll have the convenient option of going to any of their local pharmacies that offer these shots," said Sen. Martinez.

Governor Quinn was joined in encouraging parents across Illinois to get their children vaccinated as soon as possible by local leaders, the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and pharmacists at Walgreens, CVS, Target and Kroger, which are among the many Illinois retail stores that offer vaccinations for children and adults.

"We're proud to join Governor Quinn in helping to provide greater access to immunizations for families and neighborhood communities throughout Illinois," said Mark Wagner, president of operations and community management, Walgreens. "Our pharmacists have played an integral role in improving immunization rates for flu and other diseases, and with today's legislation, Walgreens pharmacists will serve as an even more valuable health care and immunizations resource in helping people get, stay and live well."

"Expanding access to vaccinations is critical especially for children, and the collaboration between the retail pharmacy and medical community to make vaccinations more readily available is an example of sound public policy," said David Vite, President/CEO, Illinois Retail Merchants Association. "Allowing parents to get their children vaccinated at the local pharmacy gives them a quick, easy and inexpensive way to meet the changing vaccination needs of the public schools, and we should thank Governor Quinn and the legislature for making access much easier for busy families."

As part of August being National Immunization Awareness Month, the Illinois Department of Public Health is reminding parents and health care providers that all sixth and ninth graders are now required to show proof of having received the TDAP vaccine before being allowed to attend school. The shot includes protection against pertussis (commonly known as whooping cough) which has been on the rise in Illinois. In 2011, health care providers reported 1,509 pertussis cases to IDPH for the entire year. With five months still to go in 2012, providers have already reported more than 1,300 cases of pertussis.

"The single most important thing parents can do to protect their children against whooping cough and other preventable diseases is to receive a vaccination," said IDPH Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck.

For more information about vaccinations, please contact the Illinois Department of Public Health at 217-782-4977 or online at http://www.idph.state.il.us/home.htm.

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