Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar Hosts Discussion on 16th District Infrastructure Funding

On Thursday, September 4th, Cook County Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar hosted a Facebook Live Virtual Town Hall to discuss infrastructure investment and funding in Cook County’s 16th District.

Joining Commissioner Aguilar was Cook County’s Department of Transportation and Highways (DOTH) Superintendent Jennifer “Sis” Killen.

During the Facebook Live, Superintendent Killen gave an overview of the Invest in Cook Grant program, along with other county funded infrastructure projects located throughout the 16th District.

“This investment will have a real, day-to-day impact on 16th District residents,” said Commissioner Aguilar.

“Funding our transportation infrastructure is crucial to keeping residents and visitors safe as they navigate their daily lives. It truly is amazing to see the partnership between 16th District municipalities and Cook County work together to provide improvements to our communities. I’d like to thank Superintendent Killen for joining us and helping share these exciting and important investments.”

Since Commissioner Aguilar became County Commissioner in 2020, $6,133,705 in county funding has been distributed to the 16th district over the course of 28 Invest in Cook projects. Invest in Cook is an initiative that’s part of Connecting Cook County, the County’s long-range transportation plan, which guides how the County invests in transportation to attract and retain businesses, people, capital and talent.

“Cook County values the partnership with our local cities, villages and townships,” said Jennifer “Sis” Killen, superintendent of the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways. “Together we advance priority transportation projects that improve safety, increase mobility and improve quality of life for our residents.”

In addition to Invest in Cook funding, the 16th District has received support from other infrastructure funding sources. To help mitigate flooding, a top priority of Commissioner Aguilar, the County’s DOTH has distributed $4,200,000 for stormwater management over 7 projects from its American Rescue Plan (ARPA) allocation. Recently completed construction projects provided nearly $36 million to the 16th District, including over $34 million to repair the Central Avenue Bridge. Another $3,696,054 was also distributed over 3 projects for pavement rehabilitation.

To find out more on the Invest in Cook program, including past projects in the district, you may visit www.cookcountyil.gov/investincook.

Click here to subscribe FREE to Ray Hanania's Columns