16th District Awarded with over $1.3 Million in Invest in Cook Grant Funding
16th District Awarded with over $1.3 Million in Invest in Cook Grant Funding (Cook County, IL) — Cook County’s 16th District will receive nearly $1.4 million in funding through the Invest in Cook program. Five projects totaling $1,376,845 in county funding will improve transit, pedestrian and bicycle paths as well as road and freight transportation across the 16th District. Berwyn, Brookfield, and LaGrange each received funding through the Invest in Cook Program. Two more projects relate to countywide transit improvements, which are located throughout Cook County.
This funding through the Invest in Cook program will allow for a total of $5,287,135 in infrastructure spending to occur throughout the 16th District in combined county and local funding. The $1,376,845 in funding from Cook County in the 16th District accounts for nearly 18% of the total $7.8 million in 2023 Invest in Cook funding for the entire county.
“This investment will have a real, day-to-day impact on 16th District residents,” said Cook County Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar. “Funding our transportation infrastructure is crucial to keeping residents safe and allowing them to access everything their communities have to offer. It 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 and all local officials who helped make this possible.”
The 16th District Invest in Cook Projects are detailed below:
“Invest in Cook grants help municipalities further their priority transportation projects by providing the gap funding required to advance the planning, engineering or construction associated with transportation improvements,” said Cook County’s Department of Transportation and Highways Superintendent Jennifer “Sis” Killen. “Making equitable investments to ensure that each community has a robust transportation infrastructure is essential to creating a more vibrant Cook County.”
This is the seventh year Invest in Cook grant funding has been awarded for transportation-related projects. Invest in Cook has awarded $56.4 million in grants for a total of 243 projects throughout Cook County since its inception in 2017.
The County’s investment of $7.8 million leverages significant additional local, state and federal funds, allowing nearly $26 million in transportation infrastructure engineering and construction to advance. Past projects funded by Invest in Cook have gone on to receive $3 of local, state or federal funding for every $1 of Invest in Cook awards.
“Making commuting easier and more accessible will ultimately make Cook County a more appealing place to live and work,” said President Preckwinkle. “I am incredibly proud that approximately 60% of this year’s Invest in Cook funding has been awarded to under-resourced areas. That is the highest rate yet and I look forward to expanding our investments into communities that need support the most.”
Invest in Cook grants help municipalities further their transportation projects by providing the gap funding required to advance investing in the planning, engineering, right-of-way acquisition and construction associated with transportation improvements sponsored by local governments and private partners. Funding early project phases is crucial to unlock follow-on grant funding opportunities.
DoTH evaluated the nearly 80 grant applications submitted by local governments and transit agencies based on priorities detailed in Connecting Cook County:
- Prioritize transit and other transportation alternatives
- Support the region’s role as North America’s freight capital
- Promote equal access to opportunities
- Maintain and modernize what already exists
- Increase investments in transportation
To view the complete list of 2023 Invest in Cook grant recipients and projects, visit: www.cookcountyil.gov/
16th District Awarded with over $1.3 Million in Invest in Cook Grant Funding
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