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“THANKING SUPPORTERS OF THE RAVENSWOOD LINE REHABILITATION” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1954 on Oct. 2, 2003.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THANKING SUPPORTERS OF THE RAVENSWOOD LINE REHABILITATION
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HON. RAHM EMANUEL
of illinois
in the house of representatives
Thursday, October 2, 2003
Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my appreciation to the members of the Transportation Appropriations Committee for their leadership in support of the rehabilitation and expansion of Chicago's Ravenswood Elevated Line.
Built more than a century ago, the Ravenswood Line, known by Chicagoans as the ``Brown Line,'' is one of the City's fabled elevated trains and serves as a vital link between the area that I'm proud to represent--the northwest side--and downtown. Along the way, it winds through some of Chicago's historic neighborhoods: Ravenswood, North Center, Wrigleyville, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, and of course, the Loop.
With more than 60,000 commuters each day, ridership has increased approximately 73 percent since 1979. In the past year alone, the number of riders has increased by 10 percent, the highest rate of growth anywhere in the Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) rail transportation system.
Because of the Brown Line's age, it can only accommodate six-car trains, and not the eight-car trains used elsewhere on the CTA system. Thus, the Ravenswood Line is not able to handle the growing demand. In fact, it is not unusual for commuters to wait several full trains before being able to board a train in the morning rush hour. Clearly, the Brown Line renovation is necessary to keep pace with the rapidly growing demand for mass transit services in Chicago.
For these reasons, since arriving in Congress I have worked closely with the City of Chicago, CTA, and U.S. Department of Transportation to ensure that the Brown Line revitalization received the support it needed to continue. I was also pleased to appear before the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee to discuss why expanding the line is so important to ensure the safety of Chicago commuters and to improve its efficiency.
I am pleased that both Committees agree that the Brown Line rehabilitation is a critically necessary and worthwhile project. It was included in the original Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century
(TEA-21), and I am hopeful that it will be included in the upcoming bill to reauthorize TEA-21. On behalf of Chicago's riders, I am deeply grateful that the members of the Appropriations Committee included this project in the Fiscal Year 2004 Transportation-Treasury Bill passed two weeks ago by this body. Because of this support, the Ravenswood Line rehabilitation project will be able to stay on schedule, benefiting my district, and indeed the entire City of Chicago.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to personally thank all the members who supported this project crucial to Illinois' Fifth Congressional District, particularly Speaker Hastert and Congressman Lipinski for their assistance, hard work and unyielding commitment to the project. Further, I look forward to working with them in support of this project as the bill moves into conference and onto the President's desk for signature.
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