Tag: IDOT

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Normal didn’t get $6 mil more, they only got $3,157,375

By: Diane Benjamin See original story: https://blnnews.com/2022/05/09/no-surprise-normal-needs-6-million-more-to-build-the-underpass/ Monday packet: https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4398 PDF page 62: Either people all across the country are funding Normal’s amenities or money is being printed so Normal can have an underpass vehicles can’t use. Brilliant. Oh, the Subway inside the Amtrak station closed, another Uptown success story. Remember what Normal did when […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

The final story for Normal Monday night – Connect Transit

By:  Diane Benjamin Other items from Monday’s meeting could be covered, but I won’t!  Links to all previous stories are here:  https://blnnews.com/2020/07/08/story-6-normal-monday/ Isaac Thorne and Julie Hile made a presentation.  Start with this screen shot: Thorne proved Pritzker’s budget is a joke by relying on a $5 billion bailout from the Feds AND the citizens […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

IDOT conspires with Connect Transit

Since common sense isn’t allowed on the Connect Transit Board, I can’t ask a simple question.  Why not plan routes so people don’t have to transfer buses?  I know one answer:  No transfer and they don’t get counted twice as riding. From: Jeff Holtke <[email protected]> Date: Fri, May 17, 2019 at 11:46 AM Subject: CONNECT TRANSIT TO […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Is this Connects real problem?

By:  Diane Benjamin PDF page 21  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GoZDYLB3LiTfbRZpY34J539EmtVDAkpB/view Does this mean if expenses are cut, IDOT gives them less money? I spoke to a retired driver.  He says he was overpaid – somewhere around $27 per hour.  He also told me stories of employees/contractors paid to leave. Every year operating expenses increase meaning the IDOT subsidy […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Center Street bridge closing?!?

By:  Diane Benjamin Back in June of 2015 I took pictures under the Center Street bridge for this story:    https://blnnews.com/2015/06/03/24853/ It appeared then to be failing apart. Last Monday a guy named Rick Phillipi (sp?) spoke during Public Comment at the 7:00 Council meeting.  He has been tracking this bridge for many years, he is […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

East Side Bypass-Highway-Freeway

By:  Diane Benjamin I attended part of the Public Hearing last night at Central Catholic High school. Side note:  I wonder how much they spend per student in their lovely facility?  I bet it isn’t close to what Unit 5/District 87 spend.  Somebody should really study that angle. I did a quick Internet search yesterday […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Center Street Bridge! Update

To the clown who is no longer allowed to post comments:  Research what the current Gas Tax is being used for.  Research where the almost what the almost $1 Trillion Obama plan for “Shovel Ready” infrastructure went.  Neither was/is spent on roads and bridges.  The Feds don’t need more money, they need to spend what they have […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

The commission you’ve never heard of

by:  Diane Benjamin It’s the McLean County Regional Planning Commission! http://www.mcplan.org/department/division.php?structureid=14 What do they do?  Make plans for Bloomington, Normal, and McLean County.  Think East-side Bypass, Bike Routes, and now Bring It Bloomington. According to the MCRPC 2013 financial statements, 46.6% of their funding came from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).  Who do you […]