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Congressman John Shimkus
(R-19, Collinsville) updated
the Route 51 Coalition mem-
bers at a meeting held Janu-
ary 15, 2004 at the Depot
Restaurant in Vandalia, and
tried to make sense of the
alphabet soup that describes
the reauthorization of the
federal highway bill.
The Congressman stated that
the current federal highway
package (TEA-21) expired
last September and was ex-
tended until February 29,
2004. That bill provided
$174 billion for U.S. high-
ways over the last six years.
The Bush administration has
proposed a new authoriza-
tion bill titled the Safe, Ac-
countable, Flexible, and Effi-
cient Transportation Equity
Act (SAFETEA) which con-
tains $195 billion over the
next six years for
highway funding.
The Senate has
proposed a high-
way funding
package that is
not yet complete,
but which identi-
fies $255 billion
for the same time
frame.
Congressman Shimkus fo-
cused his address on the
House Bill 3055 which is
titled the Transportation
Equity Act: A Legacy for
Users or TEA-LU. That
package totals $375 billion
and contains $299 for high-
way funding.
As a co-sponsor, Congress-
man Shimkus will have the
ability to earmark specific
needed infrastructure pro-
jects. While not
sharing specific
details, the con-
gressman indi-
cated he would
support specific
improvements to
the road facility
in his district.
Earlier in the
month, Con-
gressman Lane Evans (D-17,
Rock Island) announced his
support for $11 million in
engineering studies that
would begin in Pana and
extend south, probably to
Vandalia.
Congressman Shimkus ex-
pressed hope that House
Speaker Dennis Hastert
would be able to increase the
formula that determines the
amount Illinois receives from
total U.S. highway funding.
January 2004 Issue
Coalition Meets in Vandalia
Congressman Shimkus, District Engineer Reed Featured Speakers
In this Issue:
Congressman Shimkus
provides update on
federal funding
District Engineer Reed
discusses IDOT activity
Who are Coalition
Members? (page 2)
Springfield Lobbying
Activities (page 2)
MEMBER
COMMUNITIES
Decatur
Ramsey
Macon
Vandalia
Moweaqua
Patoka
Assumption
Sandoval
Pana
Centralia
Oconee
Newsletter
IDOT District Engineer Reed Commends Route 51
Coalition for their efforts
District Engineer Christine
Reed from IDOT District
Six in Springfield compli-
mented the Coalition for
their diligence in seeking
funding for Route 51. “This
is exactly the type of activism
you need to keep this project
on IDOT’s radar screen” she
noted. Ms. Reed also praised
the Coalition’s handout ma-
terial produced last spring
that showed the 75 mile sec-
tion of Route 51 from Mo-
weaqua to Centralia as the only
two lane section in the inter-
state highway system linking
the Gulf of Mexico to Canada.
“That is a wonderful statistic
that you have made very evi-
dent” she stated.
Our Mission:
The primary goal of
the Route 51 Coalition
is to promote and ex-
pedite the construction
of Route 51 as a four-
lane roadway. The
objective is to educate
local, state, and federal
officials and the gen-
eral public on the
benefits of the project.
Providing Economic Development for Central and Southern Illinois
This newsletter was
provided compliments of:
will expire again February
29, 2004. It is important
for this Act to pass in
2004 since House Speaker
Dennis Hastert has the
influence to obtain a
greater share of the gas
tax revenues for Illinois.
TFIC partners with the
Illinois Department of
Transportation and local
government to inform
and promote the state’s
Secretary/
Treasurer Jim
Schwarz reported
that the Route 51
Coalition became a
member of the
Transportation For Illi-
nois Coalition last
spring. TFIC was estab-
lished as a sub group of
the Illinois State Cham-
ber’s Infrastructure Coun-
cil for the purpose of fo-
cusing on efforts to ob-
tain a strong Federal Sur-
face Transportation Reau-
thorization Act, which
expired in 2003. It has
been extended for a pe-
riod of five months and
transportation
needs. Schwarz
also said the
Route 51 Coali-
tion is planning
another one-day
lobbying effort in April.
In the past, the Coalition
has served hot dogs and
donuts to members of the
general assembly to re-
mind them to support
Route 51 funding.
Coalition leaders expect
to generate a lobbying
group of 50 to 100 people
to make the argument in
Springfield to improve
Route 51 to four lanes.
Springfield Lobbying Activities
5 North Country Club Road
Decatur, IL 62521
Phone: 217-422-8544
Fax: 217-422-0398
For additional copies, Email
phazenfield@hlcllp.com
Route 51 Coalition
Officers Are:
• President
Rick Gottman, Mayor
City of Vandalia
219 South 5th St.
Vandalia, IL 62471
Ph 618-283-0063
Fx 618-283-3642
• Vice president
John Stuehmeier, Mayor
City of Centralia
222 South Poplar
Centralia, IL 62801
Ph 618-533-7622
Fx 618-532-4534
• Secretary/Treasurer
Jim Schwarz, VP
Dunn Company
724 North Mercer St
Decatur, IL 62522
Ph 217-429-4444
Fx 217-429-7917
The Route 51 Coalition consists of citizens representing various governmental en-
tities, business interests, labor organizations, and interested individuals along the
99-mile long section of U. S. Route 51 from I-72 (Decatur) to I-64 (Centralia).
The service area for this coalition includes the counties of Macon, Shelby, Chris-
tian, Fayette, Marion, Clinton, Washington, and Jefferson, with a combined total
population of 325,000.
The communities located along the Route 51 Coalition Corridor are listed on the
front of this newsletter.
Supporters include chambers of commerce, municipal and county governments,
elected officials, economic development organizations, manufacturers, construc-
tion companies, transportation businesses, labor organizations, colleges and uni-
versities, hospitals and interested citizens.
Who Are Route 51 Coalition Members?
Route 51 Coalition: Working to Provide National and Regional Connec-