Here is a look at Illinois transportation earmarks in the $410 billion spending measure approved by the Senate late Tuesday. For the full list of earmarks, click here.

From the public relations staff of Sen. Dick Durbin, a Springfield Democrat:

CONGRESS GIVES APPROVAL TO NEARLY $230 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR ILLINOIS PROJECTS

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced the Omnibus Appropriations Act that was approved today by Congress includes $229,727,154 in funding for Illinois projects.

SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS:

CHICAGO TRANSIT ($36 MILLION): Today’s legislation includes over $36 million in funding to create a new transit line, the Circle line, in Chicago and expand transit service along the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Ravenswood Brown Line. As Americans are driving less and riding more – a recent study found that American’s made 10.7 billion trips on public transit in 2008, a 4 percent increase over 2007 – our public transportation systems must improve service and expand capacity to meet demand.

The proposed Circle Line will not only reduce travel times and enhance access between the growing city center and the entire region but it is also a key component of the City’s transportation strategy for the 2016 Olympics.

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development

Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration:

• CTA Circle Line, Chicago. $6,000,000 for new transit service extending from North Riverside Park Mall to Chicago central business district. The Circle Line’s goal of connecting existing lines with commuter lines is particularly important to serving the entire region. The Circle Line is a key component of the City’s transportation strategy for the 2016 Olympics. It provides improved access to venues throughout the entire Chicago region by greatly facilitating transfer connections between all Metra and CTA rail lines.

• CTA Ravenswood Brown Line, Chicago. $30,474,404 to expand capacity on the Ravenswood Brown Line which serves 66,000 passengers each weekday from the inner Loop to the northwest part of the city. Since 1998, ridership on the Brown Line has increased by 21%. This expansion project will modernize the line by increasing the length of Brown Line platforms to accommodate more cars, and enable CTA to meet growing ridership demands. This year’s funding is consistent with a 2003 Full Funding Grant Agreement.
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• CTA Yellow Line, Chicago. $237,000 to extend CTA’s Yellow Line 1.75 miles north from its current terminus, at Dempster Street in Skokie, to Old Orchard Road and provide an infill station at Oakton.

• CTA Red Line, Chicago. $285,000 to extend the red line from its current terminus, at 95th Street, to 130th Street. This long-term project envisions four new rail stations and a new rail yard.

• Buses and Bus Facilities, Statewide. $4,750,000 to the Illinois Department of Transportation for downstate buses and bus facilities.

• Metra Connects, Northeastern. $24,000,000 to expand four major Metra extensions (STAR line, Union Pacific West Extension, Union Pacific Northwest Line, Southeast Service Line). The Metra Connects program is a coordinated plan to address transportation issues and meet the population growth within Northeast Illinois.

Department of Transportation, the Transportation Community and System Preservation Program:

• Illinois Pedestrian and Bicycling Road and Trail Improvements, Statewide. $2,850,000 statewide for bike and pedestrian trail enhancements and improvements.

Department of Transportation, Surface Transportation Program:

• Intersection Safety Improvements, Olympia Fields. $475,000 for intersection safety upgrades and improvements at 203rd Street and Crawford Avenue.

• US Highway 30, Whiteside County. $475,000 for completion of Phase I Engineering and start of Phase II Engineering of the project to construct a four-lane U.S. Highway 30 between Fulton and Rock Falls, Illinois.

Department of Transportation, Railroad Research and Development:

• Rail-Grade Crossing Safety, Statewide. $475,000 for improving rail-grade crossing safety through education and enforcement initiatives under the Illinois Department of Commerce Commission’s Public Education and Enforcement Research (PEERS) program.

• Grand Crossing passenger rail CREATE project, Chicago. $1,900,000 to separate passenger rail from freight to allow additional Amtrak trains and better on-time performance of Amtrak trains from Champaign and Carbondale. The Grand Crossing Project is part of the Chicago Regional Environmental and Transportation Efficiency program (CREATE).

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Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration:

• Airport Improvements, Peoria. $950,000 to construct a new terminal facility at Peoria Regional Airport.

• Airport Improvements, DeKalb. $1,235,000 to acquire land for the expansion of DeKalb Airport.