Have you gotten fed up with the crowded lines and buses, the ruined viaducts, the puddled and / or the flooded streets and the damaged sidewalks? The Metropolitan Planning Council, in partnership with other transportation organizations and supporters in Illinois, launched the #BustedCommute social media campaign to collect images, videos and stories about our state’s infrastructure. MPC will use the material to promote sustainable transportation financing.
“Illinois does not spend enough to obtain a reliable and functioning multimodal transport system,” the group said in a statement. “In the past, we have relied on irregular (and inadequate) capital accounts to add funding.” To allow Illinois to restore our roads, bridges and transit to good health and a plan for growth, we need a substantial source of income, regular and reliable.”
With the Trump government announcing its intention to cut funds for sustainable transportation, and the much-discussed Infrastructure Law, which contains no new federal funds, the MPC argues that the state of Illinois must be strengthened to create a more comprehensive source of income for infrastructure. For example, the Illinois gas tax has been set at 19 cents per gallon since 1991, so an increase is expected. A car mileage tax could be another way to raise money, since gas tax revenues will decrease in the future due to the growing popularity of hybrid and electric cars.
However, policymakers cannot take action to address the problem until voters receive more support. By sharing your photos, video clips, and stories about backlog due to a blocked train, the loss of your wheelchair through a broken gangway, or spinning the wheel in a pothole, you can prove that more infrastructure financing is required. The MPC will send these messages with a call to action to state legislators this spring.
Here’s how to share your #BustedCommute images and stories:
- Snap a photo or video and write a caption. Mention what happened and where (a particular train station, bus stop, intersection, town, or neighborhood).
- Postyour captioned image on Twitter with the #BustedCommute hashtag. MPC will comb the feed. You can also Tweet to them directly at @metroplanners.
- Email MPCyour photo and story at bustedcommute@metroplanning.org.
*Credits/Source:
Featured Image: MPC
Story: John Greenfield – Streetsblog Chicago
