Casten Announces $513.6M in Funding for Metra he Fought to Secure
Downers Grove, IL — Today, U.S. Representative Sean Casten (IL-06) and the U.S. Department of Transportation announced a $513.6 million award of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation (Metra). Metra employs approximately 2,600 workers who provided nearly 17 million trips throughout the Chicago metro area in 2020. The ARP funds will allow Metra to continue providing a low-carbon transportation service critical to the region's 8.6 million residents.
"From folks commuting to work to parents taking their family to Brookfield Zoo, having efficient and reliable public transportation is absolutely vital for residents of the 6th District," said Rep. Casten. "I fought hard to secure this crucial funding to keep Metra running, keep workers on payroll, and help folks get where they need to go."
This funding is part of more than $30 billion for public transportation in the American Rescue Plan Act passed by Democrats and signed into law by President Biden last March. The funds are intended to help transit agencies around the country maintain service and keep workers on the payroll as communities continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last August, Rep. Casten joined Rep. Garcia (IL-04) for a Metra tour of the 6th District.
# # #