New Fact Sheet Highlights Illinois’ Urgent Infrastructure Needs, How the American Jobs Plan Will Help
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Sean Casten highlighted a new fact sheet from the White House which outlines the urgent imperative to address critical infrastructure needs across Illinois. The fact sheet details the number of bridges and miles of road in each state in poor condition, the percentage of households without access to broadband, the billions of dollars required for water infrastructure, and more. These pressing needs underscore the importance of the American Jobs Plan, which will make historic investments in improving the nation's infrastructure and put millions of people back to work.
"Illinois' critical infrastructure needs have been neglected for far too long," said Rep. Casten. "The American Jobs Plan is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to revamp Illinois' roads, bridges, and railways, make headway tackling the climate crisis that's decades overdue, and create millions of good-paying American jobs."
Illinois received a C- grade on its Infrastructure Report Card from the American Society of Civil Engineers, facing many deficiencies that require immediate attention. Below are key statistics on the condition of the infrastructure in our state of Illinois.
- 6,218 miles of road and 1,374 bridges are in need of repair
- 21% of trains and other transit vehicles in the state that are past their useful life
- 6% percentage of households are without access to broadband
- 765,000 Illinois renters pay more than 30 percent of their income in rent due to shortages in affordable housing units
- Illinois needs $20.9 billion in modernization costs to ensure safe drinking water
- 58% of families have few or no childcare options in their communities, preventing parents from joining the workforce
- 628,254 veterans in Illinois rely on VA facilities, which have been chronically underfunded – leading to longer waits and lower quality care
- An average low-income family in Illinois currently pays 6-8% of their income toward energy bills because their home has not been sufficiently weatherized
- Illinois has experienced 48 extreme weather events in the past decade, which will only increase in frequency and severity due to the climate crisis
"We have an opportunity to build an economy that's stronger, more equitable and positioned for growth and that means we need to make investments in clean energy infrastructure big and bold enough to do what's scientifically and economically necessary to lower emissions, spur innovation, and revitalize our energy sector," continued Rep. Casten "It's past time we get this done."
Led by President Biden and Democrats in Congress, the American Jobs Plan targets these infrastructure needs and more. This initiative is designed to reenergize our stagnant economy as we begin to recover from the pandemic and the recession, as well as lay the foundation for future economic growth and ensure our nation is competitive in the global economy for decades to come.
The full fact sheet is available here.